Chapter 3

       LYRA VALERIA.

       

       

       Alpha Viking came as my guardian angel and saved me from the pains and torments of this world.

       The day he gave me his hands to take, I had no idea how much of a change taking his hand that day would bring to me.

       After his men chased me down and accused me of stealing their food, Alpha Viking, the Alpha of a thriving and fearful pack known as the Viking pack stepped forward and saw through me. And saved me.

       

       Viking was an old man, with graying hair. He took me in and I don't know what he saw in me that day but he believed in me. 

       

       "You are going to be the greatest woman, Lyra," he said to me one day in her s throne room "and your sons, they are going to be the greatest warriors ever."

       

       Alpha Viking had lost his wife and only son to a war with pegans ten years ago. This has made him become ro ruthless and merciless. But he said when he saw me and my sons, something in him changed that day.

       

       Viking took me in like I was the daughter he never heard, and my sons like his grandsons.

       I learned to fight with his many men. And soon, I started going on boats with him to discover what Viking called "freedom." 

       A promised land that's better than the North, he'd say. 

       

       But unfortunately, ten years later, Viking fell ill and on his sick bed, he asked to be taken to the throne room as he had announcements to make.

       

       On the throne, I could see how his crown struggled to fit his head, how his eyes struggled to stay open as he scanned the faces surrounding him.

       

       Alpha Viking May have been a ruthless man but he was loved nonetheless by his people.

       Because he had a way of ruling his people even when they feared him. He was their savior as he was mine.

       "As you all know, my time is here," he started with a trembling voice "and it is tradition that as the eerl and Alpha of this great nation, I pass on my position to someone else."

       

       My heart hammered ony chest as he says so. Would his demise cause some kind of rebellion? I am still an outcast after all and it is not doubt some of these men here still don't accept me as one of them even after ten years.

       

       He puts his hands out towards Nolan and Kieran who stood aside watching. They walk to him and he takes their hands before looking directly at me.

       

       "It has been an honor having a woman like you fighting my battles with me, Lyra," he said and I give him a small smile "and with the power bestowed on me, I hereby make Lyra Valeria the next eerl and Alpha of the Vikings!"

       

       My heart stopped for a second. What? Why did he not tell me his plans before? I feel a bell ringing in my ears as all eyes turns to me.

       

       Then the room erupted in a loud cheers. Before I knew it, I'm being carried up to the throne.

       

       Standing in front of Viking, I beamed a smile and whisper "thank you, Alpha."

       

       As I watched the crowd cheering me on that evening as I addressed the entire city as the new Alpha, I wondered how I'd come this far to become an Alpha and leader for a nation as vast as this one, how I'd been casted out by my own mate, only to end up as the Alpha of a group like this.

       

       

       That night, Alpha Viking died.

       

           

           

           

           SEVEN YEARS LATER.

           

           

           

           The trampoline covering the tent's exit split open and Cleo, one of my men walks in, urgency in every step he took till he reached me.

           

           "Alpha!" He calls with a quick bow of his head before looking back at me "you need to see this."

           I stand up and follow him out without question.

           

           

           It has been two days since we arrived at the northern border, waiting on the rival pack claiming a territory that clearly belonged to the late Alpha Viking. His enemies thought his demise would be the end of them, so they could gawk on what belonged to him when he was alive but they thought wrong.

           

           It's snowy and extremely cold, so I could understand why our opponent hasn't arrived since yesterday to either make a truce or start a war.

           

          At the middle of the camp, I noticed my men standing around something. The way paves as I arrive, revealing someone collapsed on the ground. I close in to see it was a young boy, a little bit older than my sons, an arrow through his chest, his dirty clothes soaked with blood.

          

          "Why are you all just standing there?! Help him!" I scream, attempting to turn around but to my surprise, the boy grabbed my arm, holding me back.

          

          "Please..." He stammered "you need to save her..... you can't let them take her...." His hand is pointing forward.

          

          "Who attacked you and where is your pack?" I ask him.

          He tries to speak but blood kept splurting out of his mouth so I moved closer to hear me properly.

          

          

          "Come on men! We need to be somewhere right now!" I tell my men once I've gotten the needed information from him and my men and I set course immediately.

          

          A few seconds later, we came across a burning camp filled with what I presume to be rogues scattering through, slaughtering men like they were chickens and goats.

          

          I felt infuriated and threw my sword from where I stood onto the chest of the man attempting to slaughter a woman.

          

          This forces the rest of the men to a stop. And they foolishly charged at us on seeing us.

           

          

          

          While my men fought them, I searched the tents to find the pregnant woman that the little boy had asked me to save, praying to the gods that I'm not too late.

          

          But I was too late. When I got into the tent, I came across a man walking out, the young woman's bloodied body laying on the ground behind him.

          

          Furiously, I slash his neck with my sword before running to the woman's aid.

          

          Her beautiful green eyes opens to see me and she smiles lightly "please, save my baby." She managed to say before her eyes shut close.

          

          Without wasting a moment, I opened her up and saved her child.

          Pulling the robe over the child, I hurry back out.

