A Place Among Enemies

Lyra didn't make it far before the tears came.

She stopped beneath a tree behind the packhouse, pressing her palms against her eyes. She had promised herself she wouldn't cry in front of Kael, and she intended to keep that promise.

But the mate bond was cruel. Even with him out of sight, she could feel the pull toward him, reminding her that the one person meant to understand her had rejected her.

“Get yourself together,” she whispered.

She wiped her face and straightened her clothes. She had survived Garrick's rejection. She could survive Kael's, too.

“Lyra?”

She turned to find Sera approaching with a small bowl.

“You haven't eaten,” the healer said. “Come inside.”

“I'm not hungry.”

“That wasn't a question.”

Despite herself, Lyra almost smiled. She followed Sera into a room beside the infirmary, where stew and bread waited on a table.

“Why are you helping me?” Lyra asked.

“Because you're hurt, hungry, and far from home. I don't need another reason.”

The simple answer caught Lyra off guard.

She ate quietly while Sera prepared fresh bandages.

“Will he send me away?”

“Alpha Kael makes his own decisions. I don't pretend to understand all of them.”

“Neither do I.”

Sera studied her. “People here respect strength and loyalty. If you stay, you'll be watched closely because of where you came from.”

“I didn't ask to be born into Ashen Moon.”

“No. But some people won't care about that distinction.”

Lyra looked down at her bowl. Leaving her old pack hadn't freed her from its judgment. She had only entered a place where people could judge her for the same thing.

“Thank you for the food,” she said.

“Rest for now. We'll deal with tomorrow when it comes.”

Across the packhouse, Kael stood in his office, staring at the report on his desk.

He should have been thinking about the alliance negotiations scheduled for the following week. Instead, his thoughts kept returning to Lyra Vale.

His mate.

Accepting an Ashen Moon mate could destroy the political alliance he had spent years preparing. The proposed marriage would strengthen their borders and protect families living near disputed lands. Some of his warriors would never accept a woman from their enemy pack standing beside him.

He couldn't afford to let instinct decide the future of thousands of wolves.

A knock interrupted him.

“Come in.”

Darius entered, carrying another report. As Kael's trusted adviser, he was one of the few people who could speak freely with him.

“I heard an Ashen Moon wolf was brought in this morning.”

“Her name is Lyra Vale.”

“Is she a spy?”

“I don't know.”

“Then why keep her here?”

“She's injured. She'll remain until the healer says she's fit to travel.”

“And after that?”

“I'll decide.”

Darius placed the report on the desk.

“With the alliance negotiations approaching, we cannot afford distractions. If the neighbouring Alpha hears you've brought an Ashen Moon woman into Nightfang, he'll question your commitment.”

Kael's gaze hardened. “I am aware of that.”

“Of course. I'm only reminding you that one careless decision could undo years of work.”

“Then help me ensure it doesn't.”

Darius bowed his head and left.

Kael returned to the report, but the words blurred. He remembered Lyra's face when he'd told her he couldn't accept her. She hadn't begged or asked him to reconsider. She had simply walked away.

For reasons he didn't want to examine, that bothered him more than anger would have.

The following morning, Lyra woke to voices outside the infirmary. Her shoulder still hurt, but she could move it. She dressed and secured the small knife Mara had given her beneath her clothing.

Two warriors waited outside.

“Alpha Kael wants to see you.”

“Why?”

“We weren't told.”

They led her to the training grounds, where Kael stood watching warriors spar. He dismissed them and turned to her.

“Your wound needs another day or two to heal. After that, you'll be escorted to the eastern road.”

Lyra stared at him.

“And if I refuse to leave?”

“You're free to make your own decisions, but you cannot remain here indefinitely without a purpose.”

She glanced at the warriors training nearby.

“Then give me one.”

Kael narrowed his eyes. “What?”

“I'm not asking you to accept me as your mate. I'm asking for a chance to earn my keep until I'm strong enough to leave.”

“You expect me to trust an Ashen Moon wolf?”

“No. I expect you to judge me by what I do, not where I came from.”

For a moment, Kael said nothing.

“If you want to prove yourself, learn to defend yourself. You clearly lack the skills to survive alone.”

“Fine.”

“You'll follow the training master's instructions, stay out of restricted areas, and avoid interfering in pack matters. If you fail, you leave.”

Lyra lifted her chin.

“Agreed.”

She held out her hand. Kael hesitated before accepting the handshake.

The instant their skin touched, the mate bond flared between them.

Lyra's breath caught. Kael's fingers tightened around hers before he released her abruptly.

Neither spoke.

But this time, Lyra saw something in his eyes that hadn't been there before.

Fear.

Not of her, but of what the bond might cost him.

Lyra stepped back.

“Don't worry, Alpha. I intend to earn my place here on my own terms.”

She turned toward the training grounds.

For the first time since crossing the border, she had a reason to stay.

And Kael Draven was beginning to realise that sending her away might not be as easy as he had planned.