3

LYRA'S POV.

I sucked in a sharp breath and my eyes fluttered open. I squinted as the sunrays filtering through the window shone directly into my eyes. It felt like I had been run over by a carriage.

"Lyra!"

It was only then that I noticed my worried-looking friend sitting at the edge of my bed.

Almost immediately, the events of the previous night flooded my mind, and one word slipped from my lips.

"Mate."

"Yes," Elektra whispered softly.

It was true then. I had found my mate.

"He saved me," I murmured.

I tried to picture what he looked like, but my mind was blank. I frowned as I realized I had passed out after he saved me.

"Who is he, Elektra?" I asked, but noticed how visibly tense she became. When several seconds passed and she said nothing, I pushed.

"Please say something."

She exhaled a shaky breath and swallowed.

"Lyra… your mate is… It’s…"

She was still speaking when the familiar voice of my stepsister rang through.

"Where is she?!" Aurelia growled, the depth of her fury washing over us in waves. The next second, she burst into my room and made a beeline for me.

My heart pounded in my chest. Hadn’t I already suffered enough for burning her dress?

"Aure-"

The remaining words caught in my throat as her palm violently crashed against my cheek, the force sending me sprawling to the floor.

The left side of my face burned as pain shot straight through my skull.

"You lowly vermin!" she spat. "You think you can ruin my chances of becoming Luna Queen?!"

I clutched my burning cheek, tears blurring my vision. Warm liquid slid down my jaw, but it felt too thick to be my tears.

I looked up just in time to catch her mid-shift, and that could only mean one thing. She hadn’t struck me with her hand… but with her claws.

I slowly pulled my hand away from my cheek, only to see my fingers coated in blood. My heart dropped.

"Aurelia!" Father’s voice cut through the tension as he rushed in.

The moment he looked at me, his eyes widened in shock. Aurelia’s claws must have left such a visible mark on my cheek to warrant that kind of reaction from him.

"Aurelia!!" he roared as she lunged at me again. "Get her out of here!" he ordered the Deltas who had come with him.

As a Beta-trained warrior, subduing Aurelia in the middle of her rage shift was no easy task.

I silently stood there as the Deltas finally managed to restrain and carry her out. Father remained behind.

For a brief moment, he looked unsettled before the familiar coldness returned to his face.

"You’re not special," he muttered, taking a few slow steps toward me. "The King is very displeased to have found you, Lyra," he continued.

The moment my mind registered those words, I froze.

The King…?

My mate was… the Alpha King?

It was difficult to comprehend such reality.

The Moon Goddess hadn’t chosen Aurelia or Alma… She chose me instead.

But… how? Why?

"Don’t keep your hopes up," Father continued. "The King was deeply disappointed to have found you, Lyra."

"He returned to the White Citadel last night, and ordered that no one else learns you’re his chosen mate."

I hadn’t known it was possible to feel a heartbreak greater than the rejection I had endured from my father all my life. But this pain was worse.

My mate didn’t want me.

Would I ever be good enough for anyone?

"This was an accident," he muttered gruffly. "Aurelia didn’t mean to hurt you."

It should have been an apology, but his words sounded more like a warning. Like he was daring me to take offense after making it painfully clear that no one was coming to save me… not even the Alpha King who was supposed to be my mate.

"Y-yes…" I whispered, my voice breaking

"Good," he muttered before turning to Elektra, who had quietly stood in the corner the entire time. "Tend to her injuries."

"Yes, Alpha." Elektra bowed.

Father turned and walked out of the room, leaving just the two of us behind. The moment she looked at my face, her expression visibly faltered.

"How bad is it?" I asked.

She quickly shook her head. "Not too bad."

I could tell she was lying, but I didn't say anything. The injury couldn’t possibly be as bad as being unwanted by my mate.

She nervously licked her lips. "Let me… get a clean towel and some alcohol," she said before excusing herself.

Minutes later, she returned and got busy cleaning my injury. While at it, a familiar ache settled in my chest as I thought about everything Father had said.

Did that mean I had been rejected by my mate?

Was he going to return to Night Fang for me any time soon? Or would he just pretend I never existed?

Once Elektra was done tending to my injury, she joined me on the bed and pulled me into her embrace.

"You’re so precious, Lyra," she whispered.

She was the only person who had ever made me feel worthy of being loved.

"If the King doesn’t see that, then it’s his loss," she added, making my heart clench painfully.

We held each other tightly for several minutes, until she reluctantly pulled away.

"Unfortunately, there’s still chores to be done," she muttered flatly, rising to her feet.

It was the same for me. I moved to get out of bed, but she stopped me.

"Where are you going?"

"To get my chores done."

"No." She shook her head. "I’ll handle all of that for you."

I frowned. "No… no."

"I will," she insisted.

"But you already have a lot to do."

"I’m not complaining, Lyra. If you think I’m going to watch you work in this state, then you don’t know me at all."

She looked so determined that I knew there was no point arguing.

Reaching out, she gently caressed my cheek.

"Just rest and regain your strength. I’ll send breakfast to you as soon as it’s ready."

I smiled weakly. "Thank you, Elektra."

Sometimes, I wondered what I had done to deserve a friend like her.

Life had denied me almost everything, yet somehow, it had still given me Elektra.

After she left, I picked up my bathing things and headed for the communal bathrooms shared by the women in the servants’ quarters.

My body felt grimy and sore, and I desperately needed a bath.

Reaching my preferred bathroom at the far end of the row, I hung my towel over the door before picking up a bucket and heading toward the tap fixed along the passageway.

I slid the bucket beneath it and turned the tap on. As it slowly filled, I wandered toward the mirror hanging at the end of the passageway.

The closer I got, the slower my steps became.

My heart dropped.

Goddess...

I looked at my face and I didn't see an injury. What I saw was a horrific sight.

Slowly, I raised trembling fingers to my cheek, letting it brush over the fresh scar that carved a rough, uneven line from beneath my left eye, toward my upper lip.

Tears filled my eyes as it dawned on me that Aurelia had disfigured my face.

My mate had already been ashamed to claim me. How could he ever want me now?