*Please* read the last two Lethal chapters before reading this. Also, ONYX has been updated as well.

Although... it would serve you right if you're late for updates ;)

Song (seriously guys this is literally Ares' theme song, I always listen to it when writing violent scenes which is... often lol):

Tear You Apart by She Wants Revenge
I want to hold you close
Soft breath, beating heart
as I whisper in your ear
I want to fucking tear you apart

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I gasp, bolting upright in my bed. My (thankfully) empty bed.

Clutching the side of my head, I groaned. What the hell was that? I preferred the nightmares.

My heart was beating erratically as I shifted through my clothes, pulling out a pair of leggings and tank top. I threw on the black fur cloak that Cain had given me the day I was kidnapped by Wilson, the gift that was supposed to be for our Mating Ceremony. I always wore it for formal pack events, and I knew that Cain liked seeing me in it, as it was a symbol of his strength, as only a beast could kill something large enough to produce that much fur. In Blood Lake, fur symbolized much about the wolf.

It didn't escape my notice as I looked in the mirror that, for once, I didn't have dark circles protruding under my eyes.

Lucas must have noticed too, because when I went downstairs, he said, "Good morning, Luna. You look like you slept well."

"Shut the fuck up," I mutter, rummaging through the fridge, though eating is the last thing I want to do.

Lucas' eyes widen. "O-okay then. My apologies, Luna."

I silently make my smoothie and sit at the counter next to Lucas, who doesn't dare test the limits of my foul mood.

When I hear two sets of footfall going down the stairs, I don't look up, ignoring Thane as he bids his mate goodbye.

Onyx sat next to me, and none of us spoke until Lucas offered to fix her hair. I sat across from her on the floor as he rebraided her hair. "Attack first. After you first injure her, do it again. Don't wait for her to strike back. Go for the throat. If she's protecting heavily there, which I'm assuming she will be, go for the legs. Incapacitate her quickly, however you can. If you get injured, don't show any pain. Don't show any fear, it'll just encourage her wolf and the next attack will be more brutal and assured than the last."

Onyx nodded solemnly, showing no emotion on my face. When I hear a knock on the door, I practically trip over my own feet as I run to my mate.

"Cain," I exhale as I wrap my arms around his neck. Cain said nothing as he pressed his lips to mine, and as we kiss, I can't help feeling guilty.

Why? Why should I feel guilty? It's not like I actually cheated, for Christ's sake. And it's not like I had any kind of attraction to Thane anyways, it was just a stupid dream. No doubt from how much time I had spent in this godforsaken pack.

We waste no time as we head toward the clearing. Cain had asked to carry me, no doubt fighting his animalistic urges, but I declined, if only to scare the shit out of the Blue Moon wolves.

Onyx looked like a baby deer, frightened half to death. Confidence is half of a fight, scaring your opponents is the most powerful psychological tool someone could have. "Pick your head up. Shoulders back. No Fear," I quietly instruct her before we reach the large throng of wolves.

She straightens her back, wiping all emotion off of her face. I have taught her well. I pull my mask up, only revealing my silver eyes. Despite what it may look like to others, Cain is actually relaxed, doesn't even bother glaring at the wolves that stare at us as they fall over themselves trying to get out of our way.

I see Thane, restrained by silver chains, and no doubt has taken a small wolfsbane injection to weaken himself. I can see Onyx' perplexed expression, and explain that it's so his wolf doesn't try to escape and kill Brenna. When she asks what happens if he does escape, I smile slightly. Cain and I will restrain him if necessary.

I see Onyx's gaze shift to Brenna, who also looks completely stoic. Leo gives some boring introduction to the challenge, and I anxiously wait for the fight to start.

Finally, he commands them both to shift, and they do. Brenna's wolf is slightly larger than Onyx's, not that that means anything in a fight.

Leo counts down, and I hold my breath as he begins the Challenge. Cain soothingly rubs my lower back.

I watch the two wolves fight, wincing every time Brenna bites Onyx. Despite how evenly matched they appeared to be, I could tell from the beginning of the fight that Onyx was going to win. Brenna lacked the dexterity necessary to bounce back after each fall, something that I had beat into Onyx from our first training session. Even some of the bearings she had taken from me made Brenna's attacks look like child's play. Fighting was an art, and she lacked finesse.

I smiled as Onyx took advantage of Brenna's neck wound, and held her by the throat. Come on, I thought to myself. End her.

I nearly choked when Leo told Brenna to shift into human form to submit, and Onyx accepted her submission. We had never talked about letting the she-wolf live.

"Onyx Knight is the winner of the Luna Challenge," I heard Leo proclaim. "Brenna Lockheed, if you survive, you'll live the rest of your days as a rogue, forever banished from the Blue Moon pack and territory."

Some of Thane's men begin to undo his chains, and Thane ripped off the remainder as if they were made from paper. A pack member handed him a blanket, which he wrapped around Onyx, who was shaking.

"She's not going to survive," Cain muttered, and I looked at the bloody shewolf. He was right. I could hear her heartbeats slowing, and blood was pouring from her neck. Even the Blue Moon pack members knew her death was imminent, and even if they tried to save her, she would die. She would be dead within the minute.

I sigh, already knowing what I have to do. If I didn't clearly kill the wolf, Onyx would have to live the rest of her life knowing that she killed someone.

I pull away from Cain, who seemingly knows what I'm about to do. Last lesson, Onyx. I say as I stalk towards the shewolf. Blue Moon members look at me in fear, and I revel in it.

This is what I meant when I told Lucas that I have to be the villain, the antagonist in someone's shitty life story. So, I play the role that everyone believes me to be. Brenna takes her last breath, already unconscious. She wouldn't feel a thing. I plunge my claws into her chest, and throw her heart to the side.

Never let someone who tried to kill you live.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Onyx avoided eye contact with me for the entirety of dinner. No doubt angry that I killed the irrelevant wolf. Like I said, always the villain, never the hero. Didn't matter either way, soon I would be out of this hellhole with my mate, and we would begin the rest of our perfect lives, pups and all.

Axel cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence. "So, when will you two lovebirds have your Mating Ceremony?"

Thane and Onyx looked at each other, and Onyx looked away first, her focus back on her plate. "Soon," Thane answered simply, and the awkward silence resumed.

I was about to suggest to Cain that we hit the road, when I caught a whiff of a familiar scent. One I wouldn't make the repeat mistake of forgetting.

"He's here," I say as I jump to my feet.

Cain is immediately standing at my side, his arms around me protectively, on alert. "Who's here?"

"The invisible fucker that attacked me in the woods," I hiss, frantically looking around for the rogue.

"THE WHAT?" Cain bellowed, his anger white hot.

Thane is quiet, and Onyx is the first to speak. "The invisible rogue?"

I ignore her, and wiggle out of Cain's grasp, following the scent outside. I decide to use the little trick I used against that bitch, ugh- what was her name? Juliet? Jennifer? and summon a whip laced with wolfsbane.

Cain, Thane, Lucas, Axel, Leo, and Jason follow me outside, and I'm sprinting until I can smell the wolf in front of me. I lash the whip, and I can hear that I've made contact with the invisible rogue.

He's moving, but due to my improved sense of smell and hearing, I effortlessly track him, and continue to strike him with the whip. He must have been exposed to too much of the wolfsbane because his Gift faltered, and I saw his solid body.

I summon another whip, one that's long enough to wrap around his body, completely ensnaring him.

"Ha!" I say breathlessly, a bloodthirsty grin overtaking my face. "Got you, you stupid little son of a-"

I hear Onyx's small voice behind me. "Grey?" She asks in confusion.