Hóng Yè stood with his back straight, his red panda tail pressed flat against his legs, his amber eyes fixed on the massive copper-furred wolf who had just burst into the clearing. Lì Jìng was at his side, her jade eyes blazing, her pale green scales catching the firelight like scattered emeralds.
Fēng Láng had shifted to his beast form, his muscles rippling beneath his burnished coat, his golden eyes locked on Hóng Yè with undisguised fury. His growl echoed through the clearing, deep and territorial, making the younger cubs press back against their parents.
"You," the wolf snarled, his voice distorting through his beast form. "You think you can just take what's mine?"
Hóng Yè didn't flinch. His hands were curled into fists at his sides, but his voice was steady. "She's not yours. She never was."
