A Warrior Luna's Awakening (Freya and Caelum) novel Chapter 47

Chapter 47

They had come tonight with the clear intent of currying favor with Kade Blackridge.

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Now, it was no longer a matter of building ties–at this point, avoiding his open contempt would be the greatest mercy they could hope for.

A fine sheen of sweat broke across Caelum’s brow. Kade was younger than him, but the sheer dominance in the Alpha’s eyes carried the weight of a seasoned warlord. The pressure coiled in Caelum’s spine like a hunter’s fangs poised over prey.

“Dead wolves can’t be compared to the living,” Ryker drawled suddenly. “Fetching an urn doesn’t take two. But Aurora’s headache, and that could be serious or not. Caelum was simply being considerate.”

A flash of glacial fury lit Kade’s gaze. He rose from his seat in a single, fluid movement and stalked toward Ryker, every step emanating the predatory prowl of an apex Alpha.

“What,” Kade’s voice cracked like a whip, “did you just say?”

Ryker, oblivious to the danger, pressed on. “I said the dead can’t be compared to the living. Freya Thorne’s parents have been dead for three years. Was Caelum supposed to abandon an injured woman just to escort her to collect ashes?”

CRACK.

The sound of Kade’s palm striking flesh split the air like lightning over the mountains. Ryker stumbled back, nearly toppling into the low table beside him.

“Kade, that’s going too far,” Caelum interjected, his voice tight. Ryker was, after all, his beta and friend.

“Too far?” Kade’s snarl rumbled deep in his chest, every syllable bristling with the feral edge of a wolf ready to tear flesh. “I’ve not even begun.”

In a blur, his boot slammed into Ryker’s midsection, sending him sprawling to the floor. Before Ryker could rise, Kade’s heel came down hard, pinning him by the chest.

“Doing what?” Kade’s tone was deathly cold. “Putting down a beast. One who dares speak words only a beast would utter. Freya Thorne’s parents–are they yours to disgrace??

Ryker wheezed under the pressure but still managed, “And why not? Freya’s parents can’t be beyond reproach. Three years married to Caelum, and all she’s done is idle away her days. Everyone knows Aurora is the better choice! Surely even you, Kade Blackridge, aren’t so blinded by gossip that you’d pity Freya. That woman doesn’t deserve pity!”

Part loyalty to Caelum, part self–interest–Ryker’s words were as much a performance as a defense. His small company survived only on the scraps of contracts Silver Tech Forgeworks tossed his way.

Kade laughed then–a sound sharp enough to cut bone. To him, Freya was a name carved high as the mountain peaks, a presence he revered. And here she was, reduced to filth in the mouth of this cur.

Worse still, her own mate stood silent.

“You think your mate unworthy compared to Aurora?” Kade’s eyes bored into Caelum like a blade.

Caelum hesitated before answering. “In temperament and skill, Freya falls short of Aurora. But she’s still my mate. Even if she lacks ability, I don’t hold it against her.”

Kade withdrew his boot from Ryker’s chest, his expression still like a winter storm. “Her ability? How much do you even know? Without her, do you think your fledgling company could have reached the point of going public in three years?”

“That’s because Caelum’s vision is sharp, his judgment precise, his abilities exceptional,” Aurora interjected smoothly.

Caelum met Kade’s gaze in silence, clearly agreeing with her. In his mind, his rise had been entirely his own doing.

Kade’s mouth twisted into a cold sneer. “Caelum Grafton, without Freya Thorne’s hand guiding you, you are nothing. The vision you boast of, the ability you prize–it was her, always her.”

“What skill?” Kade’s contempt deepened, his tone brimming with Alpha authority. “Back in the Iron Fang Recon Unit, her research overhauled the pack’s entire defense grid. In aerial drone applications, she was unmatched–one of the top military specialists in the field. If she hadn’t resigned her commission, she’d have more accolades in drone warfare than you could

count.”

The room fell silent.

Ryker’s eyes widened. “Impossible. How could she-?”

“Do I look like I’d waste my breath on lies?” Kade’s voice was pure frost.

No one dared speak further. The Blackridge heir would never tarnish his name with falsehoods, least of all for a woman he defended with such open ferocity.

Caelum’s face burned. Kade’s words were a dagger driven deep–telling everyone present that the Silverfang Alpha’s renown as a tech prodigy was built on Freya’s foundation.

He wanted to deny it, to lash back. But the moment he tried, his mind betrayed him–flashing with memories of Freya standing beside him at late–night strategy tables, pointing out paths he hadn’t seen, sealing deals he couldn’t have won alone.

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