CHAPTER 1

LYRA’S POV

"Stay here, baby, and remain quiet. Do not make a sound”. My mother whispered, her voice trembling. 

“Yes mama”, I replied. My voice, a fragile whisper. She stretched out her pinkie finger and I interlocked mine with hers- that was our secret way of sealing our promises. 

“Good girl”, she said, forcing a faltering smile. Leaning in, she placed a warm kiss on my forehead which contrasted her cold, shaking hands as she tilted my chin up a little with her finger before sweeping my hair behind my ear. 

“I love you Lyra”, she said. Her icy blue eyes reflected with a mixture of love and terror. 

“I love you too mama”. I managed to voice out. My heart thudded heavily and loud in my chest like a clanging bell in a cathedral. I watched through a crack as mum paced protectively, ready to fight. 

 The noise outside intensified. The screams, the vicious snarls and the sound of jaw- snapping smash sent a bolt of terror running down my spine. Suddenly, the door exploded open.A tall masculine figure walked in.

“Why are you doing this?” mum asked. Her voice, fierce and unyielding. “Our packs have no quarrel”. She continued.

“Give in the heiress!, hand over the chosen and we will walk away or face the same fate as your worthless husband and son”. He responded. His deep, hoarse voice echoing through the room as he steps into the light. 

“You…Logan! Mum stood, frozen, as she locked eyes with the familiar figure standing before her, a burning rage growing in her. “I always knew you were up to no good. You blood sucking, power driving son of a bi…..”.

“Quit being dramatic, it's already over!, Hand her over!. He taunted, his lips curling into a mischievous grin.

Suddenly, he shifted into a massive black wolf with horrifying crimson eyes, baring its teeth as it growled fiercely. In a flash, he slammed into her. The room was immediately filled with the horrific sound of flesh tearing as its enormous jaws dug into her shoulder.

“Noooo…!”, the word tore out from my throat. I immediately clutched my mouth with my hand, my eyes widened in horror. I realized I had made a fatal mistake.

The sound of my voice caused its gaze to shift in my direction, and it moved towards my hiding place. Its eyes locked onto mine, sending chills down my spine. However, a vicious, ear-piercing growl emerged from behind it as it lunged at me. 

My mother, bloodied and bruised but driven by sheer desperation, attacked the wolf with a fierceness I had never witnessed. She sank her teeth into its back tearing through its thick fur.

The monster howled in pain, writhing and eventually spun off my mum who crash landed into the wall near me- she barely moved. My mother shifted back into her human form, gasping for breath, almost choking in her own blood.

 “Ru…run Lyra, Run!” she stammered. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Please go now!”. She begged me to leave. 

“But..I can't ma..mama..” I stuttered. My body trembled with fear.

“Run!” she begged. Her voice breaking as she shoved me back with the last strength in her.

I stumbled backward, my limbs trembling. “I'm sorry mama,” I whispered, my voice barely audible before I ran. 

A soul-shattering wail echoed through the night cutting through me like a blade as I ran through the thick woods- it was my mother's final cry of pain.

“Mamma….! I sobbed. My chest tightened, my lungs desperately in need of oxygen yet I dared not stop running, not even for a moment to mourn her. Behind me, I could hear a terrifying snarl and an approaching paw thumping on the ground.

I stumbled on a thick root and fell heavily on the ground. Before I could force myself up, the monster was right on me. Its gaze fixed on me, growling and snapping. I felt its hot breath on my face as its saliva drooled on me. I pulled myself backward until my back collided with a tree. There I was eye-to-eye with death.

Suddenly there was a bright light. It erupted behind me, Its brightness was so intense it burned through the darkness. The rogue wolf whimpered and fell back, and there she was—the moon goddess, right in the center of the radiance. I only heard stories of her each time my mom read me a bedtime story.

With a wave of her palm, the light turned into a blinding spear of energy that went straight at the rogue wolf. As it struggled to pull it off, the crackling energy exploded and its flesh scattered all over the ground and the trees.

The moon goddess turned towards me, her face was puzzling, her body glowing like the moon. However, she disappeared just as swiftly as she had come.

Fear still sticking to me like a second skin, I rose to my feet and kept running until I burst out into a tarred road from the woods.

I froze the moment I turned to my right. I could hardly dodge the blinding lights that rushed toward me. My little hands raised over my face, trying to shield myself as a car sped towards me.

I immediately sprang up from my bed with a gasp, disoriented. My heart throbbed so fast in my chest that I could hear it. I momentarily lost my sense of location. It took a moment to realize I was in my room- safe. 

“It was just a nightmare!”, I said to myself but I could swear it was real. My chest swelled as I took in a sharp breath. These nightmares were becoming more frequent..so frequent. 

Reminiscing over what just happened, a loud knock on my door jolted me back to reality. I could hear my mom's cheerful voice on the other side. “Can I come in sweetheart?”.

“Arghh..Ye..yea you can!”. I responded, still trying to shake off the nightmare I just had. 

The door gilded open and she stepped in, holding a small plate with a cupcake and a single flickering candle with a broad smile on her face. My dad followed behind her with a well-wrapped present, grinning at me.

 “Happy birthday, Tinkerbell!”. They both chorused, grinning at me. Will and Claire had been my adopted parents since I was six.

“Thanks, Mom, thanks Dad”. I forced a smile trying to shake off the weight of the nightmare before making a wish and blowing out the candle. 

Claire sat beside me and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay, sweetie?” she asked, her brows creasing with concern.

I hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I lied, trying to sound more cheerful. “Just a bad dream.”

“It's alright baby…Now, get off the bed young lady.. we've got a surprise for you”. Mom said as she tickled my ribs. 

I laughed and wriggled under her tickling fingers, “okay, okay! I'm getting up! I'd be down in a sec” I giggled, pushing her hands away. 

She smiled, satisfied as she walked out of the room with dad. The door clicked shut behind them and I was left alone in the room.

I walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. As the warm water cascaded over me, I closed my eyes trying to calm my mind when my meditation was broken by a loud crash.

 My eyes fell open, I immediately turned off the shower and reached for my towel. Swallowing hard, I slowly stepped out and moved toward the window, my body tense. 

Shattered glass lay scattered all over the floor, and I noticed a crescent pendant amid the fragments. When I lifted it up, my hands trembled; it was much like the one my late mother wore the night my pack was attacked.

I looked out through the broken window and spotted a dark figure close to the trees. Before I could make out what or who it was, it fled into the forest.

My thoughts were racing as I held the pendant securely. “What’s going on?”.