Lyra's POVThe fire did almost nothing to make me warmer, but I sat next to it anyway. My legs were stretched out. I was alone near the edge of the makeshift camp and my arms wrapped protectively around my belly. The vampires moved like shadows around me, dismantling and preparing for whatever came next. Their silence unnerved me more than their snarls ever could. They didn’t eat food, didn’t talk much, and only came alive during the hunt.Lisa’s voice broke my thoughts. “Hungry?” she asked, her grin sharp and unsettling. She held out a bowl of something I couldn’t identify. It smelled sharp and bitter, like crushed leaves and dirt.I shook my head quickly. “No, thank you,” I said, my voice tight. My stomach churned at the thought of eating anything they prepared.Lisa’s grin widened. “You need to eat. For the babies,” she said, shoving the bowl closer to me. Her tone was playful, but her eyes shone with something darker. “Don’t insult me by refusing.”Reluctantly, I reached out an
Lyra's POVRylan swung down from his horse with practiced ease, his sharp eyes scanning the camp. The sight of him, broad-shouldered and fierce, sent a surge of hope and relief through me. For a moment, I forgot everything—the vampires, the danger, even my fear—and my feet moved instinctively toward him.“Rylan!” I shouted, my voice trembling. But before I could take more than a few steps, a cold, unyielding hand gripped my arm, halting me. I turned to find Lisa staring at me with an amused smirk, though her grip was anything but playful.“What do you think you're doing, pretty preggy girl?” She asked in that slightly funny but chilling way. “Not so fast, Lyra,” Raphael’s deep voice cut through the tension, smooth but laced with authority. He stepped forward, his presence commanding as always. The faint moonlight caught the sharp angles of his face, and his piercing blue eyes locked onto me. “You have no right to leave,” he said, his tone calm but firm. “Not until I say so.”My hear
Lyra's POVThe halls of the pack house were filled with pack members who had come for the memorial of the royal loss.As the Luna of the Blood Nest pack and the one whose son had been snatched by death, I was surrounded by the female werewolves of the pack in my chambers. The beta's wife and the gamma's wife were present. They sat by my side and they consoled me. My eyes were wet with tears and for the umpteenth time, I wondered if there was no way the moon goddess could restore my precious son back to me.“This is not how I had imagined my life as Luna,” I said to no one in particular, tears welling up in my eyes once again.The gamma's wife, Sterling, patted my back.“It's already a year since your son joined the moon goddess. You can't change what has been. Perhaps you should stop mourning him.”I shook my head vehemently, refusing her comfort.“How can I have my first and only child snatched from me by death? I'll always remember. He was the heir to the Blood Nest! How can I forge
Lyra's POV My legs trembled as I continued to punch the tree stump, letting out my frustration as I did.The woods were silent except for the occasional chirping of birds. With every strike, I felt the tears running down my cheeks. I brushed off the tears and continued, beating my palms against the tree until it was bloody.Damian, my fated mate and now ex-husband had picked my best friend, Eloisa to be his new partner and he had done this on the day of our son's death anniversary.I was here in a rogue pack where I'd come to stay with Rylan, the leader of the pack who was an enemy of Damian. I would get my revenge in due time by forming an alliance with Damian's enemy, Rylan.I didn't know how long I'd been hitting the tree stump when I heard my name.“Lyra.”I froze, the sound sending a chill down my spine. I turned to see Damian, standing a few feet away, arms crossed, his eyes cold as ever.How did he find me? How had he known I'd be in the woods at the rogue pack?I turned to fa
Lyra's POVWe returned back to the rogue camp when it was almost nightfall. Rylan had managed to help me come awake minutes after I'd fainted. It was cold and I pulled my cloak tightly around me, the cold wind from the mountains biting through my skin as we walked. My heart pounded in my chest, even though I tried to act like I wasn’t affected by what had just happened in the woods.But I had Rylan now. He had promised to help me—help me get the revenge I needed. I clung to that promise like a lifeline."I'd never let him get so close again," he said repeatedly."It wasn't your fault. I wanted some time alone in the woods. I didn't think he'd find me," I said."If I hadn't come there on time, he'd have forced you to go with him back to the Blood Nest pack."The sincerity of the words made me shiver.When we reached the camp, there was an open fire to warm ourselves against.Rylan led me to the fire and helped me settle on the ground.He pulled back, his hands cupping my face. His gaz
Lyra's POVI stayed in the tent for long as the fighting outside continued. There were shouting and then there were footsteps of running. And then there was snarling, but no one came to the tent where I was. I was safe inside.After a while, I got tired of waiting inside. The fighting had stopped and I was sure it was safe outside.I stepped out of the tent, pulling the cloak tighter around my shoulders. The camp was quieter now, save for the crackle of fire in the distance and the low murmurs of the rogues.I didn’t know where I was going. Perhaps, to find Rylan, the one under whose protection I was.There was a tent at the far edge of the camp, set apart from the others. It looked older, the fabric fraying at the edges and its entrance draped with beaded curtains that clinked together softly in the wind. I hadn’t noticed it before, but something about it now drew me. I was supposed to be looking for Rylan. Apparently, the camp had been attacked by another faction of rogues, but I su
