Bound for eternity

After a day of exhausting Labor at the Alpha's manor, Lyra was directed to a cramped corner in one of the smallest rooms in the house, a space she had to share with four other girls. She carefully stepped over their sleeping forms to reach her designated spot. The poorly ventilated room made breathing difficult, and she felt light-headed as she settled down.

Lyra forced herself to lie on the stone-cold floor, turning her mind to more pleasant thoughts—thoughts of Bruno and his intoxicating scent. While cleaning his room earlier, she had been tempted to open his closet, steal a shirt, and bury her face in it. It was strange to harbor such feelings for someone she had never met, yet his scent lingered in her mind, and she longed to meet him, to be near him, to finally see him.

With the Alpha's son occupying her thoughts, Lyra drifted into a peaceful sleep, only to be jolted awake by a splash of ice-cold water and a sharp kick to her side.

"Wake up, you lazy girl!" Beatrice's voice bellowed as she delivered a second kick. "Do you think you're in your palace?" The other maidservants giggled maliciously from the doorway.

"I'm sorry," Lyra scrambled to her feet, heart racing. "It won't happen again."

"It better not, or you'll be reported to the Luna," Beatrice threatened, her eyes bulging with anger. "Hurry! The Alpha's son has arrived already. You need to serve him breakfast."

Lyra quickly dried herself with a thin towel and changed into her uniform, fingers trembling as she fastened the buttons. Today was the day she would finally meet Bruno. Her wolf stirred within her, excited yet nervous.

"Move it!" Beatrice snapped, thrusting a silver tray into Lyra's hands. "The food is in the kitchen. Don't you dare drop anything or make eye contact with him. Remember your place."

Nodding silently, Lyra hurried to the kitchen where the cook loaded the tray with a lavish breakfast—fresh bread, fruits, eggs, and meat. The delicious aroma made her stomach growl painfully, reminding her that she had barely eaten since arriving at the manor.

"That's for Master Bruno, not for you," the cook warned, noticing her lingering gaze. "Now go, before it gets cold."

Lyra carefully balanced the heavy tray as she made her way to the private dining room. Her heartbeat quickened with each step. Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door with her shoulder and entered the elegant dining room. Sunlight streamed through tall windows, illuminating the polished wooden table and luxurious furnishings.

And there he was.

Bruno sat at the head of the table; his powerful frame draped casually in a chair that seemed too small for his muscular build. His dark hair was slightly tousled, as if he had just run his fingers through it. When he looked up at her entrance, Lyra nearly dropped the tray. His eyes—a striking shade of amber—captured her completely. 

“Mate”. Her wolf purred from within

"Good morning," he said, his voice deep and rich.

Lyra lowered her gaze, remembering Beatrice's warning. "Good morning, sir," she replied softly, approaching the table with small, careful steps.

As she set down the tray, she felt his gaze studying her. The proximity made her wolf restless beneath her skin, yearning to be closer to him. His scent was even more potent in person—earthy, wild, with hints of pine and something uniquely his own.

"You are new" Bruno observed. It wasn't a question.

"Yes, sir. I arrived yesterday." Lyra kept her eyes fixed on the tray as she arranged the dishes before him.

"Your name?"

She hesitated, surprised by his interest. "Lyra, sir."

"Lyra," he repeated, as if testing how it felt on his tongue. "Look at me, Lyra."

Her head snapped up automatically at the command in his voice. Their eyes met, and something electric passed between them. Bruno's expression changed, a flash of recognition or surprise crossing his features before his eyes softened with affection. He gently cupped her cheek and whispered her name a second time, giving himself the chance to relish the spark that passed through their skin-to-skin contact. Without another word, his lips claimed hers in a feathery kiss. A kiss meant to seal their fate.

Bruno encircled Lyra's trembling hand with his own, his touch warm and reassuring as they hurried down the grand hallway toward his father's office. The marble floors echoed with their footsteps—his confident stride and her hesitant patter creating an uneven rhythm. Lyra's heart thundered in her chest. Everything had happened so quickly; one moment she was serving breakfast, the next Bruno was declaring that she was his mate, chosen by the Moon Goddess herself.

"Bruno, please," she whispered, trying to slow his determined pace. "Your parents will never accept this. I'm just a—"

"You're my mate," he interrupted, his amber eyes blazing with certainty as he paused to look at her. "Nothing else matters."

Before she could protest further, Bruno continued down the corridor, practically pulling her along. Maids scurrying by exchanged curious glances and whispers at the sight of the Alpha's son hand-in-hand with a servant girl.

Without bothering to knock, Bruno pushed open the heavy oak doors and strode into the spacious office, grinning from ear to ear. Lyra shrank behind him, overwhelmed by the opulence of the room—leather-bound books lining floor-to-ceiling shelves, elaborate tapestries depicting pack history, and a massive desk behind which sat Alpha Luke, deep in conversation with his Luna.

