Chapter 8

Lyra's POV

Today might be the day I die. Or maybe the Moon Goddess will toss me into another body, like some cruel game of chance. Who knows? 

I sat on the small bed I found in the small room, staring at the window, deep in my despair.

My life lately has been on a roller coaster of disaster upon disaster, and now, the end of it, I guess.

 My hands wouldn't stop shaking, and the only form of ease I could get was to speak out loud, like I was talking to someone else in the room, even though I was alone.

 “I would prefer to die honestly, facing death would by far be better than living in this ugly world, I wouldn't call it a nightmare. Nightmare was an understatement."

Then I caught the sound of the door opening behind me. 

 I didn’t need to turn to know who it was. That heavy push, that ghostly aura—it was Keto. 

When it came to me, Orion always sent him.

 Maybe I was too disgusting for the Alpha to bother with himself. Maybe he just wanted to punish me—or Ravenna, really.

 I still didn’t know why he hated her so much. Was it her defiance? Her reputation? Whatever it was, I was the one stuck in her body, about to pay the price for her sins.

“It’s time to do what you’re best at,” Keto said, his voice cutting through my thoughts.

I was right. It was him. I turned my head slightly, keeping my expression neutral. “And what would that be?” I asked, my tone was so calm it surprised even me. 

I was about to face death, yet here I was, steady as a rock. Weird.

“Fighting, Princess Ravenna,” Keto replied, his voice cool, like he was trying to charm me. Like he thought a few sweet words would make me forget his betrayal.

I spun to face him, and my eyes narrowed. Princess? That was new. He’d never called me that before. 

What was his game?

 I caught a faint smile on his lips as he crossed his arms. That smile made me more suspicious.

 “What’s funny?” I snapped.

His smile widened, but it wasn’t cruel like Orion’s. “Nothing, really," he said, "Just the way you look right now is the exact same way you look when you're about to fight. So calm and composed. He sniffed in air, then continued, 

“You might be a woman, but you have the strength of ten strong men.”

I smiled back at him, although it was a faint one, but he probably thought I was blushing; in fact, I was laughing at myself.

 Oh, Keto, only if you knew the truth. I wasn’t Ravenna. I wasn’t some badass female werewolf with a trail of victories. 

I was Lyra, the girl who’d never thrown a punch, who’d been called weak her whole life. 

But I had to admit, I admired Ravenna, whoever she was.

 She’d carved out a name for herself, made men like Keto believe she was unstoppable. Too bad I was the one stuck in her shoes.

“It’s funny,” I said, “how someone who betrayed me yesterday is now hailing me like his champion.”

Keto’s smile vanished, and his eyes widened slightly. 

He hadn’t expected me to call him out. Good. Maybe he thought I’d let it slide, that I’d be too soft and just let it go.

 “Ravenna, Orion is my Alpha,” he started, but I cut him off.

“And I’m your mate,” I said, “Isn’t it the duty of a male to protect his mate?” I scoffed as I folded my arms. “Or did you forget that part?”

Keto’s head bowed, and his shoulders went down. 

For a second, I saw something in his eyes, like guilt, maybe even shame. 

I could tell he wasn’t like Orion. Orion was a beast, but Keto? He still had a good heart. 

 “I’m sorry for not helping you. But someone like you should understand there’s nothing I can do.”

I blinked my eyes, he caught me off guard. I wasn't expecting an apology?  But I wasn't going to get carried away.  There had to be a catch.

But it was a good one because I was going to take advantage of his guilt, use it to get what I wanted.

  If I played this right, maybe I could manipulate him into helping me escape before I had to face Nikki or Orion’s wrath.

“Must you ruin your apology by insisting on being a coward?” I snapped. 

I needed to push him, to make him feel worse. If I could crack his loyalty, even a little, I might have a chance.

 “Yes, Ravenna,” he said, “I’d rather be a coward and live than die like a brave man just because we’re mated. Especially when you’ve never given a fuck about me since we were little.”

My eyes widened. Since we were kids? So Keto and Ravenna went way back. 

Had he loved her once? Did he still? The idea sent a spark of curiosity through me, but I pushed it aside. 

This wasn’t the time to talk about this. I had to focus on getting out of here.

His words gave me the perfect opportunity, and I was going to twist it to my advantage.

“I know you’re doing this to make me change my mind about telling Orion about us,” I said, folding my arms tighter. “You’re scared he’ll kill you if he finds out we’re mates.”

Keto closed his eyes, letting out a frustrated sigh. Then he opened them. 

“Alright, yes,” he admitted. “I don’t want you to tell Orion. I don’t care about us being mates if it means my death.”

Perfect. I had the perfect opportunity now.

 I moved closer to him, softened my voice just enough to sound concerned. “Well, I don’t care about you or Orion,” I said, “but I care about who becomes my mate.”

 I forced a small, calculated smile, the kind that could pass for sweetness.

 “Look, Keto, I might’ve ignored you before, but things are different now that we’re mates.”

His eyes held mine, and I could tell he was speechless.

But I wasn't done yet, I pushed further, gently taking his hand into mine. 

I held his gaze, didn't say a word, just allowed him to feel my vulnerability.

He swallowed hard, “Fuck this,” he muttered, and before I could react, he placed a hand on my hip, and pulled me close. 

He planted a kiss on my lips, as almost as though he couldn't hold himself anymore.

 I wasn't him to kiss me, so I hesitated, didn't know if I should push him away or just let him wallow in his own feelings for a while.

Just then, the door flew open. 

We quickly let go of each other, but it was too late. My eyes darted to the door to see a massive figure in the doorway, his eyes were burning with rage.