CHAPTER FOUR–SLEEPLESS NIGHTS

Lyra's P.O.V.

The drive back to the Lunar Crest Pack territory was long, but inside the car, it felt almost claustrophobic.

On the surface, everything seemed completely normal. Ethan was arguing with the radio, repeatedly trying to skip songs he claimed were ruining his mood, while Maya sat in the backseat showing Elena every single dress receipt as if they were prize ribbons. Elliot kept trying to act as the mediator, occasionally leaning forward from the back to whisper sarcastic comments to Ethan about his driving skills.

I, on the other hand, sat silently in the front passenger seat with my knees pulled up near my chest, staring blindly at the dark trees blurring past the window.

I couldn’t shake the image of that saleswoman from my head. The sharp pause in her movements when she looked at me, the way her breath caught in her throat, and the raw, intense focus in her eyes as her gaze locked straight onto my cheek. It wasn’t the standard awkward stare I usually received from strangers curious about my scar. It was undeniable recognition.

“You have a face I don't think I could ever forget.”

Her words kept repeating in my mind like a broken record, echoing louder than the chatter filling the car. What did she mean by that? Who did I remind her of? Was she just a random woman with a fading memory, or was she a physical link to a past I knew nothing about?

"Hey, space cadet," Ethan’s voice cut through the noise. He reached over and tapped his fingers against my knee, pulling me abruptly back to reality. "Did the mall sap your last two brain cells? You’ve been staring at the pine trees for twenty miles without blinking."

"I'm fine," I lied smoothly, forcing my shoulders to drop and leaning my head back against the cool glass of the window. "Just exhausted. Trying on twenty dresses takes it out of you."

Ethan gave me a sideways glance, his dark eyebrows pulling together. He knew me far too well to buy my quick excuse completely.  After a moment, he simply shook his head and let it drop. "Right. Well, try not to fall asleep yet. My dad will make me carry all those shopping bags up to your room if you pretend to be unconscious."

I let out a soft, breathy laugh, but the humour didn't reach my heart.

When we finally pulled up the long, winding driveway of the packhouse, the afternoon sun dipped below the horizon, casting deep orange and purple shadows across the courtyard. I stepped out of the car, grabbed my shopping bags from the trunk, and thanked Ethan and Elliot for the ride.

I slipped through the massive wooden front doors, hoping to sneak straight upstairs to my bedroom before anyone noticed I was back. I needed time alone in a quiet room to process the heavy weight sitting in my stomach.

Unfortunately, luck wasn't on my side.

As soon as I stepped into the main living hall, I saw Mum. She was sitting at the long wooden table near the hearth, surrounded by notebooks, ribbon swatches, and half-finished flower arrangements for the upcoming pack solstice gathering. The moment the front door closed, she looked up, her face lighting up instantly.

"There's my girl!" Mum set her crafting shears down and stood up, smoothing her hands over her dress. "Did you find it? Please tell me it was a success. Maya sent me three text messages claiming you looked like royalty, but I need to see it for myself."

Seeing her standing there, with that pure warmth radiating from her eyes, that gentle concern that always hovered whenever I was out of her line of sight, hit me harder than usual.

This was the woman who had held me through every childhood fever. She was the one who had wiped away my tears when I was seven years old and asked why I didn't look like the other kids in the pack. She had made sure every single day of my life that I never felt like an outsider, an orphan, or a charity case. To her, I wasn't just a child found at the border; I was her daughter.

A sudden, overwhelming wave of emotion tightened in my throat. I dropped my heavy shopping bags right onto the floor, rushed across the room, and wrapped my arms tightly around her neck. I buried my face against her shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of sweet lavender and wood-smoke that always meant safety to me.

"Whoa, sweetheart!" Mum laughed softly, surprised by the sudden impact, but her arms wrapped around me instantly, holding me tight against her chest. "Well, aren't you affectionate today? Did the dress shopping go that well?"

"I love you, Mum," I murmured, my voice muffled against her shoulder. "I love you so much. More than you know."

Mum pulled back slightly, holding me at arm's length so she could look into my face. Her gentle green eyes searched mine, a slight line of worry forming between her brows. "Lyra? What's going on? Are you okay?"

"I'm completely fine," I said quickly, forcing a bright smile to smooth over the moment. "I just... I was just thinking on the ride home about how lucky I am. That's all."

Her expression softened into something intensely sweet, her thumb gently reaching up to brush a strand of dark hair away from my cheek.

 "You silly girl. We are the lucky ones. Now, pick your dress before your father comes back from his meeting."

I spent the next half hour in my bedroom putting on a show. I pulled the dark, violet-accented gown out of its protective garment bag, held it up against myself, and twirled around the room. I forced enthusiasm into my voice, gushing about the velvet trim and the fit, doing everything in my power to keep Mum entertained so she wouldn't pick up on the knot sitting deep in my gut.

By the time dinner rolled around, my head was pounding.

The dining hall was noisy, filled with the usual energetic banter of pack leaders and families. Dad sat at the head of the long table, balancing pack territory reports with a forkful of roast chicken.

Every few minutes, his dark eyes would drift over toward me. He had noticed that I was merely pushing my peas around my plate rather than eating, and he noticed that my answers to his questions were unusually brief.

"Everything alright over there, Lyra?" Dad asked casually, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. His tone was light, but his gaze was intent. "You're picking at your food. Is Ethan bothering you again?"

"Hey!" Ethan protested from two seats down, holding up his hands. "I was on my best behaviour today! Ask anyone!"

"I'm just tired, Dad," I offered, giving him a small, reassuring nod. "Long day at the mall. Lots of noise."

Dad stared at me for a long moment, his sharp Alpha instincts clearly picking up on the lingering tension, but he ultimately let it slide. "Alright. Make sure you get some rest tonight."

I excused myself early, kissed both of my parents goodnight, and practically ran up the stairs to my bedroom. I closed the door, locked it, and leaned my back against the heavy wood, letting out a long, shuddering breath.

I took off my clothes, took a steaming hot bath to wash away the anxiety clinging to my skin, and finally dragged my body to bed.

I pulled the blankets up to my chin and stared up at the dark ceiling.

Sleep did not come.

Hours ticked by. The packhouse slowly grew quiet as people turned off their lights and went to bed. Outside my window, the wind rustled softly through the pine trees, but my mind was a chaotic storm.

I rolled onto my side, bringing my hand up to trace the jagged texture of the scar on my right cheek.

Who gave this to me?

Was I attacked as a baby? Was it an accident? Did my birth parents abandon me because of it, or were they trying to protect me from whoever caused me the scar?

And what about that woman in the store? “Someone I knew a very long time ago.” If she recognised my face, did she know who I was and where I came from?

A deep sense of guilt immediately settled over my heart, heavy and suffocating.

Why do I even care? I scolded myself, staring into the dark corner of my room. Cassian and Seraphina gave me a life. They raised me as the Alpha's daughter. They gave me safety, protection, and a family that adores me. Looking into the past is like telling them that their love wasn't enough.

I wanted to bury the thoughts. I wanted to pack them into a box, lock it, and throw away the key. But no matter how hard I pressed my eyes shut, I couldn't erase the feeling that I had just unlocked a door that I couldn't close, no matter how terrified I was of what lay on the other side.

The sky outside my window was just beginning to shift from deep black to a pale, watery blue when my eyes finally grew too heavy to keep open. Exhausted, emotionally drained, and filled with unanswered questions, I finally drifted into a troubled, dreamless sleep.