༇ CHAPTER SEVEN

꧁ LYRA'S POV

My head was pounding.

I groaned, pressing my palm against my forehead as consciousness slowly returned. The sheets beneath me were impossibly soft, far nicer than anything I owned, and they smelled like cedar and winter and…

Oh god.

Memory crashed over me in waves. The club. The dare. The man with the gray eyes who'd kissed me like he was drowning and I was air.

Asher.

My eyes flew open, and I sat up too quickly, immediately regretting it as the room spun. Sunlight streamed through floor-to-ceiling windows, revealing a penthouse suite that probably cost more per night than I made in a month.

And I was alone.

I looked around the empty room, my heart doing something complicated in my chest that I refused to examine too closely. The other side of the bed was cold, the indentation in the pillow the only evidence that last night hadn't been some fever dream.

"Get it together, Lyra," I muttered to myself. "It was a one-night stand. That's literally the point. He's not supposed to be here in the morning."

But even as I told myself that, disappointment settled heavy in my stomach.

Last night had been... incredible. Asher had been incredible. For the first time in two lifetimes, I'd felt truly alive. He'd touched me like I was precious, kissed me like he couldn't get enough, whispered my name like a prayer against my skin.

And then he'd left without a word.

"Normal," I said firmly, throwing back the covers. "This is completely normal. You don't know him. He doesn't know you. It was just sex."

Amazing, world-altering, soul-changing sex, a traitorous voice in my head added.

I ignored it.

My dress was draped over a chair, my shoes tucked neatly beneath it. Someone—Asher, presumably—had even folded my clothes. The thoughtfulness of the gesture made my chest ache.

I dressed quickly, trying not to think about how those same hands had undressed me last night. Trying not to remember the way he'd looked at me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered.

It was just sex. Just a dare. Just one night of rebellion before I went back to planning my revenge.

I repeated it like a mantra as I called a car, as I rode the elevator down, as I walked through the lobby trying to ignore the knowing look the concierge gave me.

By the time I got home, I'd almost convinced myself I believed it.

I slipped in through the back door, hoping to avoid my family entirely. The last thing I needed was Eleanor's lecture about propriety or Thomas's disappointed silence.

No such luck.

"Lyra!" Eleanor's voice rang out the moment I stepped into the hallway. "There you are! We've been calling you all morning!"

I winced, pulling out my phone. Seven missed calls. Twelve texts. All from Eleanor.

Before I could formulate an excuse, she appeared at the top of the stairs, practically vibrating with excitement. Behind her, I could see Thomas, Jaxon, and Aurelia gathered in the sitting room.

"Where have you been?" Eleanor demanded, hurrying down to meet me. But before I could answer, she waved it off. "Never mind, that doesn't matter. We have the most amazing news!"

Here we go.

"The Alpha called," she continued, grabbing my hands. "He's coming here. To our house! Today!"

My stomach dropped. "The Alpha? Why?"

"He said he wanted to meet our family," Thomas called from the sitting room, his voice filled with barely contained pride. "Specifically mentioned wanting to meet our daughter."

I watched as Aurelia preened, smoothing down her pristine white dress. Of course she'd already changed into something calculated to look innocent and appealing.

"That's... great," I said carefully.

"Great? It's incredible!" Eleanor squeezed my hands. "The Alpha never makes house calls. No one even knows what he looks like except the highest-ranking council members. He's completely anonymous, runs everything through intermediaries. But now he's coming here!"

"Why do you think that is?" I asked, though I already knew the answer from the way Eleanor kept glancing at Aurelia.

"Well," Eleanor lowered her voice conspiratorially, "I think he must have heard about Aurelia's return. Think about it—the timing is too perfect! She just came home, and suddenly the Alpha wants to meet us? He must have heard that Thomas's real daughter is back."

Aurelia's smile was smug as she joined us in the hallway. "I'm sure it's just a coincidence, Mother. The Alpha probably has pack business to discuss with Father."

Her false modesty was nauseating.

"Nonsense," Thomas boomed. "Grace—his assistant—specifically said he wanted to meet the family. All of us."

"Which means you need to come down when he arrives," Eleanor said, turning to me. "Just for a few minutes. We need to present a united front, show that we're a complete family."

"But don't overshadow Aurelia," she added in a lower voice. "This is her chance to make a good impression. You understand, don't you?"

Anger flared hot in my chest, but I swallowed it down. "Of course. Wouldn't want to steal her spotlight."

If Eleanor caught my sarcasm, she didn't show it. "Good girl. Now go change into something appropriate. The Alpha will be here in three hours."

I trudged upstairs to my new room, exhaustion settling over me like a heavy blanket. Between the emotional whiplash of being reborn, the intensity of last night, and now this fresh reminder that my family would always choose Aurelia over me, I was drained.

My small room felt even smaller after the penthouse suite. I changed into comfortable clothes and sank onto my bed, my eyes landing on the photo frame on my nightstand.

Grandfather William smiled at me from the picture, his weathered face kind. It had been taken two years before he died, before the illness had stolen his strength.

I picked up the frame, tracing his features with my finger.

"I miss you," I whispered. "You were the only one who really loved me, weren't you? The only one who saw me as family instead of an obligation."

In my previous life, I'd never known about the will until Jaxon had screamed it at me while beating me to death. Never knew that William had left me everything—his empire, his fortune, everything he'd built.

Never knew that was the only reason they'd wanted me to marry Jaxon.

"They killed me for it," I told the photograph. "Your son and grandchildren. They murdered me to steal what you left me. But I'm back now, and I promise you—I'm taking it all back. Every last cent. Everything you wanted me to have."

Tears blurred my vision, but I blinked them away angrily. 

I set the photo down and lay back on the bed, intending to rest for just a moment.

I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, someone was knocking on my door.

"Lyra!" Eleanor's voice was sharp. "The Alpha is here! Come down right now!"

I sat up groggily, checking my phone. Two hours had passed. I'd slept right through my alarm.

"Lyra!" The knocking grew more insistent. "Don't make us wait!"

"Coming," I called, running my hands through my hair. I probably looked a mess, but honestly? I didn't care. This meeting was for Aurelia anyway. I was just window dressing.

Eleanor was waiting when I opened the door, her expression tight with stress. "Finally.”

“Do I really need to meet him? If he’s here to meet Aurelia then my presence isn’t needed.”

“Nonsense! You are family and we must show that we are a united family, okay? Come on…you don’t have to stay long. Just greet him then you can excuse yourself.”

Well…that worked, because I had no interest in whatever drama this was.

“Fine.”

“And Lyra…remember not to draw attention away from your sister. She needs this…she deserves it after all she’s been through. She needs to shine.”

"Got it," I said flatly. "Don't outshine the golden child."

"Lyra—"

"Three minutes, right? Let's go."

I followed Eleanor downstairs, my mind still foggy with sleep. I could hear voices in the formal living room—Thomas's booming laugh, Jaxon's measured tones, Aurelia's bell-like giggle.

"Just be yourself," Eleanor whispered as we reached the doorway. "But quieter."

Then we walked into the living room, and my entire world stopped.

Because standing there, looking devastatingly handsome in a tailored black suit, his gray eyes fixed directly on me with an intensity that stole my breath….

Was Asher.

The man from last night. My one-night stand. The stranger who'd made me feel things I'd never felt before.

He was the Alpha.

Time seemed to slow as our eyes met across the room. 

He grinned, took a step forward and before I could process anything…impossibly a voice echoed in my head.

“Hello, mate.”