Chapter 29 – The Lake Punch

(Luca's perspective) 

I couldn't get Quinn out of my head. Her face, those wild waves of brown hair, the way her body curved just right—it was all a mess in my mind. A human and a wolf? That kind of pairing was a death sentence in my clan. Unwritten! No one would accept it. Not in a million years. If anyone found out, I'd be fighting off challengers for my Alpha title from every wolf across the damn country.

My clan was one of the strongest, filled with battle-hardened warriors—thanks to my dad. He ruled the clan with an iron fist, becoming Alpha at just twenty. Ruthless didn't even begin to cover it. He forced warriors to have kids solely to train them as fighters from the moment they could walk. Childhood? Forget it. Life was about battle prep, nothing else mattered.

My mother managed to shield Ethan from that hell, but I wasn't so lucky. From birth, I was the weapon my father always wanted. School was just a front to keep authorities off our backs. But Dad? He was a monster. No love, no warmth. I remember seeing kids playing at recess, wondering why they got to have fun. When I asked Dad about it, he beat me for questioning him.

Mom? She gave Ethan all the affection I never got, and it just made me resent her more. She was hardly around anyway, traveling to various locations around the world, which suited me fine. 

Outside the clan, I learned how the real world worked from friends I wasn't supposed to have—like Marcus. He was human until I turned him with my bite after taking over as Alpha. Made him my Beta. Dad wanted Ethan as my Beta too, but I pushed back because Ethan wasn't strong enough. To be a Beta, Ethan had to be strong, especially as my brother, so I had to give him the same gruelling training and that just made us closer in a weird way.

Then came the incident with Quinn.

Nick accidentally bit her, and I nearly lost it. We watched her for 24 hours, waiting for the shift. Nothing. No wolf. Just a girl. Confused but relieved, we let it go. She wasn't built for this life, and I was terrified of what it meant if she ever got pulled into it.

Ethan didn't know about the bond I felt with her—no way could I trust him not to spill to Mom. And if she told Dad? Game over. The Alpha fight Dad made me endure to take over? Every bone in my body broken. I wasn't signing up for a repeat.

Since becoming Alpha, I loosened the leash on the clan. Kids deserved a bit of their childhood. Warriors earned some time off. The old traditions were tough to break, but we had things like tonight's lake get-together to blow off steam. We needed it after weeks of intense training, especially with that Echo lurking in the shadows. We planned to visit the Seer soon—the ancient one who spoke to the Lunar Goddess and warned us of enemies.

I was by the fire, nursing a beer, talking to Marcus about the girl who was wrecking my life. Her scent hit me like a truck. Sweet and wild, unmistakable. My stomach dropped.

Quinn.

No way.

Her voice cut through the crowd. "You didn't mention anything about a party," she snapped at Ethan.

Of course, he brought her. Fucking Idiot.

He shrugged, all smug. "Would you have come if I did?"

"Nope." Her voice wavered, nerves creeping through despite her bravado.

I stayed back, watching her scan the crowd like a rabbit ready to bolt. Our close friends—Nick, Ash, Kimi—welcomed her without a clue who she really was or what she was starting to mean to me.

Marcus nudged me. "Your girlfriend's here."

I growled low in my throat, but he just laughed.

Quinn smiled, laughing with Kimi. My chest twisted at the sight. Then her eyes locked on mine. The world blurred, sounds faded, and it was just her.

I had to get out. Away from her before she destroyed me.

But no, Ethan dragged her over, grinning like a halfwit. I barely heard him over the rush of blood in my ears. I had to be cold, distant—the only way to protect her.

"What is she doing here?" I growled, my voice sharp enough to cut glass.

Her eyes widened, then hardened with anger. Good. Let her be pissed. It was safer that way. 

"Why the fuck would you bring her?" I spat, not even looking at her.

Ethan bristled. "What's your problem?"

I didn't answer. This wasn't about her. It was about keeping her safe from the darkness inside me, so I got up to leave.

"Asshole," she muttered, stepping closer.

The audacity.

I sneered. "Leave."

Her eyes blazed. "Make me."

Oh, she wanted to play? Fine. I turned around and gave her the most disgusted face I could muster, but inside I was cringing at what I was about to say.

"For the last time, bitch... fuck off," I snarled.

The words tasted bitter, but I needed her to hate me. Her face twisted in disbelief, then fury. And then—

WHAM.

She punched me square in the jaw.

Stars exploded behind my eyes. I staggered back, not because it hurt, but because of the raw fire behind that punch that I didn't expect. The beast inside me stirred.

Oh no.

Heat flooded my veins, my skin burning from the inside out. My vision flickered red. The wolf was clawing to get out.

"Go," I rasped, fighting to stay in control. "Just... go."

But she didn't. She stood there, defiant.

I lost it.

"GO!"

The roar that ripped from me was pure animal, raw and wild. The crowd froze. Ethan and Nick grabbed Quinn, dragging her to the car.

All I could see was her—the girl who was unraveling me, piece by piece.

And I wasn't sure I could stop it.