Chapter 2

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 face him fully, quickly wiping the tears off my cheeks.

“What do you want?” I asked, clasping my hands together. Fear sprang to my eyes and I tried to conceal it.

I needed to make sure he didn't see the panic in my eyes. I bit my lower lips, the wind tossed my long black hair in my face and I pushed the strands back.

“You know exactly why I’m here,” he said, stepping closer.

“You’re coming back with me to the Blood Nest Pack.  I don't care what you think you're doing here."

“I’m not going back,” I snapped.

“Not to you, not after what you did.”

"Even if Eloisa is my partner now, you can't just leave the pack. You have a place and you'll stay in it for as long as I choose to keep you there."

I scoffed, my palm itched to slap his arrogant face.

"You don't know what you want," I said.

This was my life now and even if he didn't know yet, I was going to exert my revenge on him in due time. For such humiliation.

“You don’t have a choice,” he growled, his eyes on me.

“You’re my Luna. You belong with me, Lyra.”

“Don’t talk to me about belonging!” I shouted, my voice ringing through the woods.

“You threw me away the day you chose Eloisa. On our son's death anniversary, Damian!”

His face twisted with anger.

“You think you can just run off from the Blood Nest Pack? You’re making a fool of yourself.”

I stepped back, raising my hands between us.

“I’ll never go back to you, Damian. Not after the way you humiliated me.”

 “You’re coming with me, whether you like it or not.”  He took a step forward and I panicked.

Before I could react, he lunged at me, trying to grab my arms. I twisted out of his reach for as many times as he reached for me.

“Don’t do this!” I shouted, gritting my teeth as I pushed him back.

“I’m done asking,” he snarled, his intention clear in his eyes. He was going to haul me off whether I wanted to or not.

“I’m taking you back, Lyra, and I’ll kill anyone who gets in my way.”

Just as he started to shift into his wolf form so he could overpower me, a voice sounded in the distance.

“Step away from her, Damian.”

It was a cold and forceful voice. I recognized it at once.

I turned around even before I saw that it was Rylan, the rogue Alpha with whom I'd forged an alliance with.

Rylan emerged from the trees, his eyes locked on Damian with pure hatred. He didn’t waste time with words. He showed his fangs. A way to state that he was ready for combat.

“This is none of your business, rogue,” Damian spat, his voice thick with contempt.

“She’s under my protection now and you're on our lands,” Rylan said coldly, pointing at Damian.

“If you want her, you’ll have to go through me.”

“My Luna can not be under a pathetic rogue. Surely she's not stooped so low," Damian said arrogantly.

"Being with you was the lowest she could ever go, and you call her your Luna after everything you've done to her?" Rylan retorted.

I’ll enjoy tearing you apart with my fist,” Damian sneered, his eyes blazing with fury.

“You’ve been a thorn in my side for too long.”

“I’d love to see you try,” Rylan shot back, his stance solid, ready for a fight.

They started to shift into their wolf forms, ready to tear each other apart. Their snarls reverberated through the woods and I shivered.

I watched, my heart pounding, as the two Alphas faced off, both of them ready to see the end of the other.

But Damian was the Alpha who had betrayed my love for him while Rylan was the one who had taken me under his protection after I'd left the Blood Nest Pack in my humiliated state.

Damian’s movements were sharp, accurate, driven by rage.

“You think you can protect her? You’re nothing but a rogue!”

Rylan blocked his strikes effortlessly, he too was just as big and with cold blue eyes and long hair that fell to his shoulders. In his wolf form, he was a huge beast.

“She’s better off without you. You never deserved her.”

“She’s mine! She's my Luna!” Damian roared, prancing with more fury by the moment.

“She’ll always be mine!”

“I’ll die before I let her go back to you,” Rylan growled. I watched them, following the argument in werewolf howlings.

The two were locked in a brutal battle, neither backing down. Each strike was harder than the last, their hatred for each other clear in every movement.

I stood frozen, torn between the two men fighting over me. Damian’s rage was terrifying, but Rylan’s determination gave me a sense of safety I hadn’t felt in a long time.

“You’re weak,” Damian hissed, trying to overpower Rylan. “You think you can keep her safe? You can barely protect yourself.”

Rylan's eyes flashed with defiance.

“I’m not the one who lost everything. That’s on you.”

With a roar, Damian charged at Rylan, his blow aimed to kill. But Rylan was faster, sidestepping and slashing Damian’s arm in one contact.

Damian's wolf staggered back, clutching his bleeding arm, his eyes burning with rage. “This isn’t over,” he spat. I watched as both men shifted back to their human form. Damian was glaring at both of us.

“It’s over when I say it’s over,” Rylan growled, stepping toward him.

Damian glared at me one last time, hatred in his eyes. “You’re mine, Lyra. You'll see."

He turned and stormed off into the trees, leaving us behind.

Rylan lowered as he came closer to me, his expression softening.

“Are you alright?”

I shook my head.

“I…”

I felt myself falling and then darkness.