"See. Fireheart. See"

"Fireheart"

Lyra found herself in front of the same large moon again. She immediately knew it was a dream.

"Fireheart. See."

This time, Lyra did not speak back, she waited for the moon to shimmer like it did before, she wanted a good look at the image she had seen before.

When the moon began to turn clear, Lyra almost bolted towards it. But she didn't see herself this time. Instead, it was Freya she saw. The priestess was in Herr usual clothes but her olive eyes were a striking blood red this time.

"What is this? What does this mean?" Lyra said, turning around you ask the darkness. When she got no reply, she turned back towards the mirror, bit jolted back immediately.

Taking Freya's place was Wren and Dorian. They looked up at each other like they were deeply in love. Lyra's heart pulled, but she pushed the hurt to the bark of her mind.

"See, Fireheart, see" The voice came again.

"I can clearly see, but I do not understand. What are you showing me?" Lyra asked as her frustration built up.

"My Fireheart"

Lyra jolted from her bed with a scream. Beads of sweat had formed on her forehead, she wiped them up and knowing she could not sleep, went to the table beside her bed to write down her dreams. They had mean something. Maybe she could ask Freya.

            ***************************************

The whole palace was a buzz with activities. Lyra had taken her duty personally, making sure every meal was prepped correctly and all dishes and silverware were placed in their specific order.

Then she had rushed to prepare for the meeting.

She had begged Dorian the night before to at least make a brief attendance and then leave when weighty matters are being discussed. He had agreed without too much cajoling, which made Lyra very happy.

She did not tell him why she ha suddenly changed her mind about wanting to attend though.

After her handmaid's had dressed her in clothes Freya had picked the night before, she rushed to the banquet hall and stopped short.

Sitting on her husband's right hand side was Wren dressed and covered in so much diamonds she looked like a chandelier.

Lyra looked at her own simple dress that Freya had chosen and felt heavily underdressed. But she took it in stride, there had to be a reason Freya picked this dress. She would not argue.

She sat on Dorian's left hand side. It felt wrong. This was not he place, but she stayed still. At least she sat on her Luna throne. She took solace in that.

Food was served to her, which she nibbled on to fulfill all righteousness. Dorian hadn't looked at her, even when other alphas had nodded in respect at her arrival.

Now she wasn't so sure coming to the banquet was a good idea.

She turned to tell Freya that she would be leaving soon, when the air in the hall chilled.

Spoons froze halfway to the mouths of some alphas as they turned to acknowledge the new person who had just entered.

Lyra turned towards the entrance, she could see the whole hall from the raised stage three of them sat.

He looked even more sinful than yesterday. His rough hair from the day before had been gelled down, he still wore a see-through tunic, but this one was a deep purple. Dark trousers and dark shoes to match. He commanded the room.

"I do not remember extending an invitation to you, Alpha Kai of the BloodClaw pack."

Dorisns voice boomed through out the hall.

"I thought it would be perfectly clear by now that I do not need invitations to go wherever I please." Alpha Kai said from his spot in the room.

He walked in leisurely but with purpose. With ease, but intention.

"You're not welcome in my pack, you bloodthirsty, dreadful dog" Dorian said, standing from his seat.

Lyra turned to him, she saw the way he held his hands in a tight fist, the way his breath deepened and came in haste.

Alpha Dorian was scared.

Lyra turned back to look at Alpha Kai, looking very pleased with himself with a smirk on his face.

She never knew one werewolf could hold others in a choke hold like he was doing. Not one of the alphas spoke. They were all scared.

Who was Alpha Kai, and why hadn't she heard about him?

"Now that's not how to treat the alpha of the BloodClaw pack, is it? Or should I show you a proper welcome, Dorian?" Alpha Kai said, leaning casually on one of the empty seats at the giant dining table.

"My apologies, Alpha Kai. My alpha is just overwhelmed with the matters at hand. You will forgive his forwardness towards you" Freya stepped forward from behind Lyra and said.

"And you are?"

"Freya. High priestess of the Nightlight pack"

"I see. But shouldn't the Luna be welcoming me instead, or is she too cursed to speak?"

Lyra's heart jumped to her throat at the mention of her.

"If you want this to be a calm, agreeable meeting, Alpha Kai, you will also treat us with respect. Especially with the words directed at our Luna" Freya said. Lyra could hug her from sheer gratefulness alone.

"Says the priestess who has been lying to her. Isn't it disrespectful to lie to your Luna, Freya?"

Lyra's head snapped towards Freya.

"A lie? Alpha Kai, everything I say is as ordained by the moon goddess herself. I speak not of my own accord" Freya said, her eyes and voice not wavering. Maybe alpha Kai doesn't know what he's saying after all.

