Chapter 5

The morning came faster than I could wish for, sun rays fleeting into the room they said was mine.

I didn't feel at peace in the slightest, the room didn't feel like mine at all, the whole space felt suffocating and at the same time too fast and empty.

Aurora's words haunted me all through the night, and I had barely got any sleep in.

“It’s better that you leave now while you can…”

They had been so much hate in her voice, enough to freeze the blood in my veins.

It was as clear as day that she completely detested me, the look in her eyes left no room for doubt.

It was the way she had made it clear she wanted me gone—permanently.

And I could feel it in my gut for a sure that she was ready to do anything to make that happen.

I groan stretching a bit as I rub my temples feeling a headache coming on as I relocate from the bed to the window seat.

As I stare out the window at the sun rays beginning to come up, I begin humming a random note, a habit I had picked up from my late mum who used to hum when she was nervous.

With every second that went by, another part of me chipped away, right from the minute I had woken up.

I couldn't even enjoy mornings the way I usually did!

My nerves were all over the place, and I was finding it very difficult to pull my thoughts together.

What was going to be my fate in this unfamiliar place?

I'm startled by a knock at the door that pulls me away from the window. “Lyra, it’s time,” came the deep, familiar voice of Alpha Ethan.

My feet feel heavy, my heart even heavy as it thumps wildly in my chest as I drag myself over to the door.

Today was the day, the day I met with the council, and we put the news of the wedding plans out there.

They would be meeting raven wood’s newest addition, the supposed wife-to-be of the alpha.

I could feel it—the weight of the moment pressing against my chest.

What if something went wrong, and they immediately sensed that I was human?

Would they be merciful enough to at least kick me out like my pack had? Or worse, would they end my life right on the spot?

Was I really ready to face him? Ready to face the reality of my fate?

It wasn't like I could ignore him at the other side of the door and not answer now, and so I took a deep breath, brushing away the traces of tears that had long dried on my face, I wasn’t a child anymore. I had to keep it together.

If not for anyone, then at least for the sake of my late mother, who had fought until her dying breath.

She would expect me to never give up, and that was what I was going to do.

When I opened the door, the Alpha's presence hit me like a tidal wave.

He felt just as commanding as the first time I met him, the air thick with authority.

His dark hair framed his sharp features, and his eyes—those cold, calculating eyes—met mine without a trace of warmth.

“Lyra, are you ready?” he states, his tone neutral and void of emotion.

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. I wasn’t ready. I doubted I would ever be. But I had no choice.

Saying no wouldn’t magically send me back to my pack, protected by my father like always. That life was gone. A past I had no choice but to move on from.

“I—” I swallowed hard. “I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”

His lips twitched slightly, but it wasn’t a smile, it felt mocking even.

“You don’t,” he said simply. “Come. The council is waiting for us…There is no room for failure, Lyra.” He paused for a beat, just long enough for me to wonder if even he believed that.

Did he have a thousand thoughts running through his mind too, just like I did?

He had to be thinking of every way this could all fail, right?

Too anxious to say more, I follow him down the hallway, my heart thundering in my chest.

The large, looming doors at the end of the hall came into view, and a shiver ran down my spine.

This is it. No turning back now.

As we approached the doors, my mind raced. What if I refused? What if I ran? The idea had crossed my mind more than once, but where would I go? What would I do?

The wolves could track me down instantly. And even if they didn’t, I’d die alone in the wilderness. I could barely defend myself.

We stepped through the massive doors into a large chamber. The room was cold, its stone walls towering overhead, adorned with centuries-old tapestries.

At the far end sat a long wooden table around which several figures were seated—Alpha Ethan’s council, I presumed.

It wasn't just the nature of the room that made it void of warmth, no…it was the presence of the council and the way they were looking at me.

And they did not look pleased to see me in the least.

I took my place beside Ethan, my body trembling as I tried to steady my nerves.

Whispers of judgments broke out, hushed conversations that felt like daggers in my back, even before any statement was made, they were already condensing me.

“So, this is the alpha’s daughter,” one voice commented, in a bored voice.

“She doesn’t look like much,” another muttered mockingly.

They weren’t wrong. There wasn’t anything special about me. If there were, I wouldn’t have been cast out of my pack.

I wouldn't have been here in the first place, I would've been loved and cherished by the pack I grew up in.

But all I had on my side was my father, and now he was being threatened.

Ethan’s voice cut through the murmurs. “Enough,” he commanded, his presence silencing everyone. “We are here to discuss the terms of this union. Lyra, you’ve been given a choice and your father has already agreed. The alliance is nearly set, so we need to begin preparations.”

My heart dropped. Choice? What choice?

I was being forced into a marriage with a man who would never accept me, I was a human with no place among his kind and I would never fit in.

A sheep in a lion’s den.

I opened my mouth to protest, but the words caught in my throat.

“You will live in raven wood as my mate,” he said, voice cold. “And you will obey the rules, and you will learn quickly how things are done here.”

I clenched my hands at my sides, nails digging into my palms. This was solely about survival, making it through a life I didn't choose.

Before I could speak, the chamber doors burst open, and in walked Aurora. Her eyes flicked toward me, a cruel smile tugging at her lips.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

Her stare made me feel queasy and uncomfortable in my seat.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. Aurora took her seat, gaze locked on me.

“I’ve been wondering something,” Aurora said, voice like silk laced with venom. “What exactly makes you so special, Lyra? Are you really worth the trouble? I just hope we’re not building alliances with… liabilities.”

My breath caught. The words stung, but I refused to flinch.

“Liabilities” was that all I really was?

The sound of someone clearing his throat cuts through the air.

“Enough, Aurora,” Alpha Ethan said sharply. “We’ve already discussed this, Lyra is here to stay and there’s no need for further discussion.”

A wave of relief washed over me at his statement...it felt good that he was at least standing in for me.

Aurora’s eyes narrowed at this, her smile darkening but she doesn't say anything else.

And as I glanced around the table at all the unhappy faces, my fear increases.

Trying to survive in unfamiliar territory with the secret of my humanity was one problem already, doing so with so many enemies?

It was going to be almost impossible, it felt like I was preparing for war.