Chapter 5

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 did he find out I had babies in me?

Damian’s lips twisted into a cold smile, his eyes bright with dark amusement.

"Oh, trust me, I haven’t forgotten. But don’t think for a second that I’ll let you keep them from me."

"Don't forget that you didn't get beheaded the moment you tried to enter this camp because I gave orders. Don't let me change my mind."

Rylan said, hardly able to control his anger.

 "What do you plan to do?" I asked, my eyes flicking back to Damian, "Take them from me? Force me back to the Blood Nest Pack to raise them as your heirs?"

My voice dripped with viciousness.

Damian took a step forward, but didn't come so close.

"You’re forgetting something, Lyra." His voice was low, dangerous. "We’re still bonded. You can fight it all you want, but you belong to me. And those babies are part of that bond. They’re part of me."

I scoffed.

"You'll be shocked at what I intend, Damian."

Rylan moved beside me, his hand brushing my arm, I knew he ached to shift into his wolf form and show his fangs.

 "And what do you think you’re going to do, Rylan? Take her from me? Take them from me like you've always wanted everything I have?"

Damian questioned, his eyes leaving me to rest on Rylan.

Rylan’s frown deepened.

"I don’t need to protect myself from you, Damian. But I will protect her."

Before the tension between them could lead to a physical fight, I spoke.

"Enough. Both of you." I turned toward Damian, my anger barely hidden.

Damian’s smirk faltered slightly, but his gaze stayed locked on me.

"LLyra, you don’t understand. Those children—they’re more than just heirs. They’re a link, a way to unite everything I’ve built. With them, I can—"

"Unite the rogues and the Blood Nest?" I interrupted, my voice sharp. "Or bring doom to all of us?"

For a moment, Damian was silent, his expression unreadable. The sorcerer’s words echoed in my head, chilling me to the core. The babies will either unite our world or destroy it. And here I was, stuck between Damian’s power-hungry ambition and the growing attraction toward Rylan, knowing that no matter what I chose, it could all end in blood.

Damian’s eyes darkened. "Who told you that?" he demanded, his voice a dangerous whisper.

"It doesn’t matter," I said, crossing my arms over my chest, trying to shield myself from the weight of his stare. "What matters is that I know. I know the truth now, Damian. And I won’t let you use them for your own evil plans."

Damian was more furious than he had ever been. He stepped back, not sure about what to do.

"You've done and said enough. I'll have to throw you out of the camp,"

Rylan said with apologies.

"I’ll do whatever is necessary, lad," Damian snarled, stepping forward. "Do you think I care about some prophecy? The Blood Nest is mine, and those children will be, too."

"You won’t touch them!" I shouted,  "I’m their mother. And you... you don’t deserve them, Damian. Not with the way you treated me and how you treated the memory of our first child!"

For a moment, I thought Damian would strike. His fists clenched at his sides, his whole body taut with fury. But then he took a deep breath, and his expression softened— controlled.

 "You can’t keep them from me, Lyra," he said, his voice dangerously soft. "Not forever. The bond between us may be cursed, but it’s still real. And no matter how much you fight it, you’ll always come back to me."

I felt Rylan tense beside me, his hand brushing mine.

What if they both found out Rylan was equally my mate?

Damian’s eyes flicked to Rylan, and his smile returned, cold and cruel. "Oh, but she will," he said, his gaze sliding back to me. "Because you can’t deny it, Lyra. No matter how much you hate me, part of you is still bound to me. And when the time comes... you’ll have to choose."

 As much as I hated him, as much as I wanted to hurt him for what he’d done, there was a part of me that couldn’t let go. The bond between us—it was twisted, dark, but it was still there. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t break it.

But Rylan... he was different. The pull I felt toward him was stronger now, more urgent, and it terrified me. How could I be torn between two alphas—one who had destroyed me, and one who promised to save me?

"I don't owe you an explanation for any action I take, it doesn't matter if it's targeted at destroying you," I said to Damian.

He scoffed.

Rylan's hand reached for mine and he held me tight, a promise of his support.

We were not just united in our hate for Damian, there was something more, perhaps, when he found out too, he'd understand why he was drawn to me.

Damian’s smile turned cold, his eyes gleaming with something dark.

"We’ll see, Rylan. We’ll see who she chooses when it really matters."