No turning back

The glass vial felt heavier than it should have.

I gripped it tightly as I ran through the woods, my lungs burning, my legs aching, but I didn’t slow. Jason didn’t have time.

Damien had given me his blood without hesitation, as if it was nothing to him. But I knew better. A hybrid’s blood—especially one as powerful as him—was dangerous, unpredictable. It could heal, but it could also change the one who consumed it.

I pushed that thought aside as I reached the pack’s territory. The lights from our home flickered through the trees, a beacon in the darkness.

I sprinted up the steps, barely pausing to catch my breath before shoving the door open.

My father was waiting.

His broad frame was tense, arms crossed over his chest, his sharp gaze cutting straight through me.

“Where have you been?” His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it, something unreadable beneath the surface.

I hesitated, my grip tightening on the vial. “I got help. To save Jason.”

His eyes flicked down to my clenched fist.

“Help from who, Lyra?”

I didn’t answer. Not yet. Instead, I turned and pushed past him, heading straight for Jason’s room.

The air inside was thick with the scent of sickness, of sweat and blood. Jason lay motionless on the bed, his breathing shallow, his skin deathly pale.

I didn’t waste a second. I knelt beside him, uncorked the vial, and gently tilted his head up.

“Come on, Jase,” I whispered. “Drink.”

His lips parted slightly as I tipped the blood into his mouth. For a moment, nothing happened. Then his throat moved as he swallowed, and a deep shudder ran through his body.

I exhaled, relief flooding through me. It was working. It had to work.

Behind me, my father spoke.

“Tell me you didn’t do what I think you did.”

I closed my eyes briefly before turning to face him. “I had to do this. I couldn’t just let him die.”

His expression darkened. “You should have come to me. We could have found another way.”

“There was no other way.” My voice wavered, but I stood my ground. “No one in the pack would help him. You know that.”

He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his graying hair. “You don’t understand what you’ve done, Lyra. You made a mistake.”

I bristled. “I saved my brother.”

“You went to him.” His voice was quiet, but there was rage simmering beneath it. “To Damien Thorne.”

I swallowed, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “Yes.”

Silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating.

Then, slowly, he asked, “And what did you offer him in return?”

I hesitated, but there was no point in lying.

“One year,” I admitted. “I’ll serve him for a year.”

His jaw clenched. His fists tightened at his sides.

“Are you out of your mind?” His voice was low, dangerous. “You sold yourself to him? Do you even know what you’ve done?”

“I’ll be fine,” I said quickly. “It’s just a year.”

“You don’t deal with someone like Damien, Lyra. He doesn’t just let things go.”

I squared my shoulders. “I didn’t have a choice.”

He stared at me, his expression unreadable, then exhaled sharply and turned away.

“You have no idea what you’ve just set in motion.”

Chapter 3: The Price of Salvation (Continued)

Jason’s breathing was already steadier. Color was returning to his face. It was working.

But I had no time to stay and watch.

I took a step back, my heart still hammering, and turned to my father. His expression was carved from stone, his fists clenched at his sides as if he was barely restraining himself.

“I have to go,” I said.

His head snapped up. “What?”

I swallowed, forcing myself to stand tall. “I promised Damien I’d come back. If I don’t…” I hesitated, knowing how much worse this would sound, but I had to be honest. “Things could go bad.”

His nostrils flared. “Bad? Lyra, do you even hear yourself?” He stepped forward, his presence imposing, his voice sharp with barely contained fury. “You want to walk right back into the hands of a monster?”

I forced myself not to flinch. “I already made the deal, Dad. There’s no turning back.”

His hands gripped the back of the chair beside him, his knuckles going white. “We can find a way out of this. There has to be something—”

“There isn’t.” My voice cracked. “You think I didn’t try to find another way? No one here would help. No one cared enough to save Jason except me.”

His jaw tightened, but he didn’t deny it.

I exhaled shakily. “I made my choice. And I’ll deal with whatever comes next.”

His gaze burned into mine. “You don’t know what Damien is capable of.”

“I do,” I whispered. “And I still made the deal.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I can’t let you go.”

I lifted my chin. “You can’t stop me.”

Silence.

Then—his voice, quiet but firm. “If you do this, Lyra… you may not be able to come back.”

My chest ached, but I nodded. “I know.”

I turned before he could say anything else, before the weight of his disappointment could crush me completely.

I had made my choice.

And now, there was no going back.