          

          "Is that everyone?" I ask Cleo once I reached outside and he nodded. 

          The few remaining people were saved and kept on the side. 

          

          Just then, we hear horses in the distance and I remained behind my men.

          

          They come to a stop, and a man leading them jumps off his horse.

          

          "Surrender, now!" He roared at us, like we were the enemy. I didn't know if I should blame his ignorance or not?

          

          Did he think we killed these people? Are they his men?

          

          Giving the child to one of my men, I walked out to him. Surprisingly, he's awfully handsome, and strong, and angry, and...... hurt.

          

          "Is that a way to say thank you?" I ask him, then add "you're welcome."

          

          "What did you do?!" He's breathing uncontrollably as he points his sword at my chest. And I finally understood his rage. These people were his people. 

          

          "We saved your people?" I reply him harshly "you came too late. Your little boy came across my camp and cried for help!"

          

          His hand instantly goes limp and his sword drops to the ground. He looked to be trying to take this all in. 

          

          I walk back and take the baby from my man, walked back and presented her to him. He didn't seem to believe his eyes at first when he saw the baby. As if a new found pain hit him. His mouth opened a few times but he didn't seem to have the right words.

          

          "Where...." He gingerly runs a hand through his hair "where's her mother?" 

          

          His voice is broken as his lips quavered. And suddenly, it all made sense to me.

          

          "I'm sorry," I tell him sympathetically "she asked me to save her daughter."

          

          

          His eyes quickly changes to a bright red as pain stretched through it. He carefully accepts the baby into his arms and as if she recognized his arm, she instantly started crying.

          

          "Come on, " I say to my men as I walked back to them and climbed my horse.

          

          "Thank you." His voice calls after me, just before I started my horse, forcing me into a pause.

          

          I turn slightly back to watch him from underneath my hair. And just by merely looking at him, seeing the pain written in his beautiful blue eyes, I wondered what kind of things he has been through, what kinds of things he has seen.

          

          I nodded without a word, and turned away. I pat my horse and it started walking, my men following behind.

          

          "What's your name?" He calls after me again.

          

          As if I'd been waiting for him to ask, I quickly bring my horse to a stop, turning around once again to see him properly this time.

          

          "Lyra." I tell him before starting my horse and taking off.

          

          I wish I'd just walked away and never told him my name. Because that small gesture would be the beginning of the biggest ruin of his life.

          

          And mine. 

          

              

      THANE.

      

      

      "As the acting Alpha, while my brother is off to war, I say that we nuke our enemies territory and strike first." I say to the silent room.

      

      Everyone looked blankly at me like I had suddenly grown two heads.

      

      "Are you out of your mind, Thane?" Rogan finally speaks, disappointment in his voice.

      

      "I'm sorry, Rogan, if you had a better plan I'd like to hear it." I tell him furiously. I am done sitting here and having to listen to these old men who knows nothing about this days wars. 

      I know they all hated that I'm telling them what to do.

      

      My older brother, Casper was the Alpha but after going off to fight three weeks ago, he put me in charge. Unknown to us all, the Border rogues would attack the city three nights ago. 

      

      I have gone and met with their leader yesterday and it hadn't gone as planned. They have refused to surrender their weapons so their lives will be spared. Instead, they demanded we surrender part of our lands to them.

      

      They are very much in number. They're like zombies inflicting plague on to our lands.

      

      Only I knew what I saw after meeting with them yesterday and these old men wouldn't allow me play this my way? Screw their old asses.

      

      "The Luna is arriving tomorrow, Thane," Rogan says "and she's already on the roads for the past two days. She is with child for goodness sake. Are we supposed to risk her life by starting a fight today?! She is with child!"

      

      "I care about the Luna's life, Rogan, as well as the baby growing inside her. I believe we all are aware of the reason why she is on her way here right now as we speak......."

      

      "That is besides the point, Thane," Stephan cuts me off "the truth remains that starting this war, without your brother's consent will only lead to ruin!"

      

      "My brother is at the south, fighting! Am I supposed to just sit passively and do nothing to help his people? Our people? I have made my choice and that is final. Later today at dusk, we attack."

      

      That said, I walk out of the conference room.

      

      On getting out, one of the guards nearly bumped into me as he ran.

      

      "Thane...." He's breathing harshly. 

      

      "What is the problem?" I ask him with gritted teeth, feeling strangely about whatever he is going to tell me.

      

      "It's the Luna......" He says breathlessly "she has been sighted. She isn't the only one sighted."

      

      The enemies.

      

      With gritted teeth, I complete for him "rogues."

      "Get the horses ready," I say as I turn back towards my room to get ready.

      

      As we rode through the cold morning, my heart pondered in my chest as I thought of what would happen if I was a minute late.

      

      If something happened to Marlia, I would never forgive myself.

      

      When I walked into that tent with her baby in my arms and saw her lifeless body laying on the ground, I realized I would never be able to forgive myself even if I tried.

      

      And this only meant one thing: the war I tried to much to keep from happening has just started.

      

      And when I walked back out of the tent, it was her face that I was seeing.

      

      That woman.

      

      Lyra.