Lyra's POV How did Damian make it into the rogue camp once again without being hurt?Had it been him leading the attack earlier?Damian’s eyes stayed on me, dark and cold, and I could see in his eyes, fury. His fury made me want to laugh too. To slap him across the face and curse him for leaving his seeds inside of me when I ought to be planning better ways to bring him down.“You didn’t think you could hide this from me forever, did you?” Damian’s voice cut through the silence, laced with fury and something else I couldn’t quite place. Possession. "I don't wish to set my eyes on you, Damian—""You’re pregnant with my children." His words were a statement, not a question. His hand reached out, hovering near my abdomen like he thought he had the right to touch me, to claim them.Rylan’s low growl rumbled behind me, a clear warning, and I stepped back, breaking Damian’s gaze. "They’re not just yours," I said, my voice firmer than I felt. "They’re mine, too. Don’t forget that."And how
Damian's POVI sat in my office, my hands clasped together on the polished oak desk, my head bowed under the weight of thoughts I couldn't escape. The office was too quiet, the hum of the fireplace offering no real comfort. Even the crackle of flames seemed to mock me, a reminder of the warmth I no longer felt.“We're in a mess. Let's think up ways we can get her back. If Rylan is not letting her out of his sight, that's real trouble.”It was my wolf. I sighed.It had been weeks since Lyra left. Perhaps, I'd not expected things to play out the way they'd eventually played out. How had I let Eloisa get under my flesh and make me do the things I'd done?Until the moment Lyra had left the pack in her humiliation, it hadn't occurred to me how much pain I'd be going through without her. I ran a hand through my hair, groaning softly. The day she'd left replayed in my mind like a nightmare on repeat. I hadn’t realized how far I'd gone astray until it was too late. Eloisa. Her name was a bi
Lyra's POVRylan swung down from his horse with practiced ease, his sharp eyes scanning the camp. The sight of him, broad-shouldered and fierce, sent a surge of hope and relief through me. For a moment, I forgot everything—the vampires, the danger, even my fear—and my feet moved instinctively toward him.“Rylan!” I shouted, my voice trembling. But before I could take more than a few steps, a cold, unyielding hand gripped my arm, halting me. I turned to find Lisa staring at me with an amused smirk, though her grip was anything but playful.“What do you think you're doing, pretty preggy girl?” She asked in that slightly funny but chilling way. “Not so fast, Lyra,” Raphael’s deep voice cut through the tension, smooth but laced with authority. He stepped forward, his presence commanding as always. The faint moonlight caught the sharp angles of his face, and his piercing blue eyes locked onto me. “You have no right to leave,” he said, his tone calm but firm. “Not until I say so.”My hear
Lyra's POVThe fire did almost nothing to make me warmer, but I sat next to it anyway. My legs were stretched out. I was alone near the edge of the makeshift camp and my arms wrapped protectively around my belly. The vampires moved like shadows around me, dismantling and preparing for whatever came next. Their silence unnerved me more than their snarls ever could. They didn’t eat food, didn’t talk much, and only came alive during the hunt.Lisa’s voice broke my thoughts. “Hungry?” she asked, her grin sharp and unsettling. She held out a bowl of something I couldn’t identify. It smelled sharp and bitter, like crushed leaves and dirt.I shook my head quickly. “No, thank you,” I said, my voice tight. My stomach churned at the thought of eating anything they prepared.Lisa’s grin widened. “You need to eat. For the babies,” she said, shoving the bowl closer to me. Her tone was playful, but her eyes shone with something darker. “Don’t insult me by refusing.”Reluctantly, I reached out an
Lyra's POVThey were all looking at me and that made me both scared and confused.“What's going on?” I asked, my voice coming out in a small whisper.There was no response. They all seemed to be alert for something coming.Lisa stood there, pale as a ghost, her eyes glinting with something cruel and unspoken. Her lips curled into a grin that chilled me far more than the night ever could. It wasn’t just eerie; it was a warning.I fought to steady my voice.“What… what do you want?” Even to my ears, my words trembled. I hated that she could see my fear, but how could I mask it? I was alone, surrounded by vampires whose power eclipsed mine in every possible way. My heart started to beat faster as Lisa’s laughter shattered the quiet night, harsh and jarring against the darkness.“Oh, nothing, dear. Nothing at all.” Her words dripped with mockery. Without another word, she turned and melted into the shadows. I pressed a hand to my belly instinctively, as if my touch could shield my unbor
