Capítulo 2: Broken Memories

The night’s chill wrapped around me like a shroud when I closed my eyes. I didn’t want to open them. I didn’t want to face the reality of what had just happened.

But even in the darkness, my mind gave me no respite.

The memory came back with cruel clarity.

It was the night of Rowan’s appointment as Alpha. The celebration was at its peak, with the Moonfang pack displaying its power and wealth before its guests.

Music echoed through the grand hall, laughter mingled with the clinking of glasses, and the scent of spices hung in the air.

I didn’t feel well. My body felt strange, heavy, as if something were clouding my senses.

I searched for Rowan in the crowd, but he was busy with the other Alphas, basking in his newly acquired power. His eyes had barely sought me out all night.

“Calista,” I murmured, leaning on her arm when I found her. “I don’t feel well…”

Her face lit up with a concerned smile.

“Oh, poor Lyra. Let me help you. Come, I’ll take you to rest.”

I didn’t think to question her. She was my stepsister.

She guided me through the corridors of the pack’s territory. My head was spinning, my skin was burning, and an unbearable dizziness made me stumble with every step.

“We’re almost there,” Calista whispered sweetly.

I felt a mattress beneath me as she laid me down on a bed. Her soft hands tucked my hair behind my ear.

“Rest, sister,” she whispered.

Then, darkness took everything away.

Until the touch of warm skin against mine snapped me out of my lethargy.

No…

My heart pounded as my eyes flew open. A man was beside me, his arm resting on my waist, his breathing slow and steady.

I didn’t know him.

It wasn’t Rowan.

My thoughts raced. I jerked away, falling to the floor.

My clothes were disheveled, my mind foggy. What had happened?

“What the hell…?”

A deep murmur snapped me out of my daze.

“Good morning, beautiful.”

My body tensed.

I turned my head quickly, meeting the gaze of a man who was looking at me with a lazy smile. I didn’t know him.

Fear settled in my chest. I jerked away, falling to the floor with a thud.

“Who are you?!” I exclaimed, breathless.

The man sat up calmly, stretching with the laziness of someone who had slept peacefully all night.

“That hurts,” he said, putting a hand to his chest in feigned offense. “Is this how you treat a man after sharing a passionate night?”

An unpleasant chill ran down my spine.

“No! That didn’t happen!”

My voice sounded shrill, desperate. It couldn’t have happened.

The stranger smiled amusedly, leaning toward me with an almost mocking expression.

“Are you sure?” he whispered. “We came here together, looking for a little… distraction.”

I shook my head frantically. No. It couldn’t be true.

“That’s a lie. I… I don’t remember anything.”

“That makes it even more interesting.”

My stomach churned. A whirlwind of emotions was overwhelming me: confusion, fear, rage. It couldn’t be true.

“Tell me the truth!” I demanded desperately.

The man shrugged nonchalantly.

“The truth is, I couldn’t resist when you hinted that you wanted to escape from everything… and everyone.”

“No!” I shouted again. “That’s a lie!”

Horror washed over me as the bedroom door burst open.

Rowan was standing there.

His gaze swept across the scene. His jaw tightened, his eyes darkening with a hatred he had never before directed at me.

“Lyra…” His voice was a sharp whisper.

My lips parted, desperately searching for an explanation, but I didn’t even understand what was happening myself.

Rowan didn’t wait. He didn’t give me a chance to speak.

He turned on his heel and walked away.

That was the beginning of my doom.

“No, wait!” I tried to run after him, but my legs gave way.

The door opened again, and this time it was Calista who entered with a look of feigned surprise.

“Gods, Lyra… What did you do?”

The blow of her betrayal was harder than the fall of my body to the floor.

***

I woke up gasping.

The memory faded, but the despair still vibrated in my skin.

The place was dark, lit only by the fire in a fireplace. The air smelled of burnt wood and old leather.

I wasn’t in the pack’s cell.

I tried to move, but my body protested in pain.

“You’re finally awake.”

That deep, rough voice sent shivers down my spine.

Mikail.

I turned my head slowly and saw him sitting across from me, a glass of liquor in his hand. His presence was suffocating, overwhelming.

His gaze swept over me, analyzing me with an intensity I couldn’t decipher. There was no longer a bond between us, but something in his eyes told me he didn’t see me as just another prisoner.

Curiosity.

It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but it was there.

I watched him cautiously, my body still trembling from the remnants of the memory.

“Why…?” My voice came out raspy, broken.

His expression changed in the blink of an eye.

He leaned forward, his eyes hardening.

“Don’t get your hopes up, Lyra. I’m not interested in saving you.”

His tone was cold, cruel.

My heart sank.

“Then… why am I here?”

Mikail smiled, but there was no warmth in that smile.

“I said it before…”

“You still deserve more suffering,” I seemed to be hearing his cruel words again.

The air grew heavy between us. My body tensed.

Hell wasn’t over. It was just beginning.