CHAPTER FIVE-CASSIAN STEPS IN

Cassian's P.O.V.

The sun was barely rising over the jagged mountain peaks, casting long, sharp shadows across the Lunar Crest valley, but the desk lamp in my office was already blazing.

I stood by the wide glass window, staring out over the misty forest near the border, a steaming mug of black coffee resting in my grip. My posture was rigid. My mind was racing.

Behind me, the heavy oak door clicked open, and Beta Adrian stepped into the room, closing it firmly behind him to ensure absolute privacy. His son, Ethan, followed a step behind him, looking remarkably serious for someone who had only been awake for ten minutes.

"You called us early," Adrian noted, leaning against the edge of the leather sofa. "What's going on, Cassian? Border reports?"

"No," I said, my voice quiet but laced with an underlying Alpha edge. I took a slow sip of my coffee, my eyes remaining fixed on the treeline. "Ethan mind-linked me last night after dinner. He said something happened at the mall yesterday."

Adrian turned his gaze toward his son. "Ethan?"

Ethan shifted on his feet, crossing his arms over his chest. "I didn't think much of it at first because Lyra was acting completely normal while we were walking around. But after we left the third shop, Maya pulled me aside while the girls were looking at shoes. She said something weird happened in the dress store."

I turned around, setting my mug down on the mahogany desk with a heavy, echoing clack. "Tell him what Maya said."

"A saleswoman was working the register," Ethan explained. "When Lyra went to pay for her dress, the lady stopped dead in her tracks. Maya said the woman looked at Lyra as if she were seeing a ghost. She specifically kept staring at the scar on Lyra's cheek. She told Lyra that she looked exactly like someone she used to know a long time ago."

Adrian’s eyes narrowed, his protective instincts as Beta flaring instantly. "Did the woman give a name?"

"No," Ethan shook his head. "And Lyra played it off ‌as if nothing had happened. She told the girls she probably just looked like a relative of that lady or something, but on the drive home she remained completely silent and stared out the window the whole time. She seemed upset."

I rubbed a hand over my jaw, a deep crease forming between my brows. For nearly eighteen years, we had raised Lyra under a blanket of protection, shielding her from the unanswered mystery of her origins. We had accepted her as a gift, brought to our border in the dead of night, free from a past.

"Did anyone recognise the saleswoman?" Adrian asked softly. "Could she be a rogue? A scout from a rival pack?"

"I don't know," Ethan admitted. "She just looked like a normal woman working in a boutique. But whatever she said, it hit Lyra hard."

I stood tall, letting my Alpha authority settle firmly over the room. "We handle this carefully. Ethan, you keep a close eye on Lyra. Don't smother her, don't make her feel like she's under surveillance, but do not let her leave the pack territory alone. If she wants to visit ‌that mall again, you go with her."

"Understood, Alpha," Ethan nodded without hesitation.

I turned my focus to Adrian. "Adrian, take two of our sharpest trackers. Go into the city today. Visit that store, find out who was working the register yesterday afternoon, and get me a name. I want a full background check on her by tonight. I want to know where she came from, who her family is, and why she thinks she recognises my daughter."

"Consider it done," Adrian said, his tone shifting into business mode. "Should we inform Seraphina?"

"No," I answered immediately, holding up a hand. "Seraphina loves that girl with everything she has. If she thinks there's a chance someone is coming to claim Lyra, or that Lyra is hurting, it will break her heart. And I won't have Lyra feeling like she's done something wrong simply by existing. We figure out who this woman is first. Then we decide what to do."

"Understood," Adrian nodded. "We'll leave within the hour."

Adrian and his trackers had already slipped out of the city. I spent the remainder of the morning pacing the halls, my mind constantly drifting up toward the top floor where Lyra was still sleeping.

I had stopped Ethan from waking her at ten. My chest ached, thinking my beloved daughter might have spent the entire night lying awake in the dark, wrestling with questions she was too afraid to bring to us.

