The morning sun filtered through the curtains like golden threads, wrapping around me with surprising warmth. I blinked at the light, then slowly sat up, surprised to feel... okay. The pain that had consumed me the night before had dulled to a manageable ache. My body was still sore, but I no longer felt like it would tear apart at the seams.“Good morning,” Kade’s voice rumbled gently beside me.I turned to see him seated on a chair by my bedside, his eyes tired but relieved. He looked like he hadn’t left all night.“You stayed,” I whispered, voice still scratchy.He gave a soft chuckle. “You didn’t really give me a choice, did you?”I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips. “Still. Thank you.”Kade looked at me for a long moment, his gaze lingering like he wanted to say more, but instead, he simply nodded. “You’re safe, Lyra. That’s what matters.”The days that followed were surprisingly peaceful. Kade never left me alone for long. He brought me food, helped me outside
Lyra’s POVThe door clicked softly behind him as he left.Fresh air.That’s what he’d said.But something in his voice… the tightness in his jaw, the way his eyes avoided mine — I knew he wasn’t just going out for a breath. He was going to Caleb. Maybe to question him, maybe to punish him, maybe just to make sure he wouldn’t come anywhere near me again.I turned my eyes to the ceiling, letting out a soft breath that trembled more than I wanted it to.Then I let them fall shut.Sleep pulled at me, slow and thick like honey. It wrapped around my limbs, dragging me into a quiet nothingness. My body was sore, heavy, but my mind… my mind floated.And in the silence of sleep, she came to me.My mother.She stood in the middle of a sunlit field. The sky above her was soft blue, like a painted dream, and around her, gold-tipped grass swayed with a breeze I couldn’t feel. She wore the white dress I always remembered her in, the one she used to wear on calm afternoons at home. Her long hair shi
“Step Away From Her.”Caleb froze like someone had yanked the air from his lungs. The whip in his hand dangled midair, trembling.Through my hazy eyes, I saw him turn slowly.And then, there he was.Kade.His black coat billowed behind him like the wings of a beast. His eyes usually cool and unreadable now burned golden, flickering like wildfire.Rivena stood just behind him, her face as sharp as ice. Her eyes locked onto the scene with pure disgust.“A..Alpha?” Caleb stuttered, backing away from me, the whip falling from his hand with a thud.Kade didn’t answer. The growl that came from his chest said everything.Then he moved.One second, Caleb was standing. The next, Kade had him by the throat, slammed up against the far wall with a bone-shaking crash.“You touched her,” Kade growled, his voice nearly unrecognizable.Caleb choked. “I—It wasn’t—what—”Kade snarled, tightening his grip. “You laid your filthy hands on my mate.”Mate.The word echoed in the chamber like a war drum.My
Darkness.It wrapped around me like a second skin thick, heavy, and endless.My body was numb, but slowly, pain began to creep in like smoke under a locked door. My head pounded, and my arms… god, they ached. My eyes fluttered open.Chains. My wrists and ankles bound, cold steel biting into my skin.Stone walls. A flickering torch. The air was damp, thick with mildew… and blood.I was in a basement or something else.Fear slammed into my chest.Then I heard them, footsteps. Steady. Familiar.And from the shadows… Caleb stepped out.“Caleb?” I croaked. “What… why…?”He didn’t answer right away. His eyes were distant, conflicted, like he was forcing himself to do something his soul hadn't agreed to.“What are you doing?” I whispered.He came closer, crouching in front of me, a hand brushing my cheek.“I never wanted this, Lyra,” he murmured.“Then why?” I asked. “Why are you doing this?”He hesitated.I saw it — the flicker of guilt in his eyes.And then… his voice changed.“I’m sorry i
Lyra’s POVI walked to my locker first, carefully placing my things inside. My fingers brushed over the worn edge of my textbook, the only one I actually liked and I pulled it out, holding it against my chest as I slammed my locker shut.Walking to class, the hallway was quieter than usual. Most students had already disappeared into their classrooms, the air still heavy with what happened earlier.I turned the corner and saw caleb. I frozeHe was walking straight towards me.My heart skipped. Not in the way it used to. Not with longing. But with confusion… and caution.I blinked, wondering if maybe someone else was behind me. But no, the hallway was nearly empty. His eyes were locked on me.He stopped right in front of me.His expression… it wasn’t smug or cruel or detached like it had been that night.It was pleading.“Lyra—”I didn’t wait. I turned sharply, determined to leave. I didn’t have the energy to entertain whatever game he was playing.But before I could take a step, his ha
Vanessa’s POVA soft beeping filled my ears.Everything hurt.The light was too bright. The sheets were too rough. My back burned like fire, and every breath felt like it scraped against open wounds.I blinked slowly, vision clearing just enough to make out the white ceiling tiles above me. The infirmary.Tanya was next to me, unconscious. Ria, too — both wrapped in bandages, faces pale and lips chapped.I barely moved my fingers before a voice broke through the fog."Vanessa?"I turned my head slowly, biting back a groan.Caleb.He stood at the edge of my bed, his usually sharp, confident expression crumpled with worry. He looked like he hadn't slept."You're awake," he whispered, taking a careful step closer.I blinked at him, unmoved."I—I was worried." His voice trembled a bit. "They said you fainted during the punishment. I came as soon as I heard."I said nothing. Just stared.He sat on the edge of the bed and reached for my hand. “I could have helped you take the beatings if on