AFTER ME.

LYRA.

“Father.”

The word was sharp and clear, slicing through the fragile composure I tried so hard to maintain.

I stood there in a state of absolute awe and soul crushing shock. My heart, which had been beating for him in secret all this time, felt like it was being squeezed by an icy fist.

While I was wasting away in the temple, suffering through every lonely night and praying for a glimpse of the man I once knew, he had been building a life. He hadn’t just moved on, he had a child with another woman.

Was I really that easy to forget?

Kael didn’t even look at me at first. His entire world was centered on the small girl in his arms. He leaned down, pressing a lingering, affectionate kiss to the top of her head, his voice dropping into a low, soothing murmur I had once thought was only reserved for me.

“Freya, what are you doing out of your room?” He asked, his brow furrowing with genuine concern as he ticked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

For a second I felt an immense amount of jealousy. I was jealous of this little girl because if life hadn’t dealt me these bad cards, he would be kissing my forehead, pushing a stray lock behind my ears and talking to me in the softest of voices. He would be mine in the day and still come back to me in the night.

What the hell was wrong with me?

The little girl didn’t speak again, instead, her small hands moved in a series of fluid signs. I watched, paralyzed as she signaled to him that she couldn’t sleep, her eyes wide and trusting. Kael nodded understandingly.

“I know, little one.” He whispered. “You must rest now, go with Beta Darius and your nurse maid. I have a matter to attend to here.” He said.

He carefully handed Freya to a stern-looking man, and a woman who was her nursemaid. As they led the child away, the warmth in Kael’s eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a frost so bitter it felt like a physical blow. He turned his head slowly, his gaze finally locking onto mine. The transition from a loving father to a cold blooded Alpha King happened in the blink of an eye.

Kael began to walk toward me, his steps heavy and deliberate. He didn’t raise his voice, instead, he spoke with a terrifying, quiet calm that echoed through the silent room.

“What were you doing with her, Lyra?” He asked, his voice dripping with suspicion. “Were you planning to hurt her? Was destroying my entire family not enough for you? Do you truly need the blood of an innocent child on your hands now? Was ruining me eight years ago not enough? You want to ruin me some more? Hmmm?”

I opened my mouth to defend myself, to tell him that I had actually been looking after her, but the words died in my throat. I was reeling from the accusation, my mind spinning with the weight of his hatred. I wanted to scream that I would never harm a child, especially not his, but the look of pure loathing on his face made me feel like I was choking.

He truly believed I was a monster.

“I would never—“

“Wouldn’t you?” The question was quiet, almost like he was trying to make a conversation. But the hatred in his eyes reminded me that he didn’t want to have any conversations with me. “You return to my Realm after eight years, enter my castle, approach my daughter, and expect me to believe your intentions are innocent?”

“Is she mute?” That was what came out instead. Lyra, you and your damned tongue. You just can’t keep it in your mouth, can you? I chastised myself.

He looked at me with a look of astonishment. “That is none of your damned business. “Stay away from me, and most importantly, stay far away from my daughter.” He continued, his voice still low, yet vibrating with a deadly promise. He stepped into my personal space. His scent which was once my only comfort, now felt like a threat. “I don’t care if the temple considers you some holy High Priestess. If you ever go near Freya again, I will personally ensure your head is sent back to that temple in a box.”

The silence that followed the threat was louder than any shout could have been. He didn’t even need to yell to show me how much he despised my existence. It was written in the rigid line of his shoulders and the vacancy in his eyes where love used to live.

I stood there, trembling and broken, watching the man I used to love treat me like a common criminal, while the image of his daughter, the living proof of his life without me, burned into my mind.

How could you love someone else after me, Kael?

He turned away, I watched his back disappear into the darkness, and for the first time since returning to Silver Crest, I understood something terrifying.

I had prepared myself to face Kael’s hatred.

But I had not prepared myself to see the family he had built without me.