CHAPTER TWO

The Second Mate Bond

Lyra’s POV

“Impossible… the Alpha has two mates.”

The words echoed in the hall and my body froze.

Two mates?

What did that even mean? My chest still hurt and my hand pressed against it and then my wolf cried inside my head, then suddenly she went silent.

“Lyra!”

I heard Kael’s voice, and heavy footsteps rushed toward me and my knees gave up and then I fell.

The ground came fast but before I hit it, strong arms caught me.

“Careful!”

It was Beta Rowan and he held my shoulders.

“Lyra, breathe,” he said.

“I… I am trying.”

My chest moved fast and my heart beat like a drum, something was wrong, it was very wrong and the bond pain from before faded but something else rode.

It was a pull and it was stronger and my wolf lifted her head inside me and she started to move again, it was not in pain but in excitement.

“What is happening to me?” I whispered and Rowan looked worried.

“I don’t know.”

Behind him I heard the elders whisper.

“Two mates?”

“That cannot happen.”

“It has never happened before.”

Then another voice spoke.

“Look at the door.”

Then everyone turned and I lifted my head slowly and then I saw him, a man stood at the entrance of the hall, he was tall and strong and power rolled off him like a storm.

My breath stopped.

It was Alpha Darius Blackthorn.

Everyone in the werewolf world knew his name, the Alpha from the northern territories, the man people feared.

He came here today to discuss alliance with Kael and I remembered the elders talking about it but now he stood there like stone and his eyes were locked on me.

The moment our gazes met, my wolf jumped.

“Mate”.

The word rang inside my head and my body shook and then my fingers gripped Rowan’s arm.

“No…” I whispered and my heart beat faster and then Darius took one step into the hall and the scent of an Alpha spread in the room.

It was strong and wild and my wolf trembled again and then it happened.

The word then slipped from his lips.

“Mate.”

The entire hall went silent and no one breathed and then I stared at him. Did he just say that?

Behind me someone gasped and another voice whispered.

“This cannot be real.”

I then turned my head and Kael stood a few steps away and his face had changed and his eyes looked shocked.

He then stared at Darius and he stared at me and behind him stood a woman.

Long dark hair, pale skin and eyes full of surprise.

Serena Vale.

The woman who returned tonight, the woman Kael called his true mate, she looked at me like she just saw a ghost.

“Mate?” she repeated in disbelief and Darius did not look at her, his eyes just stayed on me.

Slowly he started walking forward and each step sounded heavy in the hall and my wolf moved closer to the surface.

She wanted to run to him but then I grabbed my dress tightly.

“No… stop,” I whispered to her but the pull grew stronger and Darius stopped a few feet away from me.

Up close, his presence felt stronger and his eyes scanned my face and then his voice came out low.

“Why does my mate smell like someone else’s Luna?”

The question landed like a rock in water and the elders looked at Kael and Rowan looked confused.

Serena’s face turned pale and before anyone answered, a hand suddenly grabbed my arm and strong fingers wrapped around my wrist and I gasped and turned.

Kael.

His grip was tight and his eyes burned as he looked at Darius.

“She is not available.”

The words came out hard and I blinked.

Not available?

Darius’ eyes darkened and he looked at Kael’s hand on my arm and then he looked at Kael.

“You rejected her.”

His voice held power, everyone knew the law, once a mate was rejected, the bond broke and the rejected wolf became free, free to find another mate, free to leave and free to start again.

That was the rule of our kind, my heart rang.

Yes.

Kael rejected me and I signed the papers.

So why did he hold me like this?

Kael did not release my arm and instead his grip became stronger.

“You misunderstood.”

Darius’ gaze sharpened.

“Explain.”

The tension in the hall grew heavy and the elders whispered again.

Serena then stepped forward.

“Kael,” she said.

“Let her go.”

But Kael did not move and his eyes stayed locked on Darius.

“Lyra is still my mate.”

My breath stopped.

What?

Darius lets out a small laugh.

“You pushed rejection papers to her.”

“Yes.”

“You asked her to leave your pack.”

“Yes.”

“And you still say she belongs to you?”

Kael’s jaw tightened.

“Yes.”

Darius then stepped closer and now the two Alphas stood face to face and power filled the hall and my wolf trembled again and Darius spoke slowly.

“You rejected her.”

Kael finally answered.

“No.”

The room fell silent again and Serena’s eyes widened.

“What do you mean no?” she asked and Rowan looked confused.

“Alpha… she signed the rejection papers.”

Kael nodded once.

“Yes.”

Then he said something that shocked everyone.

“I never completed the rejection ritual.”

My head spinned, the rejection ritual, every wolf knew it.

Signing papers was not enough.

The Alpha must say the rejection words before the pack and the Moon Goddess and the mate must accept it, only then would the bond break, then my heart beat faster and I tried to remember.

Kael never said the words, he only asked me to sign and the elders started whispering louder.

“He is right.”

“The ritual was not finished.”

Serena’s voice rose.

“Kael! What are you saying?”

Darius then looked at me again and his eyes held anger now.

“You tricked her.”

Kael answered without hesitation.

“No.”

“Then finish the ritual now.”

The words were heavy in the hall and my breath caught.

Yes, finish it, say the words, end it, free me.

But Kael stayed silent, seconds passed and no one moved.

Serena then stepped closer to him.

“Kael, reject her now.”

Her voice shook.

“Do it.”

Darius then crossed his arms.

“I am waiting.”

My heart beat louder.

Say it, please, just say it but Kael did not speak.

Instead his grip on my arm became tighter and then he said the words that made my world spinned again.

“I will not complete the rejection tonight.”

The hall exploded with voices.

“What?”

“That makes no sense!”

Serena stared at him in shock.

“Kael, have you lost your mind?”

Darius’ eyes turned dark.

“You are playing a dangerous game.”

Kael then looked straight at him.

“She is still my Luna.”

My breath left my chest.

Luna?

After everything?

Darius then took one slow step forward.

“Once rejected, the bond becomes free.”

Kael answered in a low voice.

“The rejection was never finished.”

Silence fell again and my wolf whispered in my head and then the truth hit me like thunder.

If the ritual was not completed…If the bond never fully broke

Then the law was clear.

Which meant

I still belonged to him.