Chapter 5

Lyra

A sudden jolt woke me from a deep sleep. I stayed still as my heart raced in my chest, forcing me to snap my eyes open right away.

After dealing with the dizziness for a moment, I tried to take in where I was. The room was dim, lit only by the faint glow from the lamp on the bedside table.

I was rubbing the sleep fog from my eyes when a sharp, intense pain shot through my body like electricity, making me gasp in agony and bringing back memories of what happened before. How I'd been tied up and beaten badly.

It felt like a thousand needles stabbing my skin, and the sensation got worse with every second.

I remember being chased through the forest after escaping, and one of the guys catching up to grab me.

Panic hit me as I tried to figure out where this awful pain was coming from. But I noticed how numb some parts of my body felt. How long had I been out?

Gathering my strength to focus, I attempted to sit up, only to find my arms and legs wouldn't move, held back by some unseen force.

With desperation in my gaze, I tried again, and then I felt something on my hand—someone was holding it, I was certain, with a soft palm resting over mine. Who could that be?

I looked around the room, and this time, as I really took it in, I saw how nicely it was set up. Actually, the room was magnificent with beautiful decorations that made it feel like a true dream, along with the soft mattress under me.

Where was I? I was in a room? Whose room is this? It wasn't mine, and I had no reason to be here. As far as I could remember, I'd collapsed in the woods after running for a bit. I recalled how sleepiness tugged at my eyelids, and I had no choice but to give in to the dark void pulling me under.

Then why was I here? I couldn't make sense of the place as I scanned it. I needed to get out of here.

This strange spot was unsettling.

As I tried to push myself up, a tearing pain surged through my veins, with questions and fears flooding my mind. What is going on with me? Is it from the beating I took earlier? The seconds dragged like hours as I fought to accept the harsh reality of my situation.

The hold on my palm tightened, making me finally turn my head to see who it belonged to, and I was shocked to find a handsome man with the most captivating eyes. As he smiled, his hazel eyes gazed down at me. Who was this man?

There were way too many questions, but I wanted to bolt out of there, so I quickly tried to pull my hand from his. His eyes grew softer, his comforting smile faded, and he looked surprised.

I heard a noise to my right and turned to see two handsome men staring at me too. What in the world? Why am I surrounded by three handsome men?

"Hey, don't be scared. No one here is going to harm you. We just had our eyes on you, is all, 'cause of how you looked back when they brought you in," he explained, and his voice was calming.

He seemed younger than the others, and his dark brown hair was messy, giving him a bit of a rogue vibe.

Before I could ask, a wave of dizziness grabbed at my mind, threatening to pull me back into the darkness.

But I fought the blackness, shaking off the dizziness that clouded me.

The voice echoed again, drawing my attention back.

"My name is Vaelin," he introduced himself with a smile. "And the person next to you is Thorian. And this over here," he pointed at the guy by his side. "His name is Soren," he introduced.

"W-Where am I?" I managed to croak, my voice hardly loud enough over the pounding in my ears. I could barely follow what he was saying, but I caught their names.

Thorian, Soren, and Vaelin.

"You're currently in the Moonveil Pack. Earlier you were found by Thorian, and he brought you here. I hope you feel better now," he explained as he pointed to the man beside me who was holding my hand.

"You're also in his room, but don't worry, we won't do anything to you. We were just waiting for you to wake up," he kept reassuring me as he saw my face change during his words.

So he was the one who found me in the forest? And he brought me here for treatment? I stared at him for a bit, and my gaze slowly softened, but I hoped that

I wasn’t indebted to them because of it.

"Soren was the one who treated your wounds, and he said that you could possibly heal without getting a scar," he added.

"There is something you need to know as well," the one next to him cut in. He spoke with solemnity.

He seemed well dressed, and there was something about his eyes that made me catch my breath.

The way he looked at me as he spoke. I couldn't tell if I felt fear or curiosity as he spoke again.

"The truth is, we just discovered that you're our mate," he revealed with a calm tone that took me a while to comprehend what he just said, but after a bit, I slowly digested what he just said.

They were my mates? The three of them? How was that even possible? Suddenly, I felt dizzy again.