I barely made it out of the ballroom when Alpha Damian caught up to me.
I didn't even know that he had followed me "Stop!" He shouted and my legs ceased to move. I turned back to face him and I saw Alpha Damon coming from a distance. I didn't understand why he was also here. I was cornered, heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst from my chest. Damian reached me first, his hand gripping my arm with a strength that made me wince. "Why are you running?" He demanded. His touch sent a jolt through my body, a sensation so foreign and powerful I couldn’t comprehend it. How could I answer him? How could I stay?How could I—an Omega—be his mate? I blinked up at him, my lips parting as if I could force the words out, but nothing came. My speech disorder always got worse in moments like this. The words I wanted to stay tangled up in my throat, choking me, and I could barely breathe, let alone speak. Before I could process what was happening, Damon arrived. He stormed toward us, his eyes blazing with something I couldn’t name. "Damien, why were you running? I wanted to tell you that I felt a mate bond when I saw you run outside." Alpha Damon said. He looked at me and his gaze sent a shiver down my spine, and then it happened again. The same feeling. The same word. "Mate." He said gripping me. The growl left his throat with such force, I thought it might shake the walls. My vision blurred as tears welled up, the weight of it all pressing down on me. Mates—to both of them? It didn’t make sense. None of this made sense. I stumbled backwards as I tried to pull away, to get distance from the overwhelming intensity, but their grips were firm. I couldn’t escape. I couldn’t breathe. My head spun with confusion, and I felt like the ground had been ripped out from beneath me. "How..." I finally managed, my voice barely above a whisper, shaking with the effort. "How can this be?" Neither of them had an answer. Instead, they exchanged a look—one filled with confusion, frustration, and something darker. Without another word, Damian dragged me down the hallway, Damon close behind. My legs moved on autopilot, too stunned to resist as they led me away from the noise and lights of the ball, away from the pack that had never cared about me. They pulled me into a private room, the heavy wooden door closing with a thud. My pulse raced, fear and uncertainty swirling inside me. I didn’t belong here. I wasn’t supposed to be with them. "Sit." Damian’s voice was hard, unyielding. I sank into the nearest chair, my hands trembling in my lap. They stood over me, towering figures with eyes that seemed to burn right through me. "What is your name?," Damon demanded, his arms crossed over his broad chest. I swallowed, trying to form words, but my throat felt tight. My speech disorder flared under pressure, making it hard to get the words out. I could feel their eyes on me, impatient, waiting. "Lyra, my name is Lyra and I... I don’t know... how this is possible," I stammered, my voice barely a whisper. My hands twisted together in my lap, the tremors making it difficult to stop fidgeting. "I’m an Omega. This can’t be—" "An Omega?" Damian interrupted, his expression hardening. He exchanged a glance with Damon, and I could feel the shift in the air. Something dark, something I didn’t want to face. Damon stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "That doesn’t make sense. Alpha's mates are supposed to be strong. Alphas don’t bond with weaklings." Damon said with anger. The word "weak" hit me like a punch to the gut. I flinched, unable to stop the flood of shame that washed over me. My throat tightened, the familiar block making it even harder to speak. But I had to say something, had to defend myself, even if I didn’t believe my own words. "I didn’t ask for this," I finally choked out, tears stinging the corners of my eyes. "I didn’t choose this." Damian’s lips curled into a sneer, his disdain palpable. "Neither did we." The rejection in his voice was like ice. It pierced straight through me, freezing me in place. They didn’t want me. They would never accept me as their mate. I was nothing but a burden to them, something that could ruin their perfect image as Alphas. "Having an Omega mate..." Damon's voice trailed off, but I could feel the weight of his words before he said them. "It would destroy our reputation." Each word felt like a dagger, and I couldn’t stop the tears from spilling over. I had dreamed of finding my mate, of someone who would love and accept me despite my flaws. But this—this was a nightmare. "We cannot accept you as our mate Lyra." Damian said with pity in his voice. "I Alpha Damon reject you Lyra as my mate." Alpha Damon suddenly said. The pain I felt was instant. I felt like my heart was being pierced by a thousand needles. In my pain, I saw Alpha Damon and Damien exchange glances and I prepared myself for what was coming next. "I'm sorry Lyra but I have to do this. I Alpha Damian, reject you Lyra as my mate." Alpha Damian said and I gasped in pain. It was too much to bear, I could barely breathe. The pain was doubled and I clutched my shirt as the tears spilled out of my eyes in torrents. In just one night, my dream of finding my mate had been crushed before my very eyes. At that point, I could not take it any longer. I had had enough of the embarrassment. I stood abruptly, my legs shaky beneath me. "I’ll leave." The words tumbled out, frantic and desperate. "You don’t have to—" "Good," Alpha Damon cut in coldly, his voice sharp. "Go."Damian POVI was walking through the halls when I heard the commotion. Guards were dragging someone toward the dungeons, and when I got closer, I saw it was Vivian. She wasn't fighting them, but her face was set in that stubborn way I knew so well."What's going on?" I called out, but the guards just kept walking like they hadn't heard me.Vivian caught my eye for a second before they hauled her around the corner. She looked scared but trying not to show it. That look stayed with me as I headed straight to my father's office.I didn't bother knocking. "Why is Vivian being thrown in the dungeons?"Father looked up from his papers, not seeming surprised to see me. "Because she can't be trusted.""What does that mean?" I stepped closer to his desk. "She's been nothing but loyal to this pack.""Has she?" His voice was cold, calculated. "Because I have information that suggests otherwise."I felt my jaw clench. "What information?""She was caught conspiring with other packs." He said it so