Rylan's POVRoy didn't let me have time alone without his small voice inside telling me what to do and what not to do.I didn't get any sleep the entire night before we moved camp, because it was one of those nights that I felt way too much apprehension to be fully settled.The camp stirred with its usual chaos, packing up, arguing over who stole whose share of supplies, as the members packed up for us to move camp.But there was something wrong. Something I couldn't ignore.My eyes swept the crowd, looking for her unmistakable figure. When I didn’t see her, a cold weight settled in my gut."Have you seen Lyra?" I asked Finn, the wiry kid who always seemed to know everyone’s business.He blinked up at me, his expression confused."No, Alpha. I thought she was in her tent."I didn’t respond, already moving toward her tent. The dread in my stomach only deepened when I reached it. It wasn’t just empty—it was stripped clean, every trace of her gone. It was as if she’d never been there at
Lyra's POVMy heart pounded in my chest as I packed my belongings. I kept my movements quiet, careful not to wake anyone in the pack house. The words Alexis had spoken earlier that night echoed in my mind, sharp and unyielding.“Maybe leaving is a way of accepting defeat. You probably shouldn't,” Snow tried to cajole me.I couldn’t argue. But I knew my presence had only complicated things. The unrest among the rogues was evidence enough. As much as I hated being cast out, I knew Alexis wasn’t entirely wrong. If my leaving could keep the rogues united, then I would bear the pain of it.“Well, unless she actually has eyes on Rylan and you're a threat to what she feels for him.” Snow insisted.“No way,” I muttered to myself as I got on with packing a few important items.“No way would the warrior lady have eyes on her Alpha.”“He's only a werewolf like her. She's allowed to,” Snow purred.I shook my head, rejecting the thought. I'd never seen her close to him in a way that was suggestiv
Lyra's POVI stepped into the dimly lit tent, weary and ready to have a proper night rest for a while without having to bother about a lot of things that I had on my mind lately.I sighed once I was inside. I was alone, finally.Or so I thought.A figure emerged from the shadows, a woman— surely Alexis the beta, the one who’d been so vehement about my departure. She was standing near the far corner of the tent, her presence like a sharp needle pricking through the darkness.I froze, my heart skipping a beat. She was even more striking up close, her features sharp and angular, her dark hair pulled back in a tight braid. Her clothes were plain, rugged—a soldier’s uniform, worn and weathered—but they couldn’t hide the beauty in her face.“Don’t be scared,” she said softly, her voice surprisingly gentle.I swallowed hard, the panic bubbling in my chest making it hard to speak.“What are you doing here?” I managed, my voice weak.Alexis took a step closer, her eyes narrowing.“I’m Alexis,
Lyra's POVThe night air pressed cool and damp against my skin as I crouched behind the large jar meant for collecting rainwater. My heartbeat was loud in my ears, enough that I feared the pack members leaving the tent would hear it. I held my breath, clutching the edge of the jar for balance as the rogues exited Rylan’s tent. Their conversation continued, low and bitter, their frustration thick enough for me to feel even from where I hid.“She doesn’t belong here,” one of them muttered as their footsteps grew louder in my direction. “Rylan’s lost sight of what we stand for. Protecting her isn’t our fight.”“And it never should’ve been,” another grumbled. “If we keep her here, we’re putting our pack on the line for someone who has nothing to do with us. This isn’t what we’ve been fighting for.”Their voices faded as they moved further into the camp, but their words stayed with me, their weight sinking deep into my chest. Each step they took felt like another layer of doubt settling ov
Lyra's POVThe weight of their words pressed heavily on my chest as I remained frozen where I stood, hidden in the shadows just outside Rylan’s tent.What was I going to hear next? Would the next words that followed the silence be worst than the last I'd just heard.Worst, they might get around to convincing their Alpha to send me away from the pack for the greater good and for their own safety. They had their own ambitions and it didn't align with mine.I refused to let myself panic.The silence stretched for a moment, taut and suffocating, before Rylan’s voice broke through, steady but simmering with restrained anger.“I won’t allow Damian to touch her,” he said firmly, each word measured and forceful.“She came to us for help, for safety. She’s a woman in distress, carrying children, and I will not turn her away.”His words warmed me. His empathy was one that was worth emulating, the conviction in his tone was both reassuring and also worrying.What if they turned against him? He w
Lyra's POVThe soft rustling of the tent’s fabric against the night air made me restless. It was as though the world outside called to me, yet I was trapped inside the confining walls of the tent.The news of the impending attack had sent ripples of unease through the rogue camp, even if the attack itself never came. My mind raced with the fragments of what had been shared—Damian’s pack had been spotted close, dangerously so.The guard stationed outside my tent was a silent reminder of the danger. Rylan had placed him there, his presence solid and protective. While I understood the necessity, his watchfulness made me feel like I was caged. I sat on the thin cot in the corner of the tent, my hands resting on my rounded belly. The babies within me stirred gently, as if sensing my worry.“It’s okay,” I murmured softly, tracing circles with my fingertips.“We’re safe here.”But were we?The question tore at me as the minutes crawled by. Inside the tent, every sound came sounding louder—th