เข้าสู่ระบบ"The Alpha would like to see you," a maid told me the next morning, "He says it's important and you should hurry,"
I waved my hand dismissively.
"Tell him I'm worn out from last night and I'll meet him once I'm properly rested,"
The maid's mouth fell open, shock spreading through her features.
"A-are you ill my Luna?"
I smiled but it didn't reach my eyes, Had I lowered myself so much that the only way I could refuse the alpha's summoning was If I was physically unable to move?
"I'm not ill," I told my maid,my head pressed back against the pillow. She stood rigidly for a whole minute before slipping out of my chambers.
Not long after I heard pounding footsteps approaching my room. I braced, sitting up just as the door was thrown open nearly flying off the hinges.
"What is the meaning of this, Lyra?"
He threw a document on my lap over the duvet.
I held it up with pretentious confusion before saying blandy, "It's the packs triannual budget review,"
His face flushed red.
"I know what it is!"he snapped digging his fingers through his hair. "But you were supposed to take care of this like you normally do.Was this because of last night? did you really get your feelings hurt because Of a silly game?"
The me of before would have exploded into a violent sobbing mess, but I had cried out all the tears I had left for him last night.
"You know exactly why I filed for this, clearly i'm in the way of you and your true love. Decided it was about time I stepped back And let your romance blossom, and that also means I won't be breaking my back for you anymore."
The veins in his forehead grew visible one after the other until he buried his face into his palms and took a deep breath.
"Alright, I'll accept that last night was too much for you to handle," he sat on the bed and I recoiled from him.
A flash of hurt passed his eyes before he cleared his throat.
"Our anniversary is a week from now isn't it? How about we go to the Alpha cabin to celebrate it? Just the two of us?"
I swept off the duvet and slid off the bed because my stomach had begun to churn.
That day wasn't our anniversary.
Rather it was Ravenna's wolf shifting day, he had mixed up the two.
Not that it made any difference because Ravenna was always the center of attention.
A week went by in the blink of an eye, and I was in the passenger seat completely disconnected from this man and just waiting for the chance to escape.
"Could you wait for a second?"Colt asked unlocking the car door.
"I forgot something inside the Packhouse, I'll be back in a moment."
I gave him a passive shrug of acknowledgment, he sighed but still exited the car.
All week he had been nothing but nice to me, almost to the points that's I was starting to second guess myself.
Was his relationship with Ravenna that bad? Or was I really as insecure as they all claimed?
Before the thought could even settle as though the moon goddess herself was trying to steer me right, I saw his phone light up hit with notification after notification and my instant yelled at me to check.
I'm glad I listened.
It was easy unlocking the phone, the password was written after Ravenna's favorite flower-lilies.
I had not forgotten the grin that went from here to ear when he first told me that he had used MY favorite flowers as his password when it was the one he usually gifted her.
My chest had caved in but I made no complaints.
I thought things would change.
And even though it was a little foolish I had hoped something changed this week.
The first text I saw was a message from a groupchat called 'Boys will be boys' coming from his beta Jaden.
It read; Bro, how can you even get it up when she eats like a whale?
And below it was a picture of me having a meal.
A chill ran from my fingers to my spine but I kept reading.
Another message from his Gamma Rake.
They say Omega women with differences and I thought they meant it positively guess I was wrong.
This time there was a picture of me changing and still half dressed.
And the worst of them all was a nude pic taken from the back. My face was covered but I couldn't say the same for my dignity.
She said; Colt as your brother, I'm willing to sacrifice myself so you'll know how it feels to touch a real woman.
And in all of this Colt never defended me, the best he would do was to tell them to 'cut it off' or 'tone it down' while he pumped the group chat with more vulnerable pictures of me.
If there had been any affection in my heart left for that man it was scalded to the ground.
"Did you miss me?"Colt said as he beamed at me so broadly I nearly punched him.
I didn't respond I just leaned against the windscreen, his scent of rain and musk that calmed me now stirred my wolf with discomfort and I counted the seconds until I would not have to be suffocated by it.
The car rolled into a stop in front of the cabin and no sooner had I stepped out before someone threw their hands over my neck.
"Oh my goddess would you look at that?"it was Ravenna and thankfully she backed away before I made her.
"It's such a coincidence where you guys are using the pack cabin too so were we."
I already knew she would be here, I had read it off from the group chat along with the other horrific messages.
"Really? Such a coincidence, guess there's no problem making the most of it right?"
He looked at me for approval, and I just shrugged from the corner of my eye I watched as his smile felt even as his 'brother' Ravenna embraced him but all I could think about was how the cabin seemed... Off?
Ugh, this is going to be a long weekend.