"Son?" Delilah immediately rose from her seat beside her husband, maternal instinct driving her to rush toward Bruno. Her elegant form moved with practiced grace, silk dress flowing behind her like water. "Is there a problem?"

"On the contrary, Mother," Bruno replied, his voice vibrating with barely contained excitement. He tightened his grip on Lyra's hand, drawing strength from the connection. "I come bearing wonderful news."

Delilah's alert gaze fell to their intertwined fingers. Confusion creased her perfectly maintained brows as she registered the identity of the girl half-hidden behind her son. Alpha Luke remained seated but leaned forward, his imposing presence commanding attention even in silence.

"What wonderful news?" Delilah asked, her tone carefully neutral though her eyes had already hardened.

Bruno straightened his shoulders, pulling Lyra forward to stand beside him rather than behind. "Lyra is my destined mate. She is the one chosen for me by the Moon Goddess herself." His voice rang with pride and certainty as he presented Lyra to his mother's scrutiny. "I felt it the moment our eyes met—the bond, the pull. My wolf recognized her instantly."

The silence that followed his declaration was deafening. Alpha Luke slowly rose from his chair, his expression unreadable as he studied the pair. Lyra kept her eyes downcast, hyperaware of her worn uniform and dishevelled appearance next to Bruno's polished perfection.

Delilah took several deliberate steps backward, as if physical distance might somehow negate her son's proclamation. Her beautiful features contorted with unmistakable revulsion.

"Her? This maidservant?" Delilah's voice dripped with disdain, each syllable precise and cutting. "Have you lost your mind, Bruno? This girl is nothing but a burden we charitably took in—a nameless nobody from Rosa’s house."

Lyra flinched at the harsh assessment, but Bruno's grip remained firm, his thumb brushing soothingly across her knuckles.

"Mother, I understand this is unexpected, but—"

"Unexpected?" Delilah laughed, the sound brittle and humourless. "It's preposterous! The heir to the Silver Moon Pack cannot mate with a servant. What would our allies say? What would the other packs think?"

Alpha Luke finally spoke, his deep voice resonating throughout the room. "Bruno, mate bonds are sacred, but they can also be... misinterpreted. Perhaps what you're feeling is mere attraction, not the true call of the Goddess."

"I know what I felt, Father," Bruno insisted, a growl edging into his voice. "My wolf has never responded to anyone like this. She's mine, and I am hers."

Delilah circled them slowly, her calculating gaze assessing Lyra from head to toe. "Look at her. No breeding, no training, no connections or alliances to strengthen our pack." She stopped directly in front of Lyra, lifting the girl's chin with one perfectly manicured finger. "Tell me, girl, what could you possibly offer my son or this pack?"

Lyra trembled under Luna's cold scrutiny but found the courage to meet her eyes. "I don't presume to offer anything, Luna. The bond wasn't my choice, but I feel it too. My wolf recognized him instantly."

Delilah dropped her hand as if burned. "Convenient, isn't it? A lowly servant suddenly claiming to be destined for the most eligible wolf in the territory?"

"Mother!" Bruno growled, his eyes flashing dangerously. "You will not speak to her that way."

Alpha Luke moved from behind his imposing desk, commanding attention as he approached his son and his newly found mate. The sunlight streaming through the tall windows caught the silver streaks in his dark hair, hinting at the wisdom etched into his features from years of leading the pack. His steps were measured, deliberate—each movement befitting the authority he carried.

"Enough," he declared, his voice resonating with finality. The single word silenced even Delilah's objections. "This situation requires careful consideration."

Bruno straightened his posture, squeezing Lyra's hand reassuringly as his father's penetrating gaze shifted to her. She fought the urge to lower her eyes, knowing that in wolf culture, submission now would undermine everything Bruno was fighting for.

Alpha Luke studied her with calculating intensity, as if searching for something beyond her worn uniform and nervous demeanour. After what felt like an eternity, something in his expression softened imperceptibly.

"If what my son claims is true," he continued, his tone mellowing, "then we must accept the will of the Moon Goddess. Mate bonds are sacred, transcending our earthly hierarchies and ambitions." He turned to his wife, whose face had drained of colour. "Destiny cannot be tampered with, Delilah. The Goddess's choices are beyond our questioning."

Bruno's face broke into a radiant smile, his amber eyes gleaming with triumph and relief. "Thank you, Father."

Alpha Luke nodded solemnly before returning his attention to the stunned couple. "Bruno, you and your mate should begin preparations for the mating ceremony. The ritual must be performed under the next full moon to receive the Goddess's full blessing."

"The full moon is only three days away," Bruno calculated aloud, excitement evident in his voice.

"Indeed," Alpha Luke confirmed. "Just enough time to make the necessary arrangements and inform the neighbouring packs. A union of this magnitude requires proper witnesses."

Lyra's heart pounded against her ribs. Three days. In three days, she would be ceremonially bound to Bruno for eternity. Or so she thought.