Around noon, I made my way down to the kitchen. The rich, mouth-watering scent of simmering herbs, roasted garlic, and fresh soup filled the hallway. Seraphina was standing near the large island counter, humming a soft melody while stirring a large pot.

Just as I reached the doorway, I saw Lyra step into the room. She looked drained, wearing an oversized sweater that swallowed her frame, her dark hair pulled into a messy knot. But the moment she saw Seraphina arranging freshly baked pastries on a platter, the tension in her small shoulders dropped.

She didn't announce herself. Instead, Lyra walked up silently and wrapped her arms around Seraphina’s waist from behind, resting her chin on her mother's shoulder.

"Something smells amazing," Lyra murmured.

Seraphina let out a bright laugh, turning around to press a kiss to Lyra's forehead. I stood perfectly still in the hallway, watching my two girls.

"I told the patrol guards to take their morning drills to the eastern fields today," Seraphina said tenderly, handing Lyra a warm pastry. "I wanted the house to be quiet. You looked as if you needed the sleep."

"I did," Lyra admitted, looking down at her hands. She was quiet for a moment before looking back up, her voice thick with emotion. "Mum... thank you. I know I get moody sometimes. Thank you for giving me a  home and for loving me like I was always yours."

I watched as Seraphina pulled her into a tight, fierce embrace. As she held our daughter, Seraphina’s thumb gently brushed over the faint scar on Lyra's cheek. It was a subconscious gesture she always made when she wanted to protect our baby girl. My chest tightened painfully.

Lyra was terrified of hurting us. She was carrying the heavy burden of whatever that saleswoman had triggered in her mind, convinced that seeking answers about her past would make her seem ungrateful for the life we had given her.

I couldn't stand seeing her carry that guilt. I needed to pull her out of her own head, if only for the afternoon.

Deciding to step in, I broadened my shoulders with my heavy Alpha aura and leaned casually against the wooden doorframe.

"Are we holding a secret family summit without the Alpha?" I asked, my voice rumbling with quiet amusement.

Seraphina chuckled, looking over her shoulder. "Only the important ones, Cassian."

I walked across the kitchen floor, my long strides bringing me right beside them. I wrapped my arms around them both, pulling them into a solid, grounding hold. I kissed Seraphina's cheek, then leaned down and nudged Lyra's shoulder playfully.

"Go put your riding boots on," I told Lyra, pulling back with a grin.

Seraphina raised an eyebrow, a fond but confused smile tugging at her lips. "Cassian, you can't be serious. You have the warrior assessments at one o'clock, and the trade delegation from the Silver Pine pack arrives at three."

"They can wait," I said smoothly. "Adrian can watch a bunch of teenagers show off on the training field, and the Silver Pine emissaries can enjoy a few hours in the guest quarters. I’m officially clearing my schedule."

I reached over, grabbing a few apples from the fruit bowl and tossing them into a leather satchel.

"We are saddling up the horses and taking a ride up to Obsidian Ridge," I declared firmly. "The wildflowers are finally in bloom up there. No pack politics, no high school stress, no training schedules. Just the three of us getting some fresh air."

I watched Lyra's reaction closely. The dark shadows in her eyes instantly lifted, replaced by a spark of genuine excitement. For a brief second, she wasn't a girl haunted by a mystery; she was just my daughter, thrilled to spend a day riding with her parents.

"I'll go get my boots and a jacket," Lyra said, a real smile breaking across her face as she hurried toward the stairs.

"Meet us at the stables in ten!" I called after her.

As her footsteps faded up the staircase, I caught Seraphina looking at me. Her eyes were soft, filled with a knowing gratitude. She didn't know the exact details of what had happened at the mall, but she knew I was shielding our daughter from the storm.

Whatever Adrian and his trackers found in the city today, I would handle it.

Lyra wasn't just a lost child found in the snow anymore. She was a Blackwood. She was my blood in every way that mattered. And I would burn the world to the ground before I let anyone or anything from her past tear our family apart.