Shadows and Suspicions
The training grounds of the Obsidian Howl stronghold echoed with the guttural snarls of shadow wolves as they tore through dummies and sparring partners alike. Their movements were blurs of violence, every strike precise, every leap inhumanly high. Tobias observed from a raised balcony, his sharp eyes tracking each wolf’s progress.
At first glance, it was perfect—an army engineered to destroy. But then, one wolf faltered. Its glowing eyes dimmed, and a guttural snarl escaped its throat as it turned, attacking another without provocation. Chaos erupted as the pack turned on itself, the unstable energy fueling a brutal, mindless frenzy.
Tobias slammed his fist on the railing. “Enough!” he bellowed, his voice reverberating. The wolves immediately stilled, trembling under his command. He turned on his heel, storming into the adjacent chamber where Seraphine waited, her crescent mark faintly glowing as she reclined against the stone wall.
“You’ve created something dangerous,” Tobias growled as he approached her, his tone sharp enough to cut. His dark aura filled the room, making the air feel heavier. “They’re uncontrollable. Do you think I’ll let this madness jeopardize everything I’ve built?”
Seraphine straightened, her lips curling into a smirk as she met his fury head-on. “You wanted power, Tobias,” she purred, her voice silk over steel. “And I gave you more than you could dream of. Control was never part of the bargain.”
Tobias’s hands curled into fists at his sides. “This isn’t power—it’s a liability,” he snarled, stepping closer. “I don’t trust you, Seraphine. Not with them, and not with me.”
She tilted her head, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders as she closed the distance between them. Her smile was taunting, her voice low and teasing. “Then stop underestimating me, Tobias. I don’t want to overthrow you. I want to rule with you—side by side, equals.”
The word hung in the air, daring, defiant. Tobias’s eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening as he stepped closer, looming over her. “Equals?” he repeated, his voice dangerously soft. “You forget your place, Luna.”
Seraphine’s smile widened, her eyes gleaming with challenge. She leaned in, her lips brushing the shell of his ear as she whispered, “Do I?”
Tobias moved in a blur, grabbing her arm and yanking her close. His grip was bruising, his expression dark with fury. “If you try to cross me,” he growled, his voice low and venomous, “you won’t live to regret it.”
Seraphine met his rage with unflinching defiance, her crescent mark pulsing faintly with her dark magic. “And if you’re smart, Tobias,” she hissed, her voice venomous yet calm, “you’ll stop mistaking my ambition for treachery.”
The room crackled with tension as their gazes locked, a silent battle of wills. Tobias shoved her away, his sneer cold and unrelenting. “Keep your wolves under control, Seraphine. Or I’ll remind you who’s in charge here.”
Seraphine steadied herself, her smirk returning as she watched him leave. Her voice was soft, a whisper of a threat meant only for herself. “You’re so certain you’re in control, Tobias. Let’s see how long that lasts.”
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