WELCOME BACK.

CHAPTER FOUR.

LYRA’s POV.

The room went silent.

“What’s going on?” Someone asked.

I stared at Kael.

He stared back.

My fingers curled beneath the table, and I refused to look away. Kael’s expression remained unreadable. Only his eyes had changed, the hatred in them was unmistakable. Someone at the far end of the table whispered.

“Lyra?” Took them long enough.

Another voice followed.

“Is that really her?” Another person asked.

“The girl who was rejected by the Alpha King?”

“The Moon Goddess preserves us….”

The murmurs spread around the chamber. But I kept my eyes on Kael, he didn’t seem to hear them. Or perhaps, he didn’t care.

His jaw tightened once.

That was all.

High Elder Magnus rose slowly.

“Alpha King, perhaps we should—“

“Leave.” His voice was calm.

“She can’t leave, Alpha King. She’s here to help us find answers a—“

“I meant all of you except her, leave.” He said in that calm voice.

Maybe they thought he didn’t mean it because everybody just froze around the table, as if they were too scared to stand up.

Kael stood, his golden robes fell around him like liquid sunlight, but there was nothing warm about him. His eyes remained fixed on me.

“Everyone, get out.” His voice went higher and the stone walls shook with it. Chairs scraped against the floor.

The Alphas began leaving, some looked at me with curiosity, some others with fear.

The doors closed behind the last person. Silence returned, but this silence felt different. There were no elders, or Alphas of witnesses.

Just him and me.

I slowly rose from my chair, but neither of us moved.

“Are you testing me? You came back?” He asked, squinting his eyes slowly. “You killed my entire family and still dared to show up on my land? Do you really want to die?” He asked, and at the mention of his family, my heart squeezed in my chest.

I still gather stones in remembrance of Seraphina and her sister, because Seraphina was like a mother to me; she cared for me, and I loved her. And also his sister, she loved me and I loved her. But none of that mattered now.

“I was summoned.”

“You should have refused.”

I raised my chin in defiance. “I don’t take orders from you anymore.”

“I could kill you.” He said.

“I could kill you too,” I said, my shoulders rolling to the back, I wasn’t the weak girl anymore. I had power now.

“You shouldn’t have come back.” He said again, looking away, and I wanted to tell him to look at me again, but I pressed down on that urge. Goddess help me.

“You need my help,” I said and it seemed like he was thinking about it for a second.

“I could find another Priestess.” He said.

“Go ahead,” I said.

It took him another few minutes before he spoke again.

“You’ll leave the moment you’re done.” He commanded.

“You don’t give me orders, and trust me, I don’t want to be here more than I’m supposed to be.”

“Stay away from me.” He said and I almost laughed.

“You’re the one who asked me to stay.” His hand tightened around the door handle.

“I said stay in Silver Crest, not in my life.” The words struck somewhere deep inside me but I forced a smile.

“Don’t worry, Alpha King. I learned eight years ago that I don’t belong in your life.”

He didn’t say anything for a while, and then he went back to his high chair. I went back to my seat too. A second later, the doors opened, and they poured back in.

They all settled down and I faced High Elder Magnus again.

“Welcome back, Lyra.” He said.

“It’s High Priestess, there’s no need for familiarity. I’m here to give you answers, and that’s it. Let’s get started.” I said, ending any type of familiarity he wanted to bring up. He was part of those people who walked me out of this realm eight years ago, he didn’t get to sit over there and act all mighty.

“My apologies, High Priestess. Very well,” he said and nodded at the guards and the doors opened.

Two warriors carried a wolf into the chamber, and my eyes immediately narrowed. He was barely conscious. His body was covered in wounds, but the wounds were not what frightened me. His eyes were completely silver.

No wolf spirit moved behind them. I stepped forward.

“What happened?”

“He lost his wolf three days ago,” Magnus said.

“Why?”

“We don’t know.”

I placed my hand over the warrior’s chest. The moment I touched him, cold rushed through my fingers. Something was very wrong. His wolf was not gone, but it was trapped.

I closed my eyes.

“Everyone leave.”

The Elders stared at me.

Magnus frowned. “What?” He asked.

“I need silence.”

Kael finally spoke.

“You expect everyone to leave the council chamber because you asked?”

“I expect everyone to leave because your warrior will die if I cannot hear his wolf.” His eyes hardened at that.

“Then save him.”

“I cannot do that with half the room staring at me.” His jaw tightened.

For a moment, I thought he would argue. Instead, he turned toward the elders.

“Leave.” And one by one, they filed out.

“Why are you still here?” I asked him.

“Someone needs to inspect what you’re doing, I’m not going to let you kill another one of my warriors on my watch.” He said and I almost argued that I didn’t kill anybody eight years ago but you know what?

It’s totally useless, so I decided to make him useful.

“Hold him down.”

He didn’t do well with receiving orders from people, but he knew it was necessary. The moment his hand touched the warrior’s shoulder, the man screamed. A violent growl came from his throat.

Kael immediately pulled away. I froze. That was not a normal reaction. The warrior's body began shaking.

“Move.”

“Lyra—“

“Move.”

Maybe he heard something in my voice that made him obey, so he stepped back, I placed both hands against the warrior’s chest.

Then I reached for the wolf trapped inside him, and a low growl echoed through the chamber. My eyes flew open.

“What is it?” Kael asked.

“I don’t know • the warrior suddenly arched his back, his claws came out. Kael moved instantly, he caught the man’s arms before they could strike me.

“Hold him.”

“Harder!”

The warrior fought violently, Kael’s muscles tightened as he restrained him, I stared at them for a moment, eight years ago, those arms had held me. The thought disappeared as quickly as it came. I closed my eyes again.

“Listen to me,” I whispered to the wolf.

A faint howl answered. Then I started singing the chants I now know by heart.

While doing that, I followed the sound of the faint howl, deeper, further, until I reached something cold and ancient. A shadow had wrapped itself around the wolf.

And I pulled.

Pain shot through my body, and I gasped.

“What happened?” He asked.

“Nothing.”

“You’re bleeding.” I glanced down and saw blood stains on my white dress, blood was running from my nose.

“I’m fine.”

“I don’t care, just finish what you came here to do.”

“Gladly,” I said and continued.

I pushed my power deeper, the silver light around my hands grew brighter and the shadow screamed. The warrior screamed with it. Kael’s grip tightened.

“Lyra!”

“Don’t let him move,” I said.

Kael said nothing and simply obeyed.

For nearly an hour, I fought the darkness inside the warrior, and when it finally broke, the room fell silent. The warrior’s body went limp. His eyes slowly returned to their normal color. His wolf had come back.

I pulled my hands away, and exhaustion hit me immediately. I nearly fell, but strong arms caught me. I froze at his touch, but didn’t wait to feel more.

“Don’t.”

And without looking back and with my head held high, I left the chamber.