KODA'S POV
I didn't lower the sword. I didn't step back. I kept the blade pressed against Liana's throat, feeling the rapid flutter of her pulse against the metal.
"Grandfather," I said, not taking my eyes off the girl in front of me. "I'm saving my mate's life."
"You're threatening to murder a competitor," he replied, stepping into the room. His footsteps were slow, measured. The same careful gait he'd used when teaching me chess as a child. "This isn't how we handle things, Koda."
"Look at her." I jerked my head toward Ayasha's broken form on the bed. "Look at what this girl did to her."
My grandfather's ancient eyes moved to the bed, taking in the twisted limbs, the blood, the unnatural angles of Ayasha's body. His expression didn't change. Not even a flicker of emotion crossed his weathered features.
"She'll live," he said after a long moment. "We shifters are resilient."