Lyra povMy ankle felt like it was on fire with every step, but I kept moving. I had to. The packhouse was behind me now, but I could still feel Alpha Dominic's hands on me, still hear his threats echoing in my head. Something was definitely wrong with my ankle, it felt like the bones were grinding against each other, and I could barely put weight on it.The marketplace stretched out in front of me, busy with people going about their day. Vendors were calling out prices, kids were running around, and the smell of food filled the air. Good. All these people would help hide me, make it harder for them to find me.I limped into the crowd, trying to look normal even though my clothes were torn and I was obviously hurt. A woman selling bread gave me a strange look, but I kept walking. My heart was beating so fast I thought it might burst out of my chest.Then I saw them. Two pack warriors moving through the crowd, their eyes scanning everyone. Looking for me.I ducked behind a cart full of
Lyra’s PovHis touch simmered into my being and I felt my insides recoiling in disgust and his words, they made me feel worse.My thoughts went into overdrive as he leaned forward. The sound of my thumping heart echoed in my chest. His lips came down slowly and in a matter of seconds, it joined with mine, that single action sent a signal to my brain and I instantly concluded within myself that I wouldn't let him take advantage of me. Alpha Dominic brought his lips to my ears slowly with a smirk adorning it as if he was intentionally testing me because if that was what he was doing then he was successfully messing with my limit. I gritted my teeth as I quickly thought of what I can do but there was nothing, not that there was nothing to do but how could I possibly do it when my hands are tied. I twisted my wrist despite the rope to see if I could break free but I was mistaken as he had it securely tied already. Shit! “Trying to escape huh, sweet?” he whispered and a wave of disgu
Damian stood outside his father's office, his heart pounding against his chest. He had spent the entire night thinking about what he would say, how he would convince Alpha Dominic to release Lyra. The conversation with her in the dungeon had changed everything. He couldn't just stand by and watch her suffer anymore. He knocked on the heavy wooden door. "Come in," his father's voice called from inside. Damian pushed the door open and stepped into the room. Alpha Dominic was sitting behind his desk, reading through some papers. He didn't look up when Damian entered. "Father, we need to talk," Damian said, trying to keep his voice steady. "About what?" Dominic still didn't look up from his papers. "About Lyra. About what happened in the forest. About everything." Now Dominic raised his eyes. They were cold and hard. "There's nothing to discuss. The matter has been settled." "No, it hasn't," Damian said, stepping closer to the desk. "She's innocent. She was defending herself from
Kyle wiped the blood from his hunting knife as he walked back toward the packhouse. The hunt had been good today. Three deer and a wild boar would feed his men well tonight. But as he approached the gates, he noticed something different. His men were gathered in small groups, talking in hushed voices. "What's all the noise about?" Kyle asked as he handed his weapons to one of his pack members. "You haven't heard?" Marcus, one of his most trusted men, stepped forward. "Something big happened at Alpha Dominic's place today." Kyle raised an eyebrow. "What kind of something?" "One of his sons got hurt," Marcus said, lowering his voice. "Bad hurt. They're saying he's paralyzed now." "Paralyzed?" Kyle's interest was immediately caught. "How does an alpha get paralyzed? Those boys are supposed to be strong." "That's just it," another man joined the conversation. "Nobody knows how it happened. It's all very mysterious. Some are saying it was an accident during training. Others think it
The news spread like fire through dry leaves. Within minutes, every pack member knew what had happened in the forest. Whispers filled the halls, and shocked faces turned to stare as the word reached Alpha Dominic's ears."One of your sons has been hurt," the messenger said, his voice shaking. "Damon... his face... it's been deformed."Dominic's eyes turned cold as ice. He didn't ask questions. He didn't want to hear explanations. His mind was already made up."Bring me the girl," he ordered. "Now."Two guards dragged Lyra from her room. She was still shaking from what had happened in the forest. Her hands were cut from the thorns, and dirt stained her clothes. But none of that mattered to Dominic."You did this," he said, his voice deadly quiet. "You hurt my son.""I was defending myself," Lyra said, trying to keep her voice steady. "They tried to—""Silence!" Dominic's roar echoed through the room. "I don't want to hear your lies. You've been nothing but trouble since you arrived. No