POV: LyraKael was already waiting in the training yard when I arrived.The sun had barely risen. The air was cold. The warriors were still asleep in their tents.He stood in the center of the yard with a sword in each hand and his eyes fixed on me."You came."I stopped at the edge of the circle."You said you would prove yourself."He nodded."I did."He tossed one of the swords to me.I caught it."Then prove it."---He attacked without warning.I blocked. The steel rang out across the empty yard.He was fast. Faster than he had been during the battle. He moved like water and struck like stone and every blow was aimed at my throat or my ribs or my knees.I blocked.I dodged.I waited.He swung at my head. I ducked and drove my shoulder into his chest. He stumbled back and I pressed forward. My blade stopped an inch from his throat.He smiled."Good."I did not lower the sword."You wanted to test me."He nodded."I did.""And?"He stepped back."You passed."---I lowered the swor
POV: LyraKael grabbed my arm.I spun and drove my fist into his throat.He staggered back with a gasp. His warriors lunged. Jaden intercepted one. Vara blocked another.The great hall erupted.I did not shift.I did not need to.I caught the first warrior by the collar and threw him into the wall. The second came at me with a blade. I caught his wrist and twisted until I heard the bone crack. He screamed and dropped.Kael was on his knees with his hand pressed to his throat."Stop," he choked.The fighting paused.I stood over him with my hands still raised and my eyes burning silver."You touched me."He looked up at me."I was trying to get your attention.""You could have said my name."He coughed."I did. You did not hear me."---I stared at him.The hall was silent. The warriors on both sides stood frozen with their weapons raised and their eyes fixed on us.I lowered my hands."Everyone out."They stared at me."Now."They filed out of the hall.Jaden was the last to leave. He
POV: LyraKael stood across from me in the center of the battlefield.His sword was drawn. His eyes were cold. His warriors formed a circle around us.The fighting had stopped.The Bloodmoon pack had retreated to the edges of the field. My warriors held their positions. The wounded moaned in the grass. The dead lay where they had fallen."You wanted this," I said.Kael smiled."I did."He circled me slowly."You wanted to prove yourself. You wanted to show the packs that you are worthy of the crown. You wanted to earn their loyalty."I turned with him."And you wanted to destroy me."He nodded."I did."He stopped."Because you are everything I hate. You are a northern queen who came south and claimed what was not yours. You are a wolf who wears a crown she did not earn. You are a leader who thinks she can unite the packs with words and smiles and empty promises."I met his eyes."And you are a wolf who would rather fight than build. A wolf who would rather destroy than create. A wolf
POV: LyraThe messenger arrived at dawn.He rode through the camp gates on a horse that was foaming at the mouth and trembling with exhaustion. He dismounted before the animal had fully stopped and stumbled toward the great hall with a scroll clutched in his hand.I was already awake.I had been awake for hours.The fire in my tent had burned down to embers and the sky outside was still dark when I heard the hooves. I pulled on my boots and stepped outside just as the messenger reached the steps.He dropped to his knees."High Alpha."I took the scroll from his hand."Eat. Rest. We will speak after."He nodded and collapsed against the stone.---I broke the seal and read.High Alpha Lyra,The Bloodmoon pack has declared war. They have gathered warriors from across the southern territories. They have sworn to destroy the alliance and crown their own High Alpha.They march north. They will reach the border in two weeks.We need you.Alpha Marcus, Southern Territories---I read it twic
POV: LyraThe challenge came at midday.I was training with Vara in the center of the camp when a wolf stepped out of the crowd and threw a blade at my feet.The blade stuck in the dirt.The camp went silent.I looked up.He was tall. Broad. His arms were covered in scars and his eyes were cold and hard. He wore the mark of the Bloodmoon pack on his chest."My name is Torin," he said.I straightened."I know who you are."He smiled. It was not a kind smile."You have been here for two weeks. You have trained with our warriors. You have eaten at our tables. You have slept under our roofs."I said nothing."But you are not one of us. You are not Bloodmoon. You are not a southern wolf. You are a northern queen who thinks she can walk into our camp and claim our loyalty."I met his eyes."I have not claimed anything."He laughed."You have claimed everything. You have claimed our Alpha's ear. You have claimed our warriors' respect. You have claimed a place at our fires."He stepped closer
POV: LyraThe blade came within an inch of my throat.I caught the wrist and twisted. The knife clattered to the stone floor. I drove my elbow into the attacker's chest and heard the breath leave their lungs in a rush.They hit the ground hard.I pinned them with my knee and looked down at their face.Vara.She stared up at me with wide eyes and blood on her lip."You," I said.She did not struggle."I had to know."I pressed my knee harder into her chest."Know what?"She met my eyes."If you could be killed."---I held her there for a long moment.The camp was silent. The warriors who had been watching from the shadows stepped forward. Jaden burst out of his tent with his sword drawn and his eyes wild."Lyra—""I am fine."He stopped.Vara did not look away from me."You left your flank open," she said. "You have been here for a week and you still do not know the camp. You still do not know who watches you. You still do not know who wants you dead."I released her.She sat up slowl







