CHAPTER 10

The growls closed in from every direction.

Lyra turned slowly, knife raised, breath sharp in her throat. The neutral ground was supposed to be quiet, a forgotten strip of forest neither pack bothered to claim. But once again, it was crowded by rogues. One of the places Lyra loved the most was becoming more and more dangerous.

Shadows slipped between the trees, their snarls vibrating through the earth. Lyra’s pulse hammered so hard she felt it in her teeth. She needed to shift, her wolf was already clawing at her skin, begging to be let out, but she had to time it right.

If she shifted too early, they’d strike while she was vulnerable. And her shifts… they weren’t always instant. Sometimes they were quick, but there were times when it was painfully slow. She couldn’t risk that happening now. She was strong in her human form. She knew that. But not strong enough to take them all on. So, she needed to be smart. She could do this. She had to.

Finally, one rogue stepped into view, a large male with patchy fur and wild, unfocused eyes. His lips peeled back, strings of saliva dripping from his fangs. Then another rogue slunk out beside him. And another. Four. Five. Six.

Six rogues.

Her stomach dropped. There was no way she could take on six of them. Not even if she shifted. She looked around to see if there was a way she could outrun them and run back home. If she made it back, she would have backup.

Lyra backed up until she had a clear view of all of them. She was drifting dangerously close to the Bloodpine border, but she didn’t care. Survival mattered more than territory lines. Could she run into their border? It would be risky, but she could run them far enough in to get the Bloodpine pack's attention, then she could slip away. No. That would be putting them in harm's way. She couldn’t do that.

She steadied herself, forcing her breathing slow. She needed to think. Needed to…

A rogue lunged.

Lyra braced herself for the impact. But before she could move, a hand grabbed her arm, yanking her sharply to the side. She was pulled out of the rogue’s path with such force she stumbled into a bare chest. A rock-hard, muscly bare chest. Before she could regain her footing, the rogue crashed into the man instead, knocking him to the ground.

Lyra gasped, horror twisting inside her as she saw who had just saved her...again.

Alpha Kaelan.

The rogue landed on top of him, jaws snapping inches from his throat.

“Kaelan!” She screeched as the rogue got dangerously close to his throat.

He didn’t shift.

He didn’t need to.

With a snarl of pure fury, Kaelan drove his forearm up beneath the rogue’s jaw, forcing its head back. The rogue thrashed, claws raking across his skin, but Kaelan didn’t flinch. He twisted, using his entire body as leverage, and slammed the rogue’s skull into the ground.

Once. Twice. Then there was a sickening crack.

The rogue went limp.

Lyra stared, shocked. How was he so powerful in human form? No wolf should be able to do that without shifting. No wonder he had the reputation he did. No one was as powerful as that back home.  

Kaelan shoved the rogue’s body aside and rose to his feet in one fluid motion, blood streaking his chest. He didn’t look at her. Didn’t even glance her way. He stood between her and the remaining rogues, muscles coiled, stance wide and ready for battle.

He had taken the hit meant for her.

The rogues snarled, regrouping, their eyes flicking between Kaelan and Lyra with feral confusion. They didn’t expect this.

Another rogue lunged, but Kaelan threw it to the side mid-air, and it landed hard, whimpering. Kaelan then turned his attention back to the four remaining rogues.  

Lyra noticed the rogue Kaelan had just thrown was already back on its feet, but Kaelan wasn’t looking.

Lyra knew he wouldn’t be able to react in time. And she wasn’t about to let him take another hit for her.

She shifted.

Her bones snapped and reshaped, heat flooding her veins as fur burst across her skin. Her wolf hit the ground with a heavy thud, powerful and massive. Ember‑red fur rippled along her spine, glowing like fire in the moonlight.

Lyra lunged at the rogue, reaching it before it knew what was happening.

Her jaws closed around its spine, and with one brutal twist, she snapped it clean. The rogue collapsed instantly, dead before it hit the ground.

She turned to the remaining rogues, who had all frozen, their eyes wide, and ears pinned back. They hadn’t expected this. They hadn’t expected her.

Lyra lowered her head, lips peeling back in a deep, warning growl that vibrated through the clearing.

The rogues backed up until they hit the tree line.

Then they turned and fled, whining as they vanished into the night.

Lyra stood panting, heart racing, adrenaline burning through her veins. She waited until she was sure they were gone. Then she turned.

Kaelan was staring at her. Not with surprise, or with confusion.

But with fury.

Lyra’s stomach dropped. She had shifted in front of him. Shown him her true form, her true strength. Strength no omega would ever possess.

She had revealed everything.

In front of the enemy Alpha.

Idiot. Idiot. Idiot.

Lyra backed up, ears flattening. She needed to shift back. Needed to hide. So, she did the only logical thing she could in this moment, and she bolted.

She sprinted toward the Stormfall border, paws pounding the earth. She didn’t look back. She didn’t dare. Once she was on her territory, she reached a familiar tree, one where she always kept spare clothes hidden, and ducked behind it.

Her wolf form melted away, bones reshaping, fur dissolving into skin. She grabbed the clothes with shaking hands, pulling them on as fast as she could.

Her heart was still racing when she stepped back out, ready to run. But Kaelan was already there.

He moved faster than she could react. One moment, he was a good few feet away from her; the next, he was slamming her back against the tree, his forearm braced across her collarbone, pinning her in place.

Lyra sucked in a breath.

His eyes were cold, full of fury, and were locked onto hers.

“Who,” he growled, voice low and dangerous, “are you?”

Lyra’s pulse thundered. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.

Kaelan leaned closer. Not touching her beyond the arm holding her still, but close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off him. Close enough that she could feel the warmth of his breath. Close enough that her wolf stirred, confused and alert.

“You are no omega,” he said. “Your wolf is too large. Too strong. Too trained.”

Lyra swallowed hard.

He wasn’t wrong.

Kaelan’s jaw clenched. “You lied to me.”

Lyra forced her voice steady. “It wasn’t my idea to lie.”

“You let my daughter lie for you.”

Lyra flinched.

Kaelan’s eyes narrowed. “And you let me believe you were weak.”

Lyra’s breath hitched. “I didn’t.”

“Don’t,” he snapped, cutting her off.

Lyra fell silent.

Kaelan’s gaze swept over her face. He wasn’t guessing anymore. He was hunting for the truth.

“You fight like a trained warrior,” he said. “You shift like someone who has been taught discipline. You killed that rogue in seconds.”

Lyra’s throat tightened. She didn’t know what to do or what to say. Didn’t know how to escape this without revealing everything.

Kaelan’s voice dropped even lower, a growl beneath the words. “So, tell me, girl… who are you really?”

Lyra’s heart pounded so hard she wouldn’t be surprised if he could hear it. She needed to give him something, but what? She could tell him she was a lower-ranked wolf. But would he believe it after what he just saw?

Kaelan’s eyes flashed; he was getting impatient. “Tell me,” he demanded. “You already ran into the Stormfall pack’s territory, so it won't be hard to piece together.”

Lyra opened her mouth to speak.

“I’m…”