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Lyra followed Jessy quietly, the shattering of dried leaves beneath their feet the only sound as they walked through the shedding woods. The cliffs were just ahead, bathed in the silver light of the Blood Moon. It was a place that held so many memories.

Memories of blissful days, when she and Jessy had been carefree children, laughing and playing without a care. But tonight, something felt different. There was a thick tension in the air, an unease that settled in Lyra’s chest, making her heart beat faster with every step she took.

Jessy had been unusually quiet since the ceremony, her usual bright, teasing demeanor replaced by a strange, somber silence. Lyra couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, but she pushed it aside, trusting Jessy as she had always done.

When they reached the cliff’s edge, the wind picked up, cool and biting as it whipped through Lyra’s hair and dress.

She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to ward off the freeze as she looked out over the dark expanse below. The view was definitely breathtaking, the moonlight reflecting off the distant river, casting an ambient glow over the landscape. It was beautiful, but it did little to soothe the growing knot of anxiety in her insides.

“I’ve missed this place,” Lyra said softly, her voice tarried away by the chilling wind. She turned to Jessy, offering her a gentle smile. “We had some good times here, didn’t we?”

Jessy stood few feets away, her back facing Lyra as she stared out at the horizon. She didn’t respond right away, and for a moment, Lyra wondered if she had even heard her at all.

When Jessy finally responded, her voice was quiet, almost inaudible. “Yeah… good times.” There was something in her tone that made Lyra’s skin prickle.

Lyra took a step closer to her, frowning as she studied Jessy’s person. “Is everything alright? You’ve been acting rather strange tonight.”

Jessy let out a malicious laugh, her head tilting back slightly as if she were trying to hold something in. “Strange you say?” She shook her head, her lips curling into a smile that barely met her eyes. “I suppose you could say that.”

“Jess, what’s going on?” Lyra’s voice was edged with more concern now.

Jessy turned to face her, and Lyra’s heart stuttered at the look in her best friend's eyes. Gone was the warmth, the easy laughter, the lightheartedness that had always defined Jessy. In its place was something dark, something cold and full of resentment.

“Do you really want to know the truth, Lyra?” Jessy asked, her voice low, almost a kiss in the air. “Do you want to know what I’ve really thought of you all these years?”

Lyra’s blood ran dry. “Wait, what are you talking about?”

Jessy took a step forward, her eyes illuminated with something cruel. “You’ve always had everything, haven’t you? The perfect life. The perfect family. The perfect mate. You’ve never had to struggle for a single thing, never had to fight for anything. It’s all just been handed to you on a platter”

Lyra’s breath hung in her throat. She took a step back, shaking her head in bemusement. “That’s not true, Jess. Why are you saying all this, have I done something wrong? You're my best friend Jess”

Jessy laughed again, this time louder, darker. “Best friend? Is that what you thought? God, you really are naive, aren’t you? I’ve never been your friend, Lyra. I’ve hated you for as long as I can remember. I'm just really good at hiding things you know.”

The words hit Lyra like a punch to the throat, leaving her speechless and breathless. “What… what are you saying?”

Jessy’s smile grow, but there was nothing sympathetic in it. “I’ve spent my entire life in your shadow. Always second to you. Always the one left behind while you got everything you ever wanted. The Luna title, Mason, the pack’s admiration. I watched you bask in it all. All of which should've been mine.”

Lyra’s heart ached in her chest, her mind reeling. “Jessy, that’s not true! You’ve always been special to me. I’ve never seen you as—”

“As what? Less than you?” Jessy’s voice dripped with venom as she took yet another step closer, her eyes burning with fury. “Don’t lie to me, Lyra. You love the attention. You love being the center of everything, bet you never cared to check who you stepped on to get there, did you?”

Lyra shook her head in disbelief, her eyes filling with tears. “That’s not true. I'd never do anything to hurt you Jess”

“Stop lying you slut!” Jessy’s shout echoed about the cliff, her voice binding with rage. “You think I don’t know what goes on behind that sweet little smile of yours? You’ve always looked down on me. Always belittled me. But not anymore.”

Lyra’s chest tightened as panic began to break in. “Jessy, please… stop. I don’t know what’s happening right now, but this isn’t you. We’ve been through so much together, you know I love you so much”

Jessy’s expression stiffened, and she let out a low, sinister laugh. “Love? You don’t know what love is, Lyra. But don’t worry. I’m going to show you.”

Before Lyra could say anything, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. She turned, and her heart skipped a beat.

Mason stepped out from the shadows, his tall figure illuminated by the soft moonlight. His face was unreadable, cold, his golden eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her blood freeze.

“Mason?” Lyra’s voice trembled as she took a step toward him, searching his face for any sign of empathy, any hint of the man she had loved for so long. But his expression remained firm, indifferent.

A sickening realization crept into Lyra’s mind as she quickly shared glances between Mason and Jessy. “Wha... What’s happening?”

Mason didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he crossed his arm over the other, his gaze never leaving hers. “It’s time you knew the truth, Lyra.”

“What truth?” Lyra’s voice trembled, her body shaking with brewing fear. “What are you taking about?”

Jessy stepped closer, her smile sharp as a blade. “The truth is, Mason and I have been lovers for years. He never loved you, Lyra. He only married you because it was convenient. Your family’s influence, your position. You were merely an obligation my darling Mason needed to fulfill”

Lyra’s legs began to give in beneath her as she stumbled backward, her hand flying to her chest as if she could stop her heart from shattering. “No… no! That can’t be true.” She turned to Mason, her eyes pleading. “Please tell me she’s lying, Mason.”

But Mason remained silent, his expression cold and unreadable. And in that silence, Lyra’s world crumbled around her.

“Everything you thought you knew,” Jessy paused, her voice dripping with a thick malice, “were all lies. Your entire marriage, your life with Mason, it was all a facade. He’s been mine from the very start. And I’ve waited so long for this moment, Lyra”

Tears streamed down Lyra’s face as she tried to make sense of the wickedness unfolding before her. “Why?” she quivered, her voice barely audible. “Why would you do this?”

Jessy’s smile grow, her eyes shimmering with cruel satisfaction. “Because I wanted everything you had. It's about time I take it.”

Lyra shook her head, her vision blurring with tears. “I trusted you… I loved you like a sister.”

Jessy smirked. “You were a fool, Lyra. And now, you’re going to pay for your foolishness.”

Before Lyra could react, Jessy lunged forward, her hands gripping Lyra’s arms with a strength that made her gasp. Lyra struggled, panic rising in her chest, but Jessy’s grip was unrelenting.

“Jessy, please!” Lyra cried, her voice cracked as she tried to free herself. “Don’t do this!”

But Jessy’s expression was woven with hatred, her eyes gleaming with a cold, merciless darkness. “It’s too late, Lyra. You’ve already lost.”

In one swift motion, Jessy sent Lyra's body past the edge of the cliff.

Lyra’s scream tore through the night as she fell helplessly, the wind roaring behind her ears. The world escaped around her briskly, and all she could see was the jagged rocks below, rushing up to meet her.

Her heart raced in her chest, her mind swirling about as her life flashed before her eyes—the moments of joy, of love and now betrayal. And then, in her final moments, as the rocks drew closer and closer, her thoughts went to the one thing she had never had the chance to share.

*Her baby*

The wind roared, and the last thing Lyra felt was the sharp, excruciating pain as her body met with the rocks below.