All Chapters of The Man I Buried : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Lyra POV Every morning in the village usually started quietly.But not today.The training grounds were already alive with noises—warriors sparring, metal clashing, wolves laughing between drills. Ever since the Northern Crescent Pack started testing the borders, the entire pack moved with sharper energy. Every patrol doubled. Every training session longer.And apparently… every Alpha more stubborn.“Absolutely not.”Kael’s voice was very firm, arms crossed across his chest as he stood in the middle of the council hut.I stared at him.“You didn’t even let me finish,” I said.“I didn’t need to.”“That’s not how conversations work.”His jaw tightened.“Yes, it is especially when the answer is obvious.”I folded my arms, mirroring his posture.“Obvious to who?”“To anyone with senses.”“Meaning you?”“Meaning me.”I blinked slowly.The bond between us pulsed faintly, carrying his irritation straight into my chest. Unfortunately for him, it also carried mine straight back.Outside the

Lyra POV The forest always felt different at night.During the day it belonged to the pack—training paths, patrol routes, voices and movement everywhere. But at night, when the moon rose and the wind moved softly through the leaves, it felt quieter. Like the world had stepped back and left the space just for us.Kael walked beside me along the narrow trail, his shoulder occasionally brushing mine as we moved through the trees.The bond between us hummed gently.It had become something constant now. Not overwhelming like when we first realized what we were to each other, but steady.Like a heartbeat.Neither of us had spoken much since leaving the village.But silence with Kael was never awkward.It was… peaceful.We reached the small clearing we had found days ago—the one where the almost-kiss had happened before the pack call interrupted us.Moonlight spilled across the grass, turning everything silver.Kael stopped walking.“So,” I said lightly, crossing my arms. “You brought me t

Lyra POV The village didn’t feel like itself anymore.Everything had shifted overnight.Where there had once been open movement and easy laughter, there was now structure. Order. Watchfulness. Warriors lined the main paths in rotating shifts, their presence a constant reminder that the threat was no longer distant.It was here.And everyone felt it.I stood at the edge of the training grounds, arms crossed, watching as groups of warriors cycled through combat drills. The air was thick with effort—boots hitting packed earth, the crack of wood against wood, the sharp exhale of controlled strikes.Kael was in the center of it all.Sweat darkened his shirt, his movements sharp and precise as he sparred with one of the senior warriors. Every strike he delivered carried weight—controlled, but powerful.Focused.Relentless.Since the announcement yesterday, everything had intensified.His training.His responsibilities.As Alpha.The title followed him now, even when no one said it out lou

Lyra POV The forest was quiet.Truly quiet. Not the kind of stillness that carried tension, like before patrols or council meetings, but the kind that felt soft, like the world had slowed down just for us.Kael and I had slipped away after the last training session. The pack was busy—war preparation, border patrols, Elders coordinating supplies—and for the first time in days, I felt like the weight of everything could be set aside.We walked hand in hand along the narrow trail, our fingers intertwined so naturally that it felt like part of me belonged there. The bond hummed warmly between us, not sharp, not urgent—just steady. Safe and familiar.We reached our clearing. Moonlight spilled across the grass, catching in Kael’s hair. He looked up from where he had been kneeling briefly to check a small path marker, and when he saw me, his expression softened in a way that made my chest tighten.“Lyra,” he said quietly.“Yes?” I whispered back.He didn’t answer at first. He just stood an

Lyra POV The night was still.Too still.The village had quieted for the evening. Fires burned low in the council clearing, their glow casting long, flickering shadows across the packed earth. Warriors were tucked away in their quarters or patrolling in pairs along the borders. Even the wind seemed to have softened, as if the world itself was holding its breath.I stood at the edge of the forest, just beyond the outermost watchtower, watching the shadows stretch across the training fields. The tension of the day hung in the air, thick and heavy, pressing in on me with every breath.Kael was beside me. Silent, watchful, his presence a steadying weight I could feel through the bond. We had spent hours today reviewing the patrol rotations, double-checking supply lines, and inspecting the defensive positions along the northern border. Every step, every glance had been measured, careful, purposeful. But now, finally, the last duty of the day was over, and all that remained was this—jus