Forever Luna

ascendancy

noun ~ occupation of aposition of dominant power or influence

PHOENIX

A wolf lowered its head at my mate's words, and my breath stilled as more followed. Pollux stared at them, his exhaustion giving way to disbelief. Charlie cursed under his breath as the twin took a step towards his sister, the extra lycan blood keeping him standing.

Apollo spun towards his army, snarling obscenities at them. "Do not listen to her! Her magic confuses you!"

"Magic? I'm not that kind of magic, Apollo." My mate giggled.

The sound was unusual, but oh so delectable, considering she was the woman in charge here.

The wolves remained where they were, and his face darkened. "Stop it!"

More lowered themselves instead. Nova smiled, and Apollo looked at her as though he could envision every brutal way he intended to silence her.

I stepped closer without conscious thought.

One movement. That was all Apollo would be permitted.

One movement in her direction, and I would forget every strategic reason for keeping him alive long enough to answer for what he had done.

"And you know what is even better?" Nova asked.

Apollo's gaze fixed upon her as she touched her chest.

"I bet some even use the remnants of whatever blood you stole from me, too, huh? All those years... I bet I can find them, too."

His expression changed again, and realisation gave way to something far more satisfying.

Horror.

"All these wolves will respond to us. The two bloodlines you desperately tried to destroy. And us? We are both of them."

The connection surged through our bond and spread beyond it as Nova pushed her wolf through the surface. I audibly swallowed, watching as the surrounding wolves all shuddered at the complexity of it.

Pollux was still weak, and I could sense his wolf still trying to mend months of broken contact. But he still lifted his chin, glaring back at the man who tore him down to skin and bones.

Apollo had spent decades obsessing over blood, stealing it and corrupting it in his pursuit of supremacy, yet he had never truly understood what it meant.

More wolves turned and bowed, but a few still remained uncertain. They remained facing Apollo, held by fear, conditioning, or whatever other methods he had used to control them.

But enough looked towards Pollux and Nova.

Enough for everyone to witness his authority disintegrating around him.

"You spent all this time trying to create something that would kneel to you." Nova stared deeply at Apollo. "Everything you had was stolen. Your army, your power, your mate... Pathetic, really, because now you have none of that. Not even the throne."

His face twisted.

Nova was not finished.

I could feel it in the heat of her fury. Years of pain had condensed into something sharp and merciless, and she intended to drive it into every weakness Apollo had tried to conceal.

Calida growled, and I watched her circle to the back of Apollo, giving me a perfect advantage to his front. Her brown eyes flickered towards me briefly, and I understood straight away.

"You stole lives." Nova snarled, stepping forward. "You tore families apart, killed most from your experiments... You hurt me, you hurt my brother... And you are still not the strongest person standing here."