Chapter 3: Painful Decision

Lyra's POV

A glacial chill seeps into my bones as the stalker's words echo in my ears. My grip on the phone loosens, but I can't bring myself to let it fall. All the pent-up frustration—from years of being stalked and discovering my mate is with my sister—comes crashing down on me like a tidal wave. With a strangled cry, I hurl the phone across the room.

The resounding crack as it hits the wall silences the chatter from the dining room. Mom's worried voice carries up the stairs, "Lyra, honey, are you alright?"

"Yeah," I manage, my voice sounding foreign to my ears. "I just need some air."

I bolt from the room, desperate to escape the suffocating walls of the house. The cool night air hits my face as I stumble into the backyard, seeking refuge in our old gazebo.

Collapsing onto the weathered bench, I draw my knees to my chest. In the distance, a line of cars winds up our driveway. For a moment, panic spikes through me – has my stalker brought reinforcements? – but then I recognize the vehicles. Elara's friends, come to crash my birthday party.

Of course. Why wouldn't Elara turn my celebration into her soirée?

I watch people pour out of the cars, their laughter and chatter drifting across the lawn. Soon, the muffled sounds of music and conversation spill out from the house. My parents' voices rise above the rest, welcoming everyone warmly.

Why wouldn't they be happy? I'm the family outcast, the awkward, friendless daughter. Elara, with the social circle, brings life to the party—the one who snagged the Alpha Heir as a boyfriend.

Time loses all meaning as I sit there, letting the gentle breeze dry the tears I didn't realize I'd shed. It's almost peaceful out here, away from the chaos inside. Almost enough to make me forget the nightmare my life has become.

"Are you alright?"

The deep male voice startles me so badly that I nearly topple off the bench. I think it's my father for a split second, but when I whirl around, I find myself face-to-face with Xander.

I scramble to my feet, instinctively bowing as though he were royalty. Which he's not, I remind myself. He's just my sister's boyfriend, my mate, and the future Alpha of our pack. Oh god.

I smile, hoping it doesn't look as fake as it feels. "I'm okay," I lie. "Just getting some air, you know?"

Xander's sharp gaze seems to see right through me. "Ah," he says, gesturing to the bench. "Do you mind if I join you?"

Every fiber of my being screams that this is a bad idea, but I can't exactly tell the Alpha Heir to get lost. "Of course not," I say, sinking back onto the bench. "You can stay. I can go back inside so you can be comfortable—"

"I want you to stay," he interrupts. "I need to talk to you."

My heart leaps into my throat. "Okay," I manage to squeak out.

An uncomfortable silence descends, thick with tension. I fidget nervously, hyper-aware of Xander's presence beside me. On the other hand, he is entirely still, radiating a calm that only makes me more anxious.

Finally, he speaks. "You felt it too, didn't you? When I first entered the house?"

I freeze, not daring to react. Is this a trick question?

"It's alright," he continues softly. "I'm talking about the mate pull."

My breath catches. "So you felt it, too?" I whisper. "It wasn't just me?"

Xander shakes his head. "No, it wasn't just you. I feel it even now."

A slow smile spreads across my face. I wasn't imagining things. He feels it, too. He knows we're mates. I lean towards him without thinking, but Xander stops me with a raised hand.

"Don't get me wrong, Lyra," he says, his tone turning serious. "I have no plans of building a relationship with you. I won't be breaking up with Elara. I also felt a mate pull with her, and I want to clarify that I chose her. She's the one I love."

Each word is like a dagger to my heart. The pain is almost physical, stealing my breath and leaving me feeling small and insignificant.

"It's normal to be hurt," Xander says, his voice gentler now. "But it will pass. We need to sever the mate bond between us. Then you'll be free to find someone who can truly be yours."

I swallow hard. "Right. How... how do we do that?"

Xander stands, motioning for me to do the same. He positions us face to face, then places my hand over his heart. His hand rests against my chest, and I pray he can't feel how wildly my heart is racing.

"I, Xander Blackthorn, Alpha Heir of the Shadowmoon Pack, reject you, Lyra Nightshade, as my mate," he intones solemnly.

I wait for something to change, for my pull towards him to vanish. But nothing happens. Xander looks at me expectantly, and I realize I need to reciprocate.

"I, Lyra Nightshade of the Shadowmoon Pack, reject you, Xander Blackthorn, as my mate," I echo, the words tasting like ash in my mouth.

We stand frozen, waiting for the mate bond to sever, for the invisible thread connecting us to snap, and for his presence's overwhelming pull to fade.

But nothing changes. If anything, the connection feels more vital than ever.

Xander's face darkens with anger, and his grip on my arm tightens painfully. "What did you do?" he demands. "Why didn't it work?"

At that moment, I realized that the kind, gentle man I thought I knew might not exist. As his fingers dig into my skin, I wonder if I've made my biggest life mistake by revealing our bond to him.

The mate I've dreamed of finding for years now looms over me, his face twisted with rage, and I'm struck by a chilling thought: What if the true monster in my life isn't the stalker who's been haunting me but the very man the Moon Goddess chose as my other half?