MasukLYRAFinally, I get some peace when I slip into the bathroom, leaving an overprotective Ellie hovering in my room.I click the lock into place, before sagging against the door, sliding down until I’m nothing more than a trembling bundle on the cold tile.Fuck me.How did I get here? How did I go from a terrifying lycan to this? A sad, shackled little pup, unable to even feel the presence that once burned in my mind.At this point, I’d rather lose control again. I’d welcome the beast. Anything would be better than this. This crazy mix of my erratic thoughts and Aurora’s fucking voice in my mind. Even over a distance, the bitch is commanding me. She’s constantly whispering what to do, filling my head with images and instructions. She told me that she would give me what I need. Which she has. And goddess, I’ve already started planning how to obey her. It’s been hours since Zane left, but he needs to come back. Aurora needs him to come find me. And when he returns, I’ll do it.Fuck. I
ZANE Rion’s eyes widen, flicking between Selene and me. “He could have an entire army by now,” he says slowly, his voice heavy with realization. “Do you think he could have infiltrated witch covens?” I ask Selene. “I doubt it,” she seems thoughtful. “He did the last time, didn’t he?” Rion watches Selene’s reaction closely. “Yes,” she confirms, “but that was centuries ago. The coven I lived with before taught us that witches have evolved. They’ve learned from generations of mistakes. These days, it's much harder to deceive a witch with magic.” “What if he got a witch alone?” Rion asks. She shakes her head, before continuing. “Even if Khaíros waited around their borders, witches never leave their covens alone anymore, they are always in groups. And if one doesn’t sense the trickery, the others will.” Despite her reassurances, we do not relax. “Lone witches?” I question her, thinking of all the sorceresses who are known for living in caves, practicing nature-base
ZANE Never in my life have I wanted to kill someone as much as I do right now. That witch has gone too damn far. I do not know what she did to Ly, but I do know Lyra is not herself. And it has everything to do with those silver chains around her wrists. How the hell did I not notice them before? I did not even feel them when she was pounding her fists against my back on the walk home… but now that I see how deeply they are embedded in her flesh. How does she bear it? The silver is searing into her skin—and she hasn’t said a word. Is it because she can’t? Or is she numb to the pain? That witch put something in those bands. They are manipulating Lyra’s behaviour, that much is certain. But does that mean Lyra is trapped in her own mind? Is she aware of her actions? Of what she is saying? Is she conscious in her mind? Gods, for her sake, I hope not. I exhale slowly as I make my way down the stairs. She was so convincing… the hatred in her eyes, the sharpness in her words, th
LYRA I’m bawling into Ellie’s arms. Fuck, I still can’t stop crying. I wept when I walked into my room to find all the windows locked and warriors stationed beneath every fucking window. I sobbed with I took a shower, washing away all the gunk and dirt from the last day. I wailed while I got dressed in long comfy fluffy pj’s. Now I’m sitting beside Ellie on the edge of the bed, and soaking through her shirt. The tears simply won’t stop. Her voice is soft and soothing as she whispers over and over that it’s going to be okay. That no one will force me into anything. Zane won’t force anything on me. But her words only make me sob harder. Because they’re so fucking wrong. I want Zane to force me. I want him to slam that door open and demand that I be with him. Order me to tell him that I love him. Because, goddess, I do. And I hate myself for the venom I spat at him. For the way I shoved him away when all I wanted was to bury myself in his arms. My mind had screame
ZANE Lyra’s wracked sobs are still echoing in my head as I sit at the new desk in my office. Even now, after she locked herself in her room—locked herself away from me—I can still hear them ringing in my mind. And gods, she is this crushed because I forced her to come back to me. I never even wanted to hear her cry, but knowing that I caused her this much pain? That hurts more than anything I have ever experienced. It started on the run back. I shifted her to my chest, cradling her, and hoping it would calm her. Instead, she fought harder. Like being near me burned her, so I had no choice but to haul her back over my shoulder. Once she realised she would not escape my grip, her body started shaking with those gut-wrenching sobs. It continued the whole way home. And when we arrived? The second her feet hit the tiles of the staircase, she bolted straight for the front door. If I had not caught her, she would already be gone. I thought we were making progress. I thought
ZANE My paws barely touch the earth as I tear through the forest. I don’t even know how far behind Rion and the warriors are. The afternoon sun shines through the trees. The light hits the dark grey fog racing through the air at my side. The only one keeping pace with my every step. Selene. We approach the cabin and everything looks precisely as little Aaron showed us in his juice. The surrounding trees, the mountain, the entire valley. The child’s layout was unnervingly perfect. As we finally reach the cabin, my heart stops. The exterior shows no signs of Lyra or Aurora. Nothing but the choking reek of wolfsbane saturating the place. I search frantically, sniffing every corner. My wolf claws at the ground but there is no trail. Not even a scent to follow. At last, Rion and the warriors join me in searching the area. But it is useless, the wolfsbane has wiped everything clean. Selene materializes from the dark fog. Her sharp hazel gaze scans the outside of the cabin before mo
ZANEI should be in the back seat. It is where I belong.The Alpha always sits in the back. The Beta drives. It’s tradition, it’s optics, it’s respect. Yet tonight, the back seat is occupied by three unconscious women who smell like alcohol, sweat, perfume, and horrible decisions.So here I am.In
LYRA“The final cadet starting warrior training — Maria López.”My stomach sinks. Tabitha didn’t make it.I swallow hard, forcing myself to keep my face neutral as the weight of it settles in. Tabitha fought like hell. She deserved better. And yet, Maria is staying in her place. Bittersweet doesn
LYRAThe next door opens, and I almost groan in relief. Thank fuck the stupid rock maze gave my arms just enough time to stop screaming. They still ache, but it’s the manageable kind now. The kind I can work through. The next room is long and wide, stark and industrial. Targets line the far wall
LYRAOf course this is what the next obstacle is would be. My arms are already aching in protest, but of course this is what we get.Right in front of us, there are two lanes, side by side, suspended over a large open space.Fucking monkey bars.The bars stretch for at least fifteen meters and they







