BE STRONG

Lyra's POV:

The moment we said our vows, I felt a warm sensation throughout my body. It was a feeling I couldn't quite explain, I just knew that it filled me with a strange kind of joy that I had never experienced in my life before.

My heart was racing, so fast I feared it would burst out of my chest, and to crown it all, my wolf let out a cry inside of me. I usually had a quiet wolf. In fact, this was the very first time I had heard her react to something outside.

What the hell was happening?

Drake’s reaction also shocked me, and something told me he must have experienced something similar. A warmth slowly spread throughout my body, and it left me tired and breathless, but somehow, I began to feel whole and alive.

The moment Alpha Drake staggered backwards, the entire world of snow seemed to freeze in place.

The hall quietened so fast, and a couple of wolves even scrambled out of their seats in shock. But he quickly corrected his posture, and acted as though nothing had happened.

He kept his gaze on me, and I knew he was studying my reactions, so, I let a smile settle on my lips.

Everyone was probably wondering what was strong enough to have had an impact on the man everyone believed was stoic.

"Proceed." Alpha Drake's voice was loud as he nodded at the old elder officiating the ceremony, and whenever he spoke, the entire world seemed to hush too, "I'm fine."

The elder nodded, and the ceremony continued without a hitch.

It lasted an hour, and by the time it wrapped up, I was completely drained.

My body ached, my feet had stopped bleeding, and was now numb, and my entire mind was racing.

I was in a completely new part of the continent, in a completely new pack and environment, and I was all alone.

It still hurt whenever I thought about my dad’s and step mom’s words when they ordered me off the carriage, but I forced myself to stop thinking about them.

I was all alone now, I had to come to terms with that as quickly as possible.

The ceremony concluded faster than normal, but I could tell the feasting was only just starting.

When we had finished exchanging the crests, Alpha Drake turned to face me, then, grabbed my hand and raised it up.

The wolves in the hall all applauded.

But all I did was stiffen.

It felt strange being a Luna. Especially to a man who I had only known all my life as the Beast.

“We need to talk.” Alpha Drake leaned towards me and whispered, “When all this is over.”

I froze, my lips parted, but before I could reply, we were surrounded on all sides by a whole host of wolves.

"Devon." Alpha Drake smiled as he nodded at the elder who approached him. "Thanks for coming."

"I wouldn't miss this for anything." Devon smiled.

I stood by the side and watched as wolf after wolf stepped forward and congratulated Alpha Drake, and only him, for the mating.

They all clearly didn’t put me in their eyes.

No one spoke to me, no one glanced at me, no one even so much as flashed me a smile.

I was invisible.

But instead of being pissed, I found myself being over the moon.

I had been tortured and abused enough over the years that I had come to associate being ignored as the best thing to ever happen to me in any situation.

Besides, I felt dread just imagining having conversations with so many important people.

Not once in my life had I ever fancied being in the spotlight, but it seemed that was about to become my everyday life.

Even though I was ignored for a long time, I knew it wasn’t going to last.

Eventually, someone was bound to address me. And I wasn’t wrong.

"Luna." A very thick voice snapped me out of my thoughts,

"Lord Derrick." I curtsied,

Even though I had been invisible. I had watched everyone, and tried to get everyone’s names in case they spoke to me. And Derick was the one person I knew who was definitely going to speak to me.

His eyes were as dark as my step sister, and his gaze was as full of disdain as hers too.

I knew his type. He was the sort of man that loved to enjoy dissecting small animals. The sort of man who believed everyone was naturally beneath him.

The sort of man I had learned to avoid and fear all my life.

"Welcome to our noble pack," he said as he flashed me a smile, one that sent shivers running down my spine.

"Thank you." I smiled back, but I kept my gaze directed at his shoes.

I knew how men like this thought, I knew if I raised up my head, he would take it as a challenge. So, I kept my gaze down, my body movement was as small as possible, and most of all, I kept my voice calm and respectful.

"Are you having fun?" His brows snapped up.

"Well," I chuckled, trying to keep the unease from showing up in my voice. "It's not really what I'm used to, but I guess."

"Of course," Derrick began to walk around me in a circle. "A misfit like you doesn't belong in our world."

"Huh?" My head snapped up. What did he mean by that?

"Am I wrong?" he asked with raised brows,

Some wolves had heard him, and everyone who did began to stare right at me.

"I don't understand what you mean," I spoke with a voice that was barely above a whisper.

I felt bad about the way he spoke to me, but I wouldn't dare to challenge him, I didn't have that kind of authority.

"Lyra," he exhaled softly, my name rolling off his tongue as though it was a curse. "You must think highly of yourself."

I blinked. But he clearly wasn’t done speaking.

"I'd like to remind you of your place before you begin to settle in." He was now a few steps away from me. "You're nothing but used goods my brother was generous enough to pick from the roadside."

His words felt like daggers plunged into my heart, and they left me almost breathless.

I was used to family abuse, because I lived with it my whole life. But hearing a man you just met for the first time speak so badly of you was a different level of pain.

I bit my lips hard and tried desperately to hold back my tears.

"Derrick." Alpha Drake appeared in front of me. His voice was so cold that it lowered the temperature of the hall.

Derrick’s smile wiped off his face, and he took a step back in shock and fear.

Alpha Drake turned around to face me, and held my hand,

I closed my eyes, scared of being hit or berated.

But instead, all I heard was a voice filled with confusion.

"Why did you let him do that?" Alpha Drake asked,

My eyes flashed up the moment I heard these words. “Uh?”

"Why did you let Derrick talk down on you like that?" Drake asked, clearly not understanding my hesitation and fear.

"Do you realize what you are now?" He groaned softly. "You're my Luna, and my Luna is not going to be a weakling."

"I.."

Drake didn’t let me finish. He took a step forward, held my hand tightly and slowly raised up my head until I was staring right in his eyes.

"I don't know what is going on with you or what you think this is, but you are a leader now. And a leader never feels fear.”

His words stung, they felt like a bitter pill I was forced to swallow, but at the same time, he was absolutely right.

It felt strange, how the words that were supposed to make me cry or even feel stupid suddenly stirred up something inside me.

“Why are you trying to talk to her brother,” Derrick’s voice slowly drifted in from behind me, “You know a leopard can never change its spots. A weakli-”

As Derrick spoke, the same warmth from earlier began to flow through my body. The one that always sparked up whenever Drake touched me. But now, as he spoke to me, I felt the warmth course through my body with far more speed than ever.

“Shut up!” I hissed, cutting him off. The words that left my lips shocked even me.

"What?" Derrick looked startled, clearly not expecting those words from me.

"I said shut up.” I repeated, somehow feeling more strength flow through my body, “Don’t ever talk to me like that. And get the hell out of my way.”

I didn’t know what was happening. This shouldn’t be happening.

Even if I suddenly was no longer this afraid. I shouldn’t be able to talk back this quickly. What the hell was happening?

Derrick didn't move. He was too stunned to.

“Good,” Drake whispered, “This could actually work.”

And to everyone’s stunned gaze, he held my hand, and began to lead me outside the castle.

“Come with me,” he whispered, “Let me show you your new pack.”