Mag-log in_Lyra's POV_I stepped away from him and looked down the hallway.“Where are we going?”Ryder did not answer immediately. I glanced at him.“You know, normally when someone brings a terrified woman into their secret mansion after revealing they can turn into a wolf, they explain things.”The corner of his lips lifted slightly. “You talk a lot when you are nervous.”I frowned. “I am not nervous.”“You are.”“I am not.”“You are arguing with me more than usual.”I opened my mouth to reply but no words came out. Because unfortunately, he was right. Ryder continued walking and I followed him.The mansion was so quiet that I could hear every step we took. The huge halls, the old paintings and the strange symbols around me made me feel like I had stepped into a world I was never supposed to see.A few hours ago, I had been living a normal life. I was worried about work, university and hockey interviews. Now I was standing inside a mansion I never knew existed, surrounded by secrets I could
_Lyra's POV_The car slowly came to a stop. For a few seconds, I did not move. I just stared through the windshield, trying to understand what I was seeing. This was not what I expected.After everything that had happened tonight, after discovering Ryder’s secret and watching him transform into a wolf, I had imagined his home would be something dark and terrifying.Maybe an old building hidden in the middle of nowhere or a place that looked as dangerous as the secrets he carried. But this was nothing like that.The estate in front of me looked like something straight out of a movie. Tall stone walls surrounded the property with large windows glowing softly against the darkness. The building was massive but it did not feel cold. It had a strange kind of beauty like it had existed for hundreds of years and carried countless stories inside its walls.A beautiful garden surrounded the estate, with trees moving gently in the night breeze. The silver light of the moon covered everything, ma
_Lyra's POV_“I am not going anywhere with you.”The words came out sharper than I intended. Ryder stared at me in silence. For a moment, he did not look like the powerful captain everyone feared. He just looked tired like he had been carrying a burden I knew nothing about.“Lyra, please.”That single word surprised me. Ryder Kane did not beg...not for anything. But I was still too hurt and too confused to let that change my mind.“No.”His jaw tightened slightly. “You do not understand what is happening.”“I understand enough.”My fingers tightened around the handle of my suitcase. “I found out that the person I trusted was not even human.”A flash of pain crossed his face. “I know.”“You let me believe you were normal.”His eyes lowered for a moment. “I wanted to tell you.”“When?”My voice cracked slightly. “When you thought I was already too attached to leave?”His expression changed immediately. “That is not why.”“Then why, Ryder?”The room became silent. For a moment, I thought
_Lyra’s POV_I stayed with my back against the locked door. I was forcing myself to breathe normally but my body refused to calm down. My hands were still shaking and my heart was beating so fast that it felt like it was trying to escape my chest. Because Ryder Kane was standing on the other side of that door.The same Ryder who had saved me. He had held me when I was terrified and made sure I was safe. But he had also turned into a wolf right in front of my eyes.I closed my eyes, trying to convince myself that leaving was the only thing I could do. I needed space. I needed time to understand what I had seen. Most importantly, I needed to stay away from Ryder until I knew what was real and what was not.For a few seconds, everything was silent. Then I heard a knock on the door.“Lyra.”My entire body froze at the sound of his voice. It was softer than usual...too soft. And somehow, that made it worse.Because Ryder Kane was never like this. The Ryder I knew was always cold, controlle
_Lyra's POV_I ran.I did not stop to think about what I had just seen or try to understand it. The moment the wolf took a step toward me, my body reacted before my mind could catch up.I ran through the trees, away from the training building and into the darkness. My breathing became uneven and my hands shook so badly that I almost dropped my phone while trying to unlock my car.I never looked back. I could not because I was terrified that if I turned around, I would see those golden eyes following me. The same eyes that had looked at me with warmth. They belonged to Ryder Kane. My mind refused to accept the truth but the memories kept coming back. The wolf that saved me was not some unknown creature. The wolf that protected me was him.Ryder Kane was not human.By the time I reached my apartment, I was barely holding myself together. I rushed inside, locked the door behind me and leaned against it as if the wooden door could somehow protect me from everything I had just discovered.
_Lyra's POV_I thought that things would be different after that night.Ryder had stood in front of me without hesitation and protected me again. He had held me in his arms and quietly told me that I was safe. For the first time, I thought maybe the wall between us was finally starting to break.But I was wrong.Because the next morning, Ryder Kane was back to the same person I had always known. I walked into the Frostfang office with my coffee and laptop, secretly expecting something different. Maybe a small smile. Maybe a simple greeting or some sign that he remembered what happened between us.Instead, Ryder walked past me without even looking in my direction. He did not say a word.....not even a good morning. I stopped and watched him disappear down the hallway.Seriously?Was I the only one who remembered last night?Because I remembered everything. The worry in his eyes when he thought I was hurt. The way he stayed close to make sure I was safe. He had held me like losing me wa







