Cain smirks.
It’s not a smirk of arrogance. Not amusement.
It’s the smirk of a man who knows he has lost but refuses to kneel.
Aries doesn’t hesitate.
The moment stretches, the sounds of battle fading into nothing but the roar of his own fury.
He lunges, claws gleaming, teeth bared. Cain braces himself, but in his red eyes, Aries sees a reflection.
He doesn't see Cain's red eyes, no. He sees a pair of hateful brown eyes.
He is seeing Lucian.
The man who betrayed him. The man who slaughtered his mate. His son.
The weight of centuries of hatred crashes into Aries, feeding the fire of his rage. He will give Cain no mercy, just as there was none for him in that past life.
Cain swings first, a desperate strike. Aries sidesteps with ease, claws slicing across Cain’s exposed side.
Blood sprays into the air, but the rogue king barely flinches. He moves again, aiming for Aries’ throat, but it is a mistake.
He is fast. Aries is faster.
The next blow is brutal.