"Now you drag the blessed Goddess into your games. Why did you not tell your Luna the truth of her prophecy, or curse and you have decietfully chosen to call it?"

"And what do you think you know about prophesies and curses, Alpha Kai," Dorian said, foaming in the mouth from pure annoyance.

"what would you know about anything, really, when you're a ruthless dog, that murders the members of his pack just to quench his thirst for blood"

Dorian said and every other Alpha in the hall nodded their head in the affirmative.

"When you kill the disobedient children in your pack so much it's a wonder you still control the largest pack. Everyday there's news of one unjust killing or the other in your pack. Every day, we hear news of one wrongful imprisonment, one bloody assassination, one wicked deed or the other. What would you know about my own pack or it's dealings?" Alpha Dorian said, finally sitting and leveling Alpha Kai with a hard stare even though his foot kept tapping on the floor of the stage, giving away his unease.

Lyra turns to look at Alpha Kai, with pure fear and intrigue mixed together.

" I am not here to banter words with you, Dorian. We will have our time."

Does icy eyes moved from Dorian and settled on Lyra.

"Lyra dear, there's a prophecy, and you must uncover it yourself. If you want to find out the truth, follow me, if you want to leave as a less than Luna with truths and lies hanging over your head, stay where you are."

Freya's hand came to rest on Lyra's shoulder as she says" You cannot entice our Luna with your pretty words, Alpha Kai"

"Wha... What did you mean when you said they had been lying" Lyra's shrill voice said.

She felt Freya's fingernails dig into her shoulders, expressing her disapproval.

"I cannot tell you exactly what you want to hear, Lyra dear. You must find it on your own. There is a reason you've not been let out of this pack grounds in over five years, Luna. Weren't you ever curious why?"

Lyra turned to look at Freya as if to ask if it was true.

"Enough!! I have had enough! You will leave my pack grounds and borders in peace, before I will have you forcefully removed" Dorian said.

"I can only take your hand, and point you in the right direction." Alpha Kai continued like they had nit just threatened him.

Dorian then turned to her "Alright Luna. Enough excitement for today. You should retire to your quarters. Weighty matters are about to be discussed."

Lyra stood from her seat without even thinking about the action. But then she noticed Wren still sat comfortably.

"Isn't your concubine leaving too?" Lyra asked.

"Do as you're told, Luna. Don't question me in front of my peers."

Like a bolt of lightening, her dreams barreled into her. She turned towards Freya who was looking disappointed and angry, then to Dorian who's eyes had already moved back to Wren, and Wren who looked comfortable, enjoying the attention of the alpha. Three of them.

Something was going on. There was a reason they were in her dreams.

Lyra made her feet to walk.

She stepped down from the raised stage, and walked straight towards Alpha Kai.

"Where are we to go?" she asked him softly

She needed to find out why, and she could not find those answers in the bottom of a flower vace she would have been arranging or in the many tasteless dresses she would be wearing.

"When and where are we going?"  she asked again.

"If you leave this pack grounds," Alpha Dorian bellowed, his eyes rimming red with rage. "if you step a foot outside of this pack, you will have no pack to return to when you eventually come back. I will cease to be your mate, husband and alpha. I will reject you" Dorian finished.

"Lyra, remember your duties. Remember who you are. If you turn against us now, everything you have done, all the lessons you learned from me will be for nothing. Do not make a bad choice and ruin everything" Freya said from beside Dorian.

From her point on the floor, she could see them clearly now... Funny how three of them were left on the stage.

"If you leave, Wren will take your place as Luna." Alpha Dorian said with finality.

"I have been a warrior since I could walk. My father trained and taught me everything he knew. Curse, prophesy or not, he loved and took care of me the best he could. He never hid me away from the public eye, he never told me I was not good enough or that I had to work double for the people to accept me." Lyra blinked back tears at the memories of her father came rushing back.

" I have tasted love, I have tasted power, I have tasted family, and even as your Luna, you never offered any of them to me. You said you chose me by mistake, and you were young and stupid.

Well, let me take that choice off of your hands. I, Lyra Martinns, reject you, Alpha Dorian as my mate in the presence of all this witnesses and under the ever seeing eyes of the moon goddess. I am not to be afilliated with you from here on out!!!  Goodbye Dorian"

Lyra willed her legs to move as the blinding pain enveloped her, swallowing her whole.

She walked out of the banquet door and continued to walk, not really seeing her surroundings.

She needed to breath. She needed air, she needed the pain to stop, she needed...

Strong arms held her as her body rocked with the force of the tears and pain.

Lyra let out a scream as the mating bond snapped and everything went to black.