Chapter 1

LYRA’S POV

The chirping sounds of the birds can be heard from my bedroom window, marking the break of dawn. I yawn and take my sweet time stretching on my luxurious king-sized Baldacchino supreme bed. It’s a masterpiece, and I love it.

Standing up to my full height, I do a little tap with my feet and twirl in excitement. It’s my birthday today, and Dad finally agreed to grant my request to take Kade on a couple’s trip to the Canary Islands.

The past few years have been quite a wait for me. I mean, I’ve loved Kade for as long as I can remember, since we were kids. I could count the number of people I loved in this life: my awesome dad, who would come knocking in a bit; he never missed this morning routine of his; my lovely mum; Cassie, my best friend; and then Kade, who is going to be my husband.

Oh, thank you, moon goddess, for granting me such love and a stress-free life. I giggle.

If I weren’t me, I would envy me.

Knock, knock

“Come in,” I sing out blissfully with a smile on my face

“Dad,” I croon with my smile still on my face

“My little cupcake,” he smiles at me, walking over.

Stretching my arm to hug him, he embraces me tightly. His woody scent with a touch of sea breeze envelops me, making me close my eyes in comfort. Dad has been my source of strength, and I say this not because I am in any way trying to score Dad points, but because he helps boost my confidence daily, even when I shouldn’t have any.

The thing is, I am sixteen years old now, and I have yet to have my first shift. Most werewolves my age have shifted already.

While it shouldn’t be a thing of worry for certain werewolves from other geographical locations, as a werewolf from the North, our first shift happens at age twelve.

It so happens that if I do not shift this coming full moon, I just might be among the unclassified, leaving me on a rank below an omega.

For an Alpha’s daughter, it doesn’t speak well for me in the council. A pretty face without a wolf was a precipice for disaster, especially to an Alpha who didn’t have a male heir.

I hear the whispers when I walk into the throne room to join the council of elders. They are getting bolder now that they do not even halt their conversations when I walk in. They stop when my father does; after all, he is the Alpha king of the blood moon pack.

Dad scruffles my hair, and I groan, breaking off the embrace, pouting.

“Come on, Dad, I’m not a child anymore,” I whine.

“Yeah, Yeah. You will always be my child, cupcake. Happy birthday, sweetheart,” he says, walking towards my door as one of the maids walks in.

“Thanks, Dad,” I call out. I am already sitting in front of my vanity mirror, checking out my color palette and looking for the killer eye look to complement my dress today.

After a very hard time choosing a casual, appropriate outfit for the day, I decided to go with a white flowing gown. Besides, there was still time for the mini party mum would be throwing for me at noon, and by 5 pm, Kade and I would be off to the airport.

I still can’t hold my excitement as I dial Cassie’s number while I absently watch the maidservant make my bed.

It’s the fourth ring, and she isn’t picking up. I’m getting bored, and I need that dopamine rush for real. Today was special, and I have had months and months of planning every single detail with Kade.

Perhaps she is busy in the pack house, I thought. Without further thought, I put on my newest gold-plated sandal that was recently added to my sandal collection and walked out of the room.

I found Mum in the kitchen inspecting the food while passing some orders to the kitchen staff. Sneaking up behind her was easy, or so I thought.

“I can smell you from a mile away, munchkin,” she says, holding my hands as I embrace her from behind.

“Good morning, Mum.”

“Happy birthday, darling,” he smiles, turning round to give me a peck.

I smile with a blush climbing up my cheeks.

“Thank you, Mum,” I respond.

We get around to discussing whether I am packed and ready for the trip, which I respond to while making coffee.

Dad also joins us for breakfast and starts discussing werewolf business, which I zone out of.

I am getting slightly anxious because I have tried reaching Cassie via text too, but got no response, which was super strange; she hasn’t even wished me a happy birthday. Same for Kade.

Mum must have noticed my demeanor because she called my name with a slight frown.

“It's probably nothing, but I can’t seem to reach Cassie or Kade. They ought to have called me by now; we always wished each other happy birthday messages on our birthdays.”

“Maybe they are occupied or planning a surprise for you,” Mum cheered.

I nodded slightly because it seemed plausible. I love surprises, but I was getting impatient. Just when I thought I was losing my marbles at their silence, I remembered I had a locator app set for Kade and me. Well, it wasn’t to be cringe or anything; I mean, Kade loves me, and everyone in the pack knows that. It was mostly for me since I didn’t have my wolf yet, and it would help me access Kade easily when I needed him.

I rushed through what was left of my pea and bacon omelette and took a last swig of my coffee, then reached for my phone.

I tried Kade’s line again; this time it went straight to voicemail.

I’m getting pissed as it is, so I stand up to excuse myself, not without giving Mum and Dad a hug.

The walk to Kade’s was quite long today. I practically stopped every two seconds to respond to every pack member’s congratulatory wishes and made a few comments here and there.

His car was still parked in his driveway, so I knew he was inside. Well, whatever made him miss wishing me a happy birthday had better be worth it.

I was about to knock, but I didn’t want to ruin my surprise, so I turned the knob. Surprisingly, his door wasn’t locked.