My mind was spinning. I couldn't believe it was actually happening. Even after Atonya spelled us back into our house in the pack, my mind was still reeling. It didn't help that everything I was feeling had increased ten-fold due to the new blood that was running in my veins. My fear had turned to terror. My worry into paranoia. My rage into bloodlust. The strength was both euphoric and terrifying.

"Atonya, you know what you're doing?" Greyson asked, his moss green eyes harsh and urgent.

She swallowed and nodded, her cool calm demeanor never changing. "Relax, Greyson. This isn't my first war. I know exactly what to do. I won't let you down." Her eyes flickered to mine and she gave me a silent nod before she disappeared in a whisper of smoke.

Greyson turned to me and softly took my face in his hands, causing a fire that replaced the weak sparks that once were, to run through my entire body. "Avery, are you sure you're ready for this? I mean I know you care, Goddess, I love that about you, and I know you're beyond strong and capable-lycan or not- but if you got hurt, I wouldn't be able to..." he trailed. "I just can't, okay? I can't lose you too." He gently placed his forehead on mine. "I love you."

I gave him a weary grin and placed my hands on top of his. "Tell me that when I see you again."

He chuckled, though it was empty before he kissed me, slow and intimate. His lips ignited a fire within me, a fire that my lycan thrived on. I pulled away and closed my eyes, resting my forehead on his. "Be careful out there. The blood...it's like a drug to us, Avery. Don't get lost in it," he said, a beg hiding in his voice. "Please."

I nodded, a silent promise. "I'm always one call away," he whispered as he brushed my hair behind my ear. "Always."

I opened my mouth to say something, but I was cut off by a howl ripping through the air and I instantly recognized who it was. Matthew. They were initiating the second phase of the attack. My heart raced as I pulled away from Greyson and found myself running toward the front door. "Avery-!" Greyson called, but I'd already shifted and was running toward the frontlines.

Power was rippling through me, encoded into every cell in my muscles, radiating from me with every step I took. I was relieved that the war hadn't reached deep into the territory, but it also worried me. What was Phoenix going to pull? He wasn't one to give up and he always had a dirty trick or two up his sleeve.

But then it hit me like a truck. The screams. The violence. The blood.I felt River stir within me, the sharp metallic stench of the familiar drink of life tempting me. But I had to fight it. I had no choice. I let out a deep, vibrant howl to let my pack, and Phoenix, know that their Luna was back and she was going to fight. Instantly there was a chorus of howls back, causing a new euphoric feeling to move within me.

And it was time to fight.

Without wasting a second thought, I ripped into the first wolf I saw, ignoring its cries and basking in the warmth that flowed over my tastebuds. I was buzzing. It was like a drug and I wanted more of it. Within a moment, the hair on the back of my neck was at full attention before my teeth sunk themselves into another wolf. The sound of breaking bones filled my ears as I tore through him, breaking through his rib cage and feeding on him as if he were my prey. A part of me wanted to stop it, but a stronger part of me craved it.

I heard a whimper from behind me and once I turned, I was a wolf from our pack with one of Phoenix's on top of him about to go for the kill. I didn't think twice before ripping the wolf's head off its shoulders. The wolf was shaking beneath me, obviously terrified. I used my head to motion in the direction of the safe house. He had no reason to be out here and there didn't have to be more death than necessary. He bowed his head in submission before he quickly got up and limped away. I found myself trailing behind him, knowing that the enemy would take advantage of his obvious injury and kill him on the spot. Another small part of me was hoping they would try just so I could have an excuse to feel the temporary high that blood brought me.

All around me, I saw our wolves executing the plan perfectly, their training obvious and clean. Any doubt that had once resided within me evaporated.

I was confident in us.

I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn't notice the massive she wolf charging at me until she powerfully rammed into my side, causing pain to weave through out me as my bones cracked under the intense pressure and I sailed through the air.

Instantly a buzz filled my body as tingles filled my chest, my ribs healing abnormally quickly as an anger-turned-rage coursed through me.

Dead, River growled within me as I made a move to get up before a mind numbing pain erupted from my side as the wolf savagely dug her canine into my sensitive flesh. I let out a howl of pain as the stench of my blood filled the air. The wolf bit down harder, perfectly caving my body in between her four thick legs, causing a dam to break within me. My full inner lycan.

