Chapter Four: The Last Door

Lyra's POV

By the time I reached the pack gates, the sky had already begun to dim.

I went through the gates and the guards hardly stopped me, nor questioned me, despite my stained luxury dress or my bare sore feets.

I stopped dragging my feet, the second the courtyard came into view and I could see them.

Lined and waited there like they had been expecting me to come through those gates any second.

‘what is she doing back here?’

‘Didn’t she leave with Alpha Vander?’

Whispers came from all around the crowd that had gathered upon my return.

My father stood at the center, with hands clasped behind his back, I couldn't make out his expression with my tired eyes but I made out Lydia's figure standing beside him, her face composed into the usual elegance that fooled every one.

Celeste and Calvin lingered just behind, whispering to each other until they noticed me and then smiled.

My fingers twitched at my sides and for a second I considered turning around and walking away back to my room.

Disappearing before they could speak.

“Well," Lydia said. Her voice slicing through the silence "look who came back as expected”

“Looks like the Alpha chose blindly” Celeste remarked.

"Enough.” Father commanded before his gaze swept over me.

"You were given to maintain peace, Lyra. Why are you back here?”

I took in small breaths as I recalled what had happened in the last hour "The Alpha decided he made a terrible mistake.”

"What did I tell you honey?” Lydia locked eyes on me "I told you she would make a joke of us. Who knows what she might have done to him”

"I didn't do anything!” I raised my voice.

" You don't have to, dear sister” Celeste smiled “that's your gift"

I opened my mouth to say something back at her but Lydia cut in.

“And you know what disappoints me the most? Is that you actually came back" she said, making it clear before everyone that I had no right nor place to come back here.

"I did everything that was asked of me…everything” I choked out.

"Well, you clearly failed,” my father said almost immediately.

The hole in my heart grew wider. “Father.." I called softly.

"You have no idea what this does to our pack Lyra. If the Alpha Vander found you incompetent then what would he think of me?”

“You didn't even ask me what happened, before…” I tried to say.

" It doesn't matter,” he said curtly.

My lips parted as breath slipped out. "So whether I was hurt…”

“The pack's duty comes first!" He growled. “And luckily your mother Lydia thought of a better way to save us from the shame you put us through."

My fist balled, all along I thought somewhere in my father's heart, he loved me.

But now, hearing him speak, I knew I was nothing more than the cursed child to him.

The one he was desperately trying to get rid off.

“she suspected this would happen and called the attention of a powerful pack in the east."

I couldn't believe my ears.

“They've already expressed interest and has offered a generous amount of gold and a pledge of fealty"

I shook my head slowly. “You can't….

“Go in and clean up Lyra, by dawn you will be sold again.”

My father announced, his voice flat and distant.

I blinked slowly, it was enough that I heard those cruel words from everyone else, but from my own father?

Something in me snapped immediately, like the last string holding me together.

“To Bloodfang pack" he added without hesitation “One that you won't…

" No” I said before I could think.

And suddenly everything went quiet before the crowd started to murmur and in that moment I felt something different in my chest, not pain nor the usual sadness.

It was a different kind of emptiness, like every reason I had to contain myself around them had died.

My step mother stepped forward, " what did you say?”

I lifted my head fully with a lazy effort and met Lydia's eyes.

" I said No.”

Lydia scoffed, anger already in her eyes. “You do realize you don't have a choice."

“You're right," my voice quieted down but hardened “but I'm taking one anyways"

"Lyra. You forget your place!’ my father snapped at me but I shook my head.

“No father, I finally remember it.”

It finally came to me what I truly was. ‘the disappointing child that would never be something no matter what happened’

‘I know who you are now, just a desperate unfortunate daughter clinging to anyone who shows her the slightest affection’

Vander’s voice rang in my ears.

But he was wrong, I didn't even need affection to cling to them.

I dragged my feet back. “I'm not staying here," I continued. “I'm not being sold again…. All my years all I've ever known was how I killed my mother and how much of a curse I was….. but it ends today."

“You know nothing of what you speak of Lyra" my father said

“No, no I but I do know I am not wanted here and I know better now to leave than stay in a place where my own father doesn't acknowledge me"

I could question where I had gotten the boldness from when in truth, I just finally realized that there was nothing left to lose, no more hope to hold on to and certainly no more family to call my own.

My gaze swept over them for the last time, the people who had broken me piece by piece and for the first time.

I felt nothing but emptiness.

I turned away from them, the pack behind me and the forest ahead.

“If you move an inch Lyra, you are no longer my daughter"

My fist clenched. “But I was never your daughter, father…… I was just the heir you never had?"

When I got no response from him, I took one step and then another.

No one stopped me or called me back and I didn't look back either, till I was past the pack's territory and away from the life I grew up living.