Third Person POV
The training field was silent except for the rustle of leaves overhead. The moon hung high, silver and cold. Bam and Yance had left for the night, heading back to rest after their long and exhausting day. In their absence, the atmosphere shifted instantly. Every stare sharpened. Every heartbeat became loud.
The five males stood in a loose circle like predators pretending they weren’t ready to lunge. Cristof folded his arms first, leaning his shoulder lazily against a tree, though his eyes were anything but lazy. Geri stood opposite him, tense and already glaring as if just waiting for Cristof to breathe wrong. Cole looked calm, too calm, hands in his pockets while he measured each of them like a chessboard. Radolf and Cloud stood slightly apart, exchanging uncertain glances.
It was Radolf who broke the silence. “We need to talk,” he said, voice steady but low. “All of us.”
“Oh?” Cristof arched a brow. “A secret council of ridiculousness. How exciting.”
Geri snarled lightly, “Shut up and listen.”
Radolf inhaled, gathering courage. “I just want to be upfront. I’m not backing off from Bam.”
The reaction was instant. Cristof’s eyes narrowed dangerously. Cole’s jaw tightened ever so slightly.
Geri scoffed, a deep growl forming under the sound. “You? And what gives you the right?”
Cloud stepped forward before Radolf could answer. His voice was softer, more unsure but determined. “Me too. I also… want to be her mate.”
The world seemed to pause for three seconds. Then explode. “What are you two idiots blabbing about?” Geri snapped, stepping closer as if proximity alone would intimidate them. “Since when?”
Cloud looked down, fingers curling into fists. “Since I was a kid.”
That surprised everyone. Cloud continued, “I first met Bam when we were still children. She saved me when I was drowning in the river behind my grandfather’s house. I thought she was an angel. She told me to ‘stop crying like a wet puppy.’ I never forgot it.”
Geri’s lips twisted like he wanted to laugh but didn’t find anything funny. Cristof’s expression softened for a blink before disappearing behind his smirk again. Radolf cleared his throat, eyes flicking toward the moon as if trying to recall every detail right. “And for me… Bam saved my life too. When I got lost in the human world during a field mission. I was attacked by rogues. She appeared out of nowhere, fought them off with just a bat she picked up. I owe her everything.”
Cole’s eyes flickered. “She didn’t remember you both at all.”
Cloud nodded. “She didn’t. She has no idea.”
Cristof tilted his head. “So what’s your point? You think saying you have history with her will change anything?”
Radolf didn’t flinch. “No. But I’m telling you because I’m not hiding it. I won’t step aside quietly.”
Cole finally spoke, voice colder than the air around them. “You two are weak. She deserves someone who can protect her.”
Radolf’s gaze hardened. “Strength isn’t just about power.”
Cristof smirked. “Says the man who could barely keep up during training.”
Cloud bristled. “We’re learning. We’ll get stronger.”
Cristof waved his hand. “Not fast enough.”
Geri crossed his arms. “You think we’ll help you get close to our Luna? Keep dreaming.”
Cloud’s eyes burned with a determination no one expected from him. “Bam isn’t ‘your Luna.’ Not yet.”
The temperature in the air plummeted. Geri took a threatening step forward, teeth baring. “Say that again.”
Cloud didn’t back down. “She isn’t. If she was, she wouldn’t be in Cristof’s arms every night.”
Cristof stiffened, a dangerous glimmer entering his violet gaze.
Cole’s eyes narrowed, studying Cloud like he was seeing him differently now.
Radolf looked between the three, sensing the violence about to erupt. “We’re not here to fight.”
Cristof laughed humorlessly. “Then what are we here for? A friendship circle? You want advice on winning her heart? Sorry. I don’t help other men ruin my nights.”
His words hung sharp and personal. Geri’s fists tightened. “Bam belongs with the strongest. That’s me.”
Cole stepped up beside him. “Funny. I don’t recall her choosing you.”
Geri whipped his gaze to Cole. “And she chose you?”
“She will,” Cole replied softly, too confident for Geri’s comfort.
Cristof huffed. “She choose us three, Idiot.”
Cole leaned in slightly. “Well if you say that.”
And that was when-
A sharp voice sliced through the air like a cold blade. “What’s this,” Yance said from behind them, “a mates conference?”
Everyone froze instantly. Yance stood there with his dark coat fluttering in the breeze, eyes deep and deadly. He moved closer, slow and deliberate, carving fear into the ground beneath his feet. His presence was like thunder before it hits.
Cristof straightened from the tree, expression shifting from arrogance into caution. Cole nodded his head slightly in silent respect. Geri swallowed, pretending he wasn’t intimidated. Radolf and Cloud bowed automatically.
Yance finally stopped in the center of the circle and looked at each of them like they were insects trying to claim ownership of a star. “I’ll say this once,” he spoke, voice low and dangerous. “You five forget something important.”
He paused.
They waited.
“When it comes to Bam,” he continued, “I can handle every single one of you alone.”
His eyes ignited with a protective fury so fierce it felt like the ground trembled. “So don’t you dare,” he growled, “hurt my sister.”
His glare lingered on each of them, a silent promise of destruction. Then he turned and walked away, leaving a cold trail behind him. None of them spoke for a long moment.
Cristof clicked his tongue, breaking the tension. “Looks like we’ve been warned.”
Cole nodded once. “He won’t hesitate to kill us if we break that line.”
Geri took a long breath. “Then none of us will break it. We all care about her.”
Cloud exhaled shakily. “We do.”
Radolf nodded. “We fight for her. Not against her.”
Even Cristof didn’t argue with that. The moon above them shone brighter, like it was watching their ridiculous drama unfold with mild amusement. Five males, each carrying silent devotion toward one girl. But the war wasn’t ending. It was only beginning. And Bam, totally unaware, was the center of a storm powerful enough to reshape the entire pack.