I felt my consciousness get thrown into the back of my mind as a thoroughly pissed and infinitely strong River took my place wanting nothing but blood. She shifted back into my human form, not only giving me more space to move but also making the she wolf lose her painful grip on me, and I quickly healed. River pulled my knees to my chest, my feet under the She wolf's belly, and within a moment, I set her sailing through the air. Within a breath, I was standing over her. River wasted no time plunging my hand into her chest, her ribs breaking and making way for my hand as my fingers wrapped around the beating force of her life. Her heart. I could feel it moving beneath my grip as it fought for the right to live.

My mind went back to the night Luna Abigail died. Her final breath. The way the life drained from her eyes. The heartless smile Andrew gave as her body fell. The same smile I saw on my face in the reflection of the she wolf's terrified eyes. And my eyes...my eyes glowed. Instead of the familiar inky black, they were black but my pupils were rimmed with gold and dark red veins webbed out from my eyes like a virus. It was terrifying. But before I could fully take in what I saw, the life drained out of her eyes as my hand retracted drenched in the blood of her heart which I was holding.

Terror moved through me as I realized what I'd done. Greyson has warned me about the bloodlust but now that I was here licking the blood from my hands...I couldn't help but feel powerful and limitless. And I wanted more.

Suddenly, a familiar scent drifted into my nose as a muffled struggle filled my ears. I wasted no time rushing to it.

Duck beneath this branch. Side step. Jump over this body. Get out of the way of your pack.

Then I saw him. Matthew. He was surrounded by at least five wolves and he had two attacking him at once. He was putting up a good fight but I could tell his strength was waning. And despite me only being in my human form, River threw me into the battle. I wrapped my arms around the nearest wolf and used all of my strength to throw it against the nearest tree, the impact snapping its neck instantly. What happened after that was a blur. Bite. Rip. Kill. Beat. Kick. Snap. All until I was heavily breathing over Matthew, who'd shifted back as well.

"Thanks, Avery," he wheezed out, his voice thick with pain. "I don't wanna put a damper on things but, uh," he groaned as he removed his hand that had been cradling his ribs, revealing the bloodied mess his once smooth chest had become, "they got me pretty bad."

I wanted to scream. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and run him to a doctor. I wanted to call Greyson. I wanted to cry. Some many things ran through my head, but the only thing that I could focus on was the sweet stench of blood that was calling to me.

River felt it too, causing her to slowly walk toward Matthew and kneel next to him. "Avery, I-I can't move," he weakly said as she ran her fingers along a blood trail that had formed, causing him to wince in pain. I tried to yell at her to stop. To throw myself back in control. But I couldn't. I was stuck.

"Avery, I need help," Matthew begged as River slowly licked his blood off of her fingers, savoring the sweet taste as it flowed across our taste buds. It was amazing.

I felt my canines elongate as River kneeled over Matthew once more. "Avery, what are you-?"

His sentence was cut short by River biting into his wound, his blood filling our mouth and his screams filling our ears. I screamed at her to stop, his screams bouncing around within my head, but she only bit deeper and harder. I could feel him slipping away between my jaw as his screams lessened.

Thankfully, I was tackled from the side, causing River to fill with rage before realizing who it was. "Stand down, River," Greyson growled, his voice low and chilling, his bare body holding mine down just like the night we'd first met.

I wanted to wrap my arms around him. Cry. Tell Matthew I was sorry, that I had no control. But all River did was smile before she craned her neck up and pressed her lips to Greyson's, pushing Matthew's blood into his mouth. She wanted to pull Gavin out.

A low growl rumbled within his chest. "Avery, if you can hear me, I'm sorry. I'm doing this out of love." Before I could fully understand what he meant, an excruciating pain filled my chest, strong enough to push River back and give me full control again.

My body was shaking from shock, fear, and pain.

I looked down and saw the familiar weapon Atonya had made to put down a lycan. I whimper escaped my lips as I looked back up at Greyson. "Avery?" He gently asked as I collapsed into his arms. "Avery. You'll be okay. I'm doing this for you, okay."

The edges of my vision was dimming and my body was shaking. "Save Phoenix for me," I wheezed.

Greyson woefully smiled and kissed my forehead. "He's all yours," Greyson promised before the world turned black around me.