LOGINLyra’s POV Ryker looked satisfied when Kael finally begged him. His smug smile grew even wider as he lowered the sword from my throat. I tried to breathe, but the knife pressed against the side of my neck stopped me from relaxing. The guard holding it didn’t move his hand away, and the blade stayed close enough that I could feel every small breath against it. I didn’t dare shift my weight. One wrong move and the knife would cut deeper. Kael kept his eyes on me the entire time, and that alone told me how scared he was even if he tried not to show it. When he finally spoke, his voice was steady, but I heard the slight tremor behind it. “Ryker, you know it’s impossible for me to step down,” he said. “Ironclaw isn’t something I can hand over. And I already chose Lyra as my Luna.” The words made my heart catch in my chest. He didn’t hesitate, not even once. He said it plainly with so much certainty that it made my throat tighten. His eyes stayed on me every few seconds, checking to see
Lyra’s POV My hands were still shaking even though I kept them close to my sides, hoping Kael wouldn’t notice. Speaking up to Ryker had taken everything out of me, and the moment the words left my mouth, fear had settled in my chest, but Kael’s presence kept me grounded. He was standing right in front of me, steady and sure, and that alone made the fear bearable. When Ryker stormed out after Kael threatened him, I could finally breathe properly again. Kael looked down at me. His expression wasn’t angry anymore, just focused on me like I needed all his attention. I cleared my throat and tried to act normal. “You should go,” I said quietly. “You can’t stay with me all day.” He raised a brow. “Watch me.” I looked away because I didn’t know how to respond to that. My heart felt too warm, too confusing. He moved closer and lowered his voice. “I’m proud of you,” he said. My breath hitched and my face grew hot. I wasn’t used to anyone being proud of me, and hearing it from him made some
Kael’s POV Ryker stood near the door with that same confident look he always wore, like he believed he had already won. He kept studying me as if he was waiting for me to react but I had no plan of giving him anything close to that. He wanted me angry, and he wanted to push me into reacting first, but I wasn’t going to let him destroy everything I had already worked hard for. He stepped closer. “You look calm,” he said. “Strange for someone who is losing.” I stayed seated beside Lyra. “Don’t judge by what you see,” I said, “you haven’t won.” The small change in his expression told me enough. He didn’t like that I wasn’t giving him fear or anger. He wanted to see cracks, but I kept myself steady, and that alone seemed to irritate him. He looked around the cell like he was bored. “You always did act like you had something planned,” he said. “Makes you predictable.” “You talk too much,” I said quietly. That made him pause for a second, and he didn’t enjoy it. He took a breath then
Lyra’s POV The first thing I felt when I opened my eyes was a sharp pain at the side of my head. It pulsed slowly and made it hard to think, and for a moment I didn’t understand where I was or why the ground felt colder than my skin. I tried to lift my arm but my body felt heavy, and when I shifted a little I realized my head wasn’t on the floor at all. Something warm was under me. I blinked until my eyes cleared, and when they finally did, I saw Kael looking down at me. My head was on his lap. He was sitting on the dungeon floor with his back against the wall, and he had placed me on his legs like he had been there for a long time. His hand stayed near my shoulder like he wanted to keep touching me but didn’t want to startle me. “You’re awake,” he said quietly, “don’t move yet.” I tried to sit up anyway but he pressed his hand to my arm and held me down gently. “Rest,” he said. “Your head took a bad hit.” I swallowed and tried to remember what happened. The memory came fast. Ryk
Kael’s POV I knew I should have expected Ryker to pull something dirty, but I was too focused on his words and the way he looked at Lyra, and that distraction was the only reason he managed to throw me into the wall. The impact shot through my back and ribs and for a moment the breath left my lungs, but I pushed myself up quickly, refusing to stay down in front of him. I barely made it to my feet before Ryker was already charging toward me again. His arm lifted and the strike was aimed at my head, and I knew it was too late for me to dodge. But the hit never landed. Lyra reached him first. She moved fast and her arms locked around his neck as she yanked him back with all the strength she had, and Ryker stumbled, dragged away from me just in time. If she had been one second slower, that attack would have been the end for me. The realization settled heavily in my chest as I caught my breath. Lyra had just saved my life. But before I could even step toward her, Ryker shouted sharply
Lyra’s POV The council standing at the gate didn’t look like the same group that escorted me into Ironclaw on the first day I arrived. Back then they bowed and treated me with a kind of stiff respect, but now they acted like I was invisible. Not one of them looked at me, and the coldness in their stance made it clear they had no intention of letting any of us pass. It confused me because nothing had changed except our long journey back, and Kael returning to his own territory should have made everything easier, not harder. Kael’s expression tightened as he stepped forward. “Open the gate,” he said, his voice steady but cold. “Now.” The head council member flinched but didn’t move fast enough. Kael took another step, and his tone dropped even lower. “I won’t say it again. Open the gate unless you want me to kill you right here.” The man trembled, and I watched his hand shake as he reached toward the metal bar that locked the gate. It was clear he didn’t know what to do, and he looke







