HIS TO OWN

Lyra’s POV‎After leaving the hotel, I went back to my apartment, picked the most sultry dress I could lay my hands on, and did my makeup.‎No one will ever want you. His words rang in my head like a curse. I dug my nails into my palms until they hurt.‎Now wasn't the time to cry. Tonight I would prove him wrong, even if it destroyed me. That was how I ended up standing in front of a club, the one place I told myself I'd never go.‎The neon lights flickered, and the loud music almost made me dead as I pushed my way through the sweaty and drunk clubgoers to the bar.‎Omegas like me weren’t exactly welcome in places where power dripped like perfume, but right now, I didn’t care. ‎If Killian could toss me aside, then I’d throw caution to the wind too, even if I had to give up my virginity tonight.For a moment, I just stood there, clutching my tiny purse, drowning in the chaos.‎What am I supposed to do now? I looked around. Was I supposed to walk up to a random stranger and just

‎Lyra’s POV‎I stirred awake, sunlight sneaking through the curtains. Beside me, Damien was lying on his back, all sculpted jaw and lazy calm, like he hadn’t just rocked my world last night.‎My pussy still throbbed from last night, and I face-palmed as I recalled all that had happened. ‎An idea hit me. I checked to see if Damien was fast asleep before I picked up my phone on the dresser.‎"I'll show Killian that I got a man who is ten times finer than him." I smirked and raised my phone while leaning closer, and I snapped. a quick shot of us tangled up in his sheets. A little souvenir from me to that cheating bastard.‎His eyes cracked open instantly, and I backed away, hiding my phone, but he'd already seen me. “Did you just take a picture of me?” He quickly sat up.‎“Of us,” I corrected, flashing him the screen before pulling it away lest he snatched it out of my hand. “Don’t worry, it’s flattering.”‎His tone sharpened. “Delete it now; that's an invasion of privacy.”‎‎

Lyra's pov"How many people live here exactly?" I asked as we made our way into the house."About thirty pack members use this as their primary residence. Others have their own homes but gather here for meals and meetings.""Thirty people." I took a deep breath. "Thirty werewolves who can probably smell that I'm different and are going to judge whether I'm good enough for their precious alpha."Damien turned to look at me fully for the first time since we'd left his apartment. "You don't have to prove anything to anyone.""Easy for you to say. You're not the bound wolf crashing the pure-blood party."Something flickered in his eyes—anger, but not at me. "Anyone who has a problem with you has a problem with me."The protective edge in his voice did weird things to my stomach. "Down, boy. Save the territorial alpha thing for inside."He actually smiled at that, a real one that transformed his entire face. "Ready?""As ready as someone can be to meet thirty supernatural in-laws while pre

Damien's POVThe penthouse feels wrong with someone else in it. Not bad, exactly. Just... occupied and no room to do as I pleased. This is my sanctuary—the one place where I don't have to perform, strategize, or maintain the carefully constructed walls that keep everyone at arm's length. The cleaning lady comes on Tuesdays. That's it. That's the full list of people allowed in this space. I don't even have a personal chef or a laundry lady that comes around.I was at my going through the numerous files my secretary had emailed me but I was aware of Lyra upstairs. The shower was running and the faint sound of her moving around in what is technically now our bedroom, though I've been camping out on the couch like a college kid avoiding his roommate."Do you actually sleep, or do you just power down at your desk like a laptop?" Her scent announced her before she spoke.She was in sleep shorts and an oversized sweatshirt, damp hair falling in waves past her shoulders, glasses slightly cro

Lyra's POVBy the time five o'clock rolled around, I was exhausted. Not from the work which was tedious but manageable but from the constant vigilance. The awareness that someone was actively waiting for me to fail. My shoulders ached from tension, and the fluorescent lights had given me a headache that pulsed behind my eyes.Damien found me packing up my things, shoving papers into my bag with more force than necessary."Ready?"I nodded, not trusting my voice. My throat felt tight.We walked to the parking garage in silence, our footsteps echoing in the concrete space. The air was cooler here, smelling faintly of oil and exhaust. Not when we pulled into traffic did he begin to speak."She's testing you." He brought the car to a halt at the red light."Miranda?" I asked and he nodded."Yeah. She does this with everyone new. Establishes her territory, sees who cracks." He glanced at me, and in the dim light of the dashboard, his profile was sharp, unreadable. "For what it's worth, y