Silence screams

Lyra’s POV

I felt like a fool. I’d fallen for her again—fallen for Roselle’s soft words, her carefully painted remorse. My chest tightened with rage at myself. I had trusted her. Again.

I swiped my hands across my cheeks, erasing the tears before they could rat me out. Calming my heaving chest and steadying my breath was almost impossible.

“Act normal, Lyra,” I whispered to myself over and over again, but the words tasted like ash. My chest constricted and I fought to remain sane.

I had planned it in my head—march to Kendrick, tell him what I’d found, and end this betrayal once and for all. He’d kick her out, and I would finally be free of this shadow that had haunted me since childhood. But even before I could take a step toward him, the door creaked open.

And everything inside me froze.

“You look…” I couldn't catch the rest of the words she said. All I heard that followed was a soft giggle and a deep voice. Familiar deep voice. My wolf whimpered in recognition.

“Mate.”

My heart thundered, my world tilting. The air got too thick to breathe in, my lips trembling. Their wet slur of kisses filled the air, my eyes burning.

My body stilled, a cold shiver running down my spine. My pulse quickened, sweat beading down my temples. They were lost in their world of romance and were oblivious of my presence.

I pressed my lips into a thin line, a faint smile tugging at the side of my lips as I tilted my head towards the sound of the footsteps. “Roselle?” I called softly, my voice calm, almost serene, though inside I was drowning.

She gasped. I could hear the panic in her rushed breath. Her steps thundered toward me—loud.

“Lyra,” she stammered, wrapping her arms around me as though shielding me from something. “You startled me. What are you doing here?”

I inhaled her scent. “I was looking for you,” I whispered, pretending to search the air with my hands. I forced a weak laugh, brushing my palm against the broken pieces on the floor. “I—I’m sorry. I think I broke something.”

Her embrace tightened, her voice trembling as if to cover the guilt that leaked through. “It’s nothing. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Kendrick's figure faded and appeared a few seconds later, clearing his throat. His tone was maddeningly smooth, his composure unshaken. “Lyra?” he asked, as though he’d walked in on nothing more than an accident. “What are you doing here?”

I bit the inside of my cheek, tasting blood as I kept my expression still. He was acting. He was so good at it. I still wasn't fully convinced that Kendrick would do such a thing.

He crouched beside me, his touch gentle as always, his voice careful not to rise. “You shouldn’t barge into people’s rooms, Lyra. You could hurt yourself.”

It was almost laughable—the way he played the doting husband so perfectly while the scent of betrayal still lingered in the room. For a fleeting moment, I almost convinced myself I had imagined it all. Almost.

I let my lips curve into a soft, obedient smile. “You’re right,” I whispered. “I should’ve waited.”

Roselle stayed quiet, her silence louder than any sound.

Kendrick slipped his arm around me, guiding me away as though nothing had happened, his warmth wrapping me in the very comfort that always convinced me that everything was fine. He helped me onto the bed, settled the covers around me with the tenderness of a man who claimed to love, then pressed a kiss to my forehead.

“Rest, my Luna,” he murmured. “Don’t worry about anything.”

He excused himself and walked out. The moment I convinced myself that he was out of the room, the tears I'd fought to hold back rolled down my chin relentlessly. I buried my face in the pillow, stifling the sounds that threatened to escape.

I took a deep breath, and decided to find out what they wanted.

The next few days,I decided to let her see what she wanted to see. I feigned it—utter helplessness. Blind. Deaf. Silent. A doll with no fight left inside her.

I sat at the dining table, fingers brushing the edge of my bowl. Kendrick sat across from me, his spoon clinking gently against porcelain. Roselle lingered nearby, her voice dropping to a whisper she thought my damaged hearing couldn't catch.

“She’s useless,” she muttered, her tone laced with hatred. “Why haven’t you discarded her already?”

My breath caught in my chest.

Kendrick just stirred his soup slowly, eyes fixed on the steaming liquid, as though the sound of her voice was nothing more than background noise.

Roselle leaned closer, her voice louder now. “Tell me, Kendrick… do you want to spend the rest of your life with a useless Luna, or with a goddess like me? Haven’t you been craving something new?”

Her laugh sliced through the air,“Tell me, Kendrick… do you really want to waste your life beside this? A Luna who can’t even lift her own spoon? Look at her. She was once radiant, untouchable… now she’s nothing but a shadow. Broken. Helpless.”

Her hand grazed the rim of his glass, and she slowly tilted her head. “You deserve better. You deserve someone who can stand at your side, not weigh you down. A goddess, not a cripple.”

She let out a soft laugh that grated on my nerves. “Don’t pretend you haven’t noticed the difference. The way your eyes linger when I walk into the room. The way your breath catches when my hand brushes yours. I’ve seen it, Kendrick. I’ve felt it.”

I could hear the excitement in her voice. She wasn't really afraid to say those words because she'd thought I'd gone completely deaf. “You crave something alive, something that can burn with you. Don’t deny it. You can lie to her… but not to me.”

My pulse roared in my head. She was lying. But… I’d lived with Roselle for many years and she was not a liar.

But Kendrick… Kendrick chuckled. Slowly.

Then, he spoke. I couldn't hear what he'd said, all I heard was his deep voice in the background.

“She’s completely deaf,Ken. I tried her this morning. The drugs had taken effect and killed her before the doctors predicted.”

The truth was bitter on my tongue. She believed because I let her. Because I’d let myself play the fool to know the truth.

Kendrick’s voice dipped lower.

“Are you sure, Roselle? Watch.” He spoke right at my ear as he said it, ensuring I wouldn’t miss the cue.

He gestured toward the wet rag resting in the bowl beside the sink. Roselle smirked, rose from her seat, and carried it back to me. I felt the weight of her presence before she squeezed the foul water into my soup.

The stench clawed at my throat.

My stomach churned. But I forced myself—forced my lips to part, forced the tainted broth down, swallow after swallow. Because if I faltered, if I resisted, he would know.

“I taste something…weird,” I said slowly, maintaining a stoic expression.

Roselle leaned closer to me,

“They are herbs, just to aid healing I added them.” she said using a mind link,her voice dripping with sweetness.

Kendrick stood on his feet and walked over to me, his hand gently lifting the spoon,just to assure me that everything was alright. He fed me twice before returning to his seat, a mirthful chuckle escaping his lips.

I gripped the edge of the table until my knuckles burned, bile rising in my throat.

Then his words came.

“I’ve been looking for a way to get rid of her without triggering the council. She’s become nothing but an insult to me.”

The world tilted. My heart slammed against my ribs and I nearly choked on my breath. I felt the air get stolen out of my lungs, sweat beading down my forehead. This wasn't happening. My Kendrick—the man who swore nothing could separate us—had just branded me worthless.

Roselle’s chair scraped against the floor as she stood. My ears, dulled as they were, caught the sharp breath she drew before her lips pressed against his.

“ I knew about this all along. I just had to add wolf's bane to her drugs so that she'd die quickly,” she paused, giggling in high tone. “ Now,I have a plan. The peace treaty has been accepted. The alliance ceremony is to be held tomorrow.This is the chance we’ve been waiting for,” she said, speaking close so my damaged hearing would catch the words. “No council to interfere. No suspicion. With Lyra gone, no one will question. You’re her mirror. Identical enough that no one will know.”