CHAPTER FIVE

Lyra Veyra

I couldn’t believe how fast everything changed. One moment I was an exiled Omega, chained and dragged through the forest, and now I was being called Luna of Ironclaw. My thoughts were uneven and my head wasn’t clear enough to understand what was happening. Kael didn’t look like he was joking, and the council member’s warning still sat heavy in my chest. I kept walking because I had no choice, and Kael followed behind us with that same cold look on his face.

The wolves stared as we passed. Some tried to hide it but others’ eyes followed me openly. They didn’t recognize me and for good reason. I wasn’t from here, I didn’t belong here, and I knew I looked like someone they should keep their distance from. My clothes were torn and dirty and I had bruises everywhere. I held my cloak tighter because it felt like the only thing protecting me from their judgment.

The council stopped in front of a building that looked like a large lodge. It wasn’t decorated with anything fancy on the outside but I noticed guards on every side of it and their bodies didn’t shift even once. They opened the door and led me in and I scanned everything quickly. The walls had dark wooden frames and torches lit each path. The air felt clean and warm and much different from everything I had just walked through.

Kael stepped up beside me and pointed to a door on the right side of the hallway. “This is your room,” he said. His voice wasn’t loud, it stayed even.

I looked at him, waiting for some explanation because nothing made sense yet. “Why would you…”

“Make yourself comfortable,” he cut me off, and before I could stop him or push for answers, he walked away without looking back.

The council member stayed at the door like he wanted to make sure I actually went inside. I didn’t say anything to him. I pushed the door open and stepped in.

The room was quiet and bright. It had a large bed in the center with thick grey blankets and white pillows and my body reacted instantly because this wasn’t anything I was used to. I walked around slowly, touching the smooth wood of the tables and the polished surface of the dresser. There was a bath area with fresh towels folded neatly by the side. The scent in the room was a mix of pine and something clean that I couldn’t identify. I bounced a little on the bed and the mattress dipped under my weight. Soft. Comfortable. Safe. None of these things belonged to someone like me.

I stared at the walls because I didn’t know how to feel. I once slept on stone floors and cold dirt and now I had this. I wasn’t sure if I should be grateful or angry. I sat down on the edge of the bed, trying to calm myself, but the door opened again.

A young woman stepped inside first, holding her hands together tightly. Two others followed behind her, each wearing simple dresses but their hair was neatly tied and they looked like they knew what they were doing. They stopped in front of me and bowed their heads.

“We were sent to assist you, Luna,” the first one said. Her voice was soft but her eyes didn’t hide the uncertainty.

Luna. The word still felt heavy in my chest every time someone said it.

“I don’t need help,” I replied, standing up again.

They looked uncomfortable, like refusing wasn’t something they were allowed to respond to. The first maid stepped forward and shook her head. “The Alpha insisted,” she said, and she waited for me to move.

I looked down at myself again, seeing the dirt, dried blood, and shredded fabric that barely covered me. I wanted to push them away but I knew I couldn’t walk around like this. I sighed and followed them to the bathing room. They turned on the warm water and waited, and I stepped into the bath, letting the heat touch my skin slowly. I tried not to show weakness but my body relaxed anyway.

They washed my hair carefully and helped clean the cuts on my body. They tried not to stare at the scars on my back but I saw their eyes shift away. When they finished, they gave me fresh clothing, a dark fitted outfit that allowed movement and wouldn’t tear easily. It wasn’t soft or fancy but it felt strong and clean against my skin.

Once I was dressed, the maids stepped back and nodded. “The Alpha is waiting,” one of them said.

I followed them out and walked through the same hallway. My hands were at my sides, my head held steady. Wolves lined the area outside the lodge now, more than earlier, their eyes fixed on Kael. He stood tall with his warriors around him, and when I reached them, he didn’t say anything to me. He just turned and walked to the center of the courtyard. Everyone moved with him.

Wolves gathered in rows, some with their hands behind their backs and others shifting uneasily. They were waiting for their Alpha to speak. Kael lifted his chin slightly and the noise in the crowd lowered to silence.

“This is Lyra Veyra Kane,” he said, and every wolf’s eyes moved to me at once. “She is your new Luna and you will treat her with respect.”

There was no cheer or welcome, just obedience. They stayed quiet and stiff. They accepted his command because they respected his position, not because they wanted me here.

Kael continued speaking, “She is my mate. Anyone who threatens her will face Ironclaw justice.”

My breath caught because he had lied without the smallest hesitation. I kept my face calm but my chest tightened. No one reacted openly, they just bowed their heads like they accepted this information, and Kael stepped away from them, motioning for them to return to their duties. The courtyard scattered slowly.

Kael didn’t wait. He walked toward a quieter path behind the main grounds and I followed because I needed answers. We reached a corner near a tall stone wall and he stopped there. His eyes locked on mine.

“Why did you tell them that?” I asked. My voice wasn’t loud and I didn’t try to make it sound threatening. I just needed to understand.

He folded his arms. “If they think you are my Luna and my mate, no one will dare touch you.”

“I don’t want to be anyone’s Luna,” I answered, keeping my eyes steady on him, “and I don’t want to belong to you.”

“That doesn’t matter right now,” he replied, his voice still cold. “If they see you as nothing, they will treat you like nothing. You should know what that looks like better than anyone.”

I clenched my jaw because he wasn’t wrong and I hated that he wasn’t wrong.

“I didn’t come here to play Luna,” I said. “I came back for revenge.”

“And you will get it,” he said, “but you won’t get there if you are killed in the middle of the courtyard before you can take your first real step.”

I stared at him and he stared back. He didn’t flinch or shift away. He looked like someone who already planned ten steps ahead of me and he wasn’t going to change any of it because I complained.

“You don’t have to be my Luna,” he said again, calmer now, “you just have to pretend to be.”