The Royal arrival

Lyra’s POV

I had been on my knees for what felt like hours, scrubbing the bathroom floor until every stain disappeared. The white marble tiles sparkled under the light, throwing my exhausted reflection back at me.

My hands were sore. My knees burned. But I didn’t dare stop.

As long as I stayed hidden inside the packhouse, away from the royal guests, I could endure it.

The Lycan Royal Family. Just thinking about them sent a chill down my spine.

They were known throughout every kingdom as the strongest beings alive—powerful, feared, merciless. Stories about them were whispered from one generation to the next. I once heard that a man had been burned alive simply because he failed to bow properly before the Lycan King. Whether the story was true or not, no one dared question their authority.

They were proud - perhaps too proud. Unlike ordinary werewolves, Lycans did not believe in fated mates. They believed that allowing destiny to choose for them would only become a weakness, something another person could use to influence or control them. They believed they were masters of their own fate, and answered to no one but themselves.

Still, there was one rumor I desperately wished were true. People said that the mere presence of the Lycan Royal Family could awaken the dormant wolf of a weak werewolf. That was one of the reasons I had dreamed of enrolling in Silvermoon Dominion Academy.

Maybe. Just maybe. If I could somehow get close enough to them, Mira would finally awaken.

A bitter smile crossed my lips. Who was I fooling? I had no wolf. Mira had gone silent. Perhaps she had never truly existed.

The sound of approaching footsteps pulled me from my thoughts. I slowly lifted my head, my heart tightening.

Selene.

Walking beside her was Cassian—my former mate. The sight of them together still hurt more than I wanted to admit.

Selene looked radiant in a fitted silver gown that shimmered with every step she took. Matching gold earrings and elegant jewelry completed her appearance, making her look every bit like a future Luna.

She stopped a few feet away from me, a smug smile spreading across her face.

“Mother said that once you’re finished here, you should clean the grand hall.” She folded her arms. “As you probably know or perhaps you don’t, since you’re no longer one of the important people in this pack—the Lycan Royal Family will be arriving soon.” Her smile widened. “The hall must be spotless. Not a single piece of dust. Not one scrap of litter. I wouldn’t want you embarrassing us again.”

She let out a soft laugh before deliberately swaying her hips as she walked away.

I watched her leave without saying a word. There was no point in arguing anymore.

Perhaps this really was my destiny.

Cassian remained where he was. For several long moments, neither of us spoke. Our eyes met, and the memories we had once shared flashed through my mind—his promises, his smiles, his comforting embrace. Everything felt like a lifetime ago.

Unable to hold my gaze, Cassian looked away first. Guilt flickered across his face.

“I’m sorry, Lyra,” he said quietly.

Those three words hurt more than his rejection ever had.

I stared at him for a long moment. Then, to his surprise, I laughed—a bitter, broken laugh that grew louder until even I could hear the pain hidden behind it.

Cassian frowned. “What’s so funny? Why are you laughing?”

I looked straight into his eyes. “This,” I said quietly, “is how I’m expressing my pain.”

His brows knitted together. “Lyra….”

“Oh, really?” I cut him off. “Are you serious right now? You said you’re sorry.” I took a slow step toward him. “Sorry for what, exactly? For humiliating me before the entire pack? For rejecting me? For betraying every promise you ever made to me? Or for making me believe that someone actually loved me?”

Silence.

Cassian lowered his gaze before speaking. “The truth is…” He hesitated. “Selene and I have been together long before I claimed you as my fated mate.”

My heart didn’t break this time. It simply went numb.

“I only got close to you because I wanted to get closer to Selene.” His words fell one after another like stones. “We planned to reveal our relationship eventually. We just wanted to do it in a way that wouldn’t make it seem like I’d betrayed you.” He sighed. “But your birthday and your uncle asking me to claim you publicly—it ruined everything.”

For a moment I simply stared at him. Then another laugh escaped my lips.

“So,” I whispered, “I should actually be grateful.” Cassian frowned. “If Uncle Rowan hadn’t spoken, I would’ve spent the rest of my life blaming destiny. I would’ve believed the Moon Goddess rejected me.”

A tear slid down my cheek. “But now I know. It wasn’t destiny. It was you. You chose to protect Selene’s reputation while sacrificing mine. No one knew the two of you were secretly together. But everyone knew you and I were mates. You let the entire pack believe I was the one abandoned. I was nothing more than a toy you used until the woman you truly wanted was ready.”

“Don’t talk to me like that.” His voice turned dangerously cold. He stepped closer. Before I could move, he reached out to brush a strand of hair away from my face.

I slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me.”

His expression darkened instantly. In one swift movement, he grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me against him. I gasped. His scent surrounded me at once—the familiar cedarwood and musk that had once comforted me now made me feel sick.

He leaned close to my ear. “Just because I rejected you as my mate doesn’t mean you no longer belong to me.” His grip tightened. “You are still mine.”

“I don’t belong to you!” I struggled against him. “Let me go!”

I tried kicking him, but he barely moved. He was much stronger than I was. My breathing turned uneven.

Think, Lyra. Think.

Without another second of hesitation, I drove my elbow as hard as I could into his cheek. A sickening crack echoed. Cassian staggered backward, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Before either of us could speak again—

The door burst open.

“My Alpha!” One of Father’s guards rushed inside, breathing heavily. “The Lycan Royal Family has arrived! They request that everyone assemble in the grand hall immediately. Everyone.” He emphasized the last word. “Not even the lowest Omega is to remain behind.”

Cassian wiped the blood from his lips. “You’ll regret that,” he said, his voice low. “I promise you.”

Ignoring him, I picked up my bucket, emptied the dirty water outside, removed my stained apron, and hurried toward the grand hall.

As I walked, confusion filled my mind. Why would the Lycan Royal Family summon everyone? I thought royal visits were reserved only for Alpha families.

When I entered the hall, it was already overflowing with people—Alphas, Betas, warriors, servants, even Omegas. I quietly slipped into the darkest corner I could find, hoping no one would notice me.

My gaze wandered across the room. Selene sat proudly beside Luna Seraphina, dressed like royalty. Kieran occupied the seat beside my father—the place that had once been reserved for me. Now it was gone, as if I had never belonged to the Ashwood family.

I swallowed the ache in my chest and looked toward the magnificent seats prepared for the Lycan Royal Family. At the center sat King Darius Delucian, the mighty ruler of the Lycans. Beside him was his elegant queen, Aurora Delucian, whose graceful presence commanded instant respect.

Next sat Prince Lucien Delucian.

Then my eyes landed on the last seat.

I froze

No. It couldn’t be.

The man sitting there—the man whose golden eyes I could never forget. The stranger from the hidden hot spring. The one who had grabbed me in the forest.

Prince Luca Delucian.

As though sensing my stare, he slowly turned his head. Our eyes met across the crowded hall. A slow, knowing smile spread across his lips.

My heart skipped a beat.

He remembers me.

What on earth is he doing here?….