1. THE FALL OF LIRA

The goddess’s light shines brightest when shadows grow darkest. In death, I find her whisper, and in her whisper, the promise of vengeance.

*********

I sit alone in the cold, hollow silence of the Beta quarters, my hands cradling the gentle swell of my belly. Three years. That’s how long I’ve tried to win Cain’s heart. Tried to make him see me as more than an obligation, more than the mate the goddess destined for him. Three years of love poured into a man who looks at me like I’m dirt under his boots.

The fire crackles softly in the hearth, a weak attempt to warm the void he left when he stormed out earlier. He didn’t even look at me before he slammed the door. Not a word. Not a touch. Not even the acknowledgment that our child, his child, grows inside me.

My chest tightens as tears sting my eyes.

You have to stay strong for the pup, Lira. My wolf, Red, whispers the mantra she says to me daily.

But strength feels like a cruel joke when the father of my pup treats me like a ghost.

The sound of muffled laughter cuts through the stillness, pulling me from my thoughts. It’s faint, but it’s coming from the direction of Cain’s study. A knot forms in my stomach as I rise, my bare feet padding silently across the floor.

The closer I get, the clearer the voices become. One of them is Cain’s, deep and commanding even in his rare moments of amusement. The other is higher, feminine. Familiar. My pulse quickens as I push the door ajar, the sight before me shattering the fragile walls of my world.

Cain is there, his shirt half-unbuttoned, his arms wrapped around her. Claire. My best friend. The woman who stood beside me during my mating ceremony.

My breath catches, a choked sob escaping my lips before I can stop it. Their heads snap toward me.

“Cain…” My voice trembles as I step inside, my hands shaking. “What are you doing?”

Claire smirks, a cruel twist of her lips that turns my stomach. Cain doesn’t bother to pull away from her. His icy gaze pierces me, filled with disdain rather than the guilt I hope to see.

“Lira,” he says flatly, as though I’m nothing more than a bothersome servant.

“How could you?” My voice cracks. “I’ve given you everything—my love, my loyalty, our child—”

“Stop.” He cuts me off, his tone sharp and dismissive. “You’ve given me nothing but weakness.”

I stagger back as if his words are a physical blow. “Weakness?”

Claire laughs, the sound like shards of glass scraping against my ears. “Face it, Lira. You’re pathetic. Did you really think he’d stay tied to someone like you? You couldn’t even give him a strong heir.”

The room spins. I clutch my belly protectively, the pup kicking as if sensing my distress. “Cain, please,” I whisper, tears streaming down my face. “For the sake of our pup—”

Cain steps forward, his expression unrelenting. “I reject you, Lira,” he says coldly. “You are no longer my mate. Claire is stronger, smarter, beautiful, useful and everything you’re not. She’s the one I want.”

Before I can process his words, he pulls Claire closer, baring her neck. My stomach churns as his fangs elongate, sinking into her skin. The bond I’ve clung to for three years snaps like a frayed string, leaving me hollow.

“No!” I scream, lunging toward him, desperation driving me. “Cain, don’t do this! Our pup—”

Claire shoves me back with surprising force. “Don’t you dare touch him,” she sneers. Her hand flies out, slapping me hard across the face. The impact sends me sprawling to the ground. My head hits the edge of the desk, and pain explodes through my skull.

I taste blood as I gasp for air, clutching my belly. The scent of iron floods my senses, and I look down to see crimson pooling beneath me.

“Please,” I choke out, my vision blurring. “Cain, save the pup… Save our pup…”

Cain’s cold gaze meets mine one last time before he turns away, pulling Claire with him.

“Let her die,” Claire says over her shoulder, her voice dripping with venom. “She and that bastard pup aren’t worth saving.”

The door slams shut, their laughter echoing down the hall as my world fades to black.

The full moon hangs high in the sky, its light filtering through the shattered window. My blood seeps into the floor, staining the wood with the last vestiges of my life.

The pain dulls as darkness creeps in, but I fight to keep my eyes open. “Goddess,” I whisper, my voice barely audible. “If you can hear me… give me the strength to avenge my pup. Let me be their reckoning.”

The moonlight grows brighter, bathing me in its glow. My chest rises and falls in shallow breaths as the world around me disappears.

*********

A sharp, piercing noise jolts me from the void. It’s distant at first, then grows louder, pounding against my skull like a relentless drumbeat. My eyes flutter open, and a blinding light makes me squint.

Where am I?

The air smells different—cleaner, crisper, tinged with the faint scent of wildflowers and something I can’t place. My body feels… strange. Lighter. Stronger.

I try to sit up, but my limbs feel foreign, as though they don’t belong to me. My hands tremble as I lift them into view. The skin is smooth, unblemished, and oddly pale.

My hair…

I reach up, fingers brushing against locks that are no longer the fiery red I’ve known all my life. They’re silver, shimmering like threads of moonlight.

Panic sets in as I glance around, my vision still blurry. The room is grand, far more luxurious than anything in the Moonblood pack. Velvet drapes cascade from the high ceilings, and the floor beneath me is polished marble.

I’m not in the Beta quarters. I’m not even sure I’m in the same realm.

A soft giggle breaks through my haze, followed by a chorus of whispers.

“She’s awake!”

“No, Lily! Don’t touch her yet!”

“But I want to see her eyes!”

The voices draw closer, and I turn my head slowly, each movement sending a dull throb through my temples. Three small figures come into focus—children.

Two boys and a girl, their faces filled with a mix of wonder and excitement. They’re not much older than five, their wide eyes glistening like stars.

“Mama is awake!” the girl exclaims, her voice bright and full of joy.

The word hits me like a bolt of lightning. Mama?

Before I can react, the darkness rushes back in, pulling me under once more.