LOGINAs they held me tight, every knot of tension inside me finally started to loosen. That deep, bone-deep feeling of safety wrapped around me like a blanket I never wanted to shrug off. I didn’t want to let go—I never wanted to step out of their warmth.“I don’t want to let you go,” I whispered, so quiet it almost didn’t make it past my lips.“You don’t have to,” Vaelin murmured back, his voice thick with feeling. “We’re not going anywhere. We’re right here—for you, always.”Thorian and Soren gave quiet nods, their arms squeezing me even closer.Standing there, tangled up together, a real sense of peace settled over me for the first time in forever. This was exactly where I was supposed to be—in the middle of my mates, surrounded by their love and protection.Time just stopped while we held on. The rest of the world blurred out until nothing existed except the heat of their bodies, the steady beat of their hearts against mine, and the promise that whatever came next, we’d face it side by
LyraMy heart jumped the second I heard Vaelin’s voice cut through the night. A rush of excitement and hope flooded me so fast it almost hurt. I’d been stuck here forever, surrounded by the Alpha’s guards, no way out in sight. But hearing him—knowing my pack, my family, had come for me—made everything feel different. I wasn’t alone anymore.My wolf stirred inside, sensing the shift in me, wrapping me in that quiet, steady calm only she could give. For the first time in what felt like forever, a little peace settled in my chest.I ran to the window, hands trembling as I shoved it open. There he was—Vaelin’s face right in front of me, tight with worry but burning with that stubborn determination I knew so well. Our eyes locked, and this wave of love and thankfulness hit me hard.“Vaelin,” I breathed, voice so soft I barely heard it myself.His whole face lit up, a real smile breaking through. He reached out quick, fingers finding mine. “Lyra, we’re here. We’re getting you out.”My chest
Vaelin's POVWe crept closer to where Lyra was being held, every sense dialed up to max. But the second we got there, we ran smack into a wall of guards—dozens of them, eyes locked on us like predators sizing up prey.“No way,” I growled under my breath, scanning the whole perimeter. “We’re not getting through that.”Soren’s jaw tightened, pure determination carved into his face. “We’ve got to try. She’s waiting for us.”Thorian’s eyes narrowed, mind clearly spinning through options. “There’s got to be an opening somewhere. Let’s split and look for a weak spot.”We tried circling around to flank them, but it was useless. The guards were everywhere—thick, endless, like they’d been waiting for us.My patience finally broke. I strode straight toward them, fists clenched, eyes burning. “I’m done standing around!” I snarled.Thorian and Soren lunged to grab me, but I shook them off hard. “No—I’m going in!”The guards saw their chance and swarmed. I planted my feet, ready, as they closed th
LyraI stood straight, staring right into the Alpha’s eyes. “I’m leaving—whether you like it or not,” I said, keeping my voice solid and clear. No way was I going to let him push me around like some servant or guard. If he thought he could just order me and I’d fall in line, he was dead wrong.I would never bow to him again. I wasn’t part of this pack anymore, and I never would be. They could tie a rope around my neck and throw me into the deepest part of the ocean before I’d ever come back to the place that once choked the life out of me and convinced me I was worthless. All my life I’d carried that same heavy belief—that I didn’t belong, that I’d always be nothing here because I just didn’t fit.The Alpha’s face twisted into a nasty snarl, eyes blazing with fury. “You’re never leaving this pack again, Lyra,” he growled, voice low and threatening. “You belong here. I won’t let you go.” His words were starting to get under my skin, and I hated how much they rattled me.I owed him abso
Thorian's POVIt felt like everything could explode any second as we stood right outside the Obsidian Pack's main den, ringed by growling guards. The air crackled with raw tension—we all knew one wrong move could spark a full-on brawl.I stepped up front, raising both hands slowly to show we weren't looking for trouble. "We're not here to fight. We just need to talk to your Alpha."The guards snarled louder, eyes glinting with pure hostility. One of them—a big, scarred guy with a jagged mark over his left eyebrow—curled his lip at me. "Silvercrest wolves. You've got no business here. What do you want?"Soren straightened up beside me, staring the guard down without flinching. "We're here for Lyra. She's one of ours, and we're not leaving without her."The guard bared his teeth in a vicious grin. "Then you'll have to get past us first."Vaelin shifted his weight, glancing quickly between the guards. He could see—we all could—that they outnumbered us badly and looked ready to pounce. St
LyraThe Alpha’s face stayed locked in pure shock, eyes stretched wide like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. My words just floated there between us, sharp and heavy, and I watched his mind racing to catch up with the truth I’d thrown at him.Rage bubbled right under my skin, ready to spill out any second. I balled my hands into tight fists, forcing myself to hold it together. No way was I giving him the pleasure of watching me break.“You’re seriously saying you had no clue?” I hissed, keeping my voice low and steady. “You’re telling me you didn’t know your own pack was torturing me all that time?”His eyes flicked side to side, like he was hunting for some way out. “I… I swear, Lyra, I didn’t know. If I had—”A bitter laugh ripped out of me, cutting him short. “Don’t even bother, Alpha. I don’t buy it. You’re just scrambling to cover yourself.”His cheeks flushed dark red, anger sparking in his gaze. “How dare you,” he growled low. “I’m your Alpha. You don’t talk to me like t
Thorian and Soren did everything they could to talk some sense into Vaelin, but he wasn’t budging.“Vaelin, think carefully about what you’re saying,” Thorian said, his voice calm but carrying a weight underneath it. “We’re a pack. A family. Everything gets shared between us — including our mates.”
I was walking through the pack’s territory, letting the warm sun settle on my skin and listening to the birds go back and forth above me. That’s when I noticed a woman coming toward me. Her eyes were already glistening before she even reached me, and when she did, she stretched out her hand and tou
My eyes slowly blinked open, still a little fuzzy as I took in the room around me. The steady beeps of machines mixed with that clean, sharp hospital smell hit me first. But seeing the familiar faces of my mates—Soren, Thorian, and Vaelin—sitting there made my heart skip a beat.They had pulled up
Fear made my heart pound hard as I ran straight at the rogue and the child, sword ready in my hand. Every step brought fresh panic that the rogue might hurt him, that I’d arrive too late, that I could fail completely.My thoughts were a mess of terrible what-ifs, and I was gasping for air. I could







