LOGINShare
Chapter 75: The Puppet Master
Last Updated:
2024-09-28 12:39:34Lyra's POV
The infirmary is thick with the scent of herbs and anxiety as I sit by Asher's bedside, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest. The glowing symbols carved into his skin have faded, but their ghostly imprint remains, a constant reminder of the attack that nearly claimed his life.
A soft groan escapes Asher's lips, and his eyes flutter open, unfocused and clouded with pain. "Lyra," he rasps, his voice barely above a whisper. "You shouldn't be here. It's not safe."
I lean in, my heart racing. "Asher, what happened? Who did this to you?"
His expression contorts, as if he's fighting against some unseen force. "The Void... it's not what we thought. There's a consciousness behind it, ancient and terrible. It's been manipulating events for eons, positioning its pawns across time and space."
A chill runs down my spine. "Pawns? What do you mean?"
Asher's eyes lock onto mine, burning with an intensity that makes me want to look away. "
Related chapters
Forbidden Bonds: Secrets of the Alpha's Mate Chapter 76: Blood Ties
Lyra's POVThe ancient prophecy's words echo in my mind, a relentless drumbeat drowning out all other thoughts. I pace the length of Xander's study, unable to shake the feeling that we're hurtling towards a destiny we can't escape."The Alpha of alphas, whose choice will determine the fate of all," I mutter, casting a glance at Xander. He sits rigid behind his desk, jaw clenched, eyes fixed on some distant point."We don't know that's about me," he says, his voice tight with barely contained frustration. "This whole prophecy could be a manipulation, another of the Puppet Master's tricks."I whirl to face him, exasperation bubbling up. "And what if it isn't? What if this is real, Xander? We can't just ignore it!"He slams his fist on the desk, the sound reverberating through the room. "Damn it, Lyra! I won't let some ancient words dictate our lives. We make our own choices, our own fate."The tension between us crackles like lightning, the ma
Last Updated : 2024-09-29Forbidden Bonds: Secrets of the Alpha's Mate Chapter 77: Echoes of Betrayal
Lyra's POVThe world around me pulses with newfound clarity, every sensation amplified by the countless lifetimes now residing within my mind. I stand at the edge of the Shadowmoon Pack territory, the cool night air carrying whispers of danger and betrayal.Memories flood my consciousness – a Fae queen's anguish as her kingdom burns, a werewolf alpha's fury as her pack is slaughtered, a cosmic guardian's despair as reality unravels. Each echo of past pain threatens to overwhelm me, and I struggle to maintain my grip on the present."Lyra?" Xander's voice cuts through the chaos in my head. His hand on my shoulder anchors me, pulling me back from the brink of losing myself in the sea of past lives.I turn to face him, seeing the concern etched on his features. "I'm okay," I assure him, though the tremor in my voice betrays my uncertainty. "It's just... a lot to process."Xander's eyes search mine, and I can feel his worry through our mate bond.
Last Updated : 2024-09-30Forbidden Bonds: Secrets of the Alpha's Mate Chapter 78: The Veil Lifts
Lyra's POVThe world around me is chaos incarnate. Ancient beings, twisted and horrifying beyond imagination, pour through the ever-widening rift. The air itself seems to scream, reality fraying at the edges as two worlds collide. In the midst of this nightmare, I stand frozen, the weight of my mistake crushing down upon me.Xander's words echo in my mind: "Then you're not the Lyra I fell in love with." The pain in his eyes, the disappointment – it cuts deeper than any physical wound.A blood-curdling shriek snaps me back to the present. One of the creatures, a writhing mass of tentacles and eyes, lunges towards a group of younger pack members. Without thinking, I reach out with my power, a fusion of Fae magic and werewolf strength. The creature disintegrates into ash, but there are dozens more to take its place."Lyra!" A familiar voice cuts through the din. I turn to see Asher materializing beside me, his form flickering between human and something... other. "We don't have much time
Last Updated : 2024-10-01Forbidden Bonds: Secrets of the Alpha's Mate Chapter 79: Price of Power
Elara's POVThe acrid stench of battle hangs heavy in the air as I survey the devastation around us. Bodies of fallen pack members and otherworldly horrors litter the ground, a grim testament to the price of our victory. But victory feels hollow as I watch my sister cradling Xander's broken body, her anguished sobs cutting through the eerie silence that's fallen over the battlefield.Luna stands beside me, her young face etched with a mixture of awe and terror at the power she's just wielded. I place a comforting hand on her shoulder, even as my mind races with the implications of what's transpired. Everything I've worked for, every manipulation and sacrifice, has led to this moment. And yet, the cost feels almost too high."Mom," Luna whispers, her voice trembling. "What happens now?"I squeeze her shoulder gently. "Now, my dear, we face the consequences of our choices."Lyra looks up at us, her eyes red-rimmed but burning with determination. "The ritual," she says, her voice hoarse.
Last Updated : 2024-10-01Forbidden Bonds: Secrets of the Alpha's Mate Chapter 80: Crossroads of Fate
Lyra's POVThe air crackles with tension as Xander and Alpha Thorne circle each other, their forms blurring between human and wolf. But this is no ordinary challenge for pack leadership. With each step, each snarl, I can feel the weight of cosmic forces pressing down upon us. This fight is a microcosm of a much larger war – one that threatens to tear apart the very fabric of reality.I stand at the edge of the makeshift arena, my heart pounding so loudly I'm sure everyone can hear it. Power thrums through my veins, begging to be unleashed. Every instinct screams at me to intervene, to protect my mate. But I know I can't. This is Xander's battle to fight."Quite the spectacle, isn't it?" Elara's voice cuts through my turmoil. She stands beside me, her eyes gleaming with an knowledge that sends chills down my spine. "Two alphas, thinking they're fighting for mere pack politics, when in reality they're pawns in a game that spans universes."I turn to her, anger bubbling up inside me. "Is
Last Updated : 2024-10-01Forbidden Bonds: Secrets of the Alpha's Mate Chapter 81: Shadows of Manipulation
Lyra's POVThe pack house is eerily quiet in the aftermath of Elara's sacrifice. I stand at the window, watching as pack members move about in a daze, their eyes constantly drawn to the rift that still pulses ominously in the sky. The weight of our new reality presses down on me, making each breath a struggle.A warm hand on my shoulder pulls me from my brooding. Xander's presence is both a comfort and a reminder of the impossible task before us."We need to talk," he says softly, his voice rough with emotion. "About what happened... about what Elara told you."I nod, turning to face him. The raw pain in his eyes mirrors my own. "Where do we even begin?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.Before Xander can respond, a crash echoes from down the hall. We exchange a quick glance before rushing towards the sound. What we find sends a chill down my spine.Luna stands in the center of her room, surrounded by shattered furniture and torn books
Last Updated : 2024-10-02Forbidden Bonds: Secrets of the Alpha's Mate Chapter 82: Forced Allies
Lyra's POVThe hidden Fae archive is a wonder to behold, its crystalline walls pulsing with ancient magic. Shelves upon shelves of scrolls and tomes stretch as far as the eye can see, each one holding secrets that could reshape our understanding of reality. Under different circumstances, I might have been awestruck. But right now, all I can focus on is the palpable tension between Xander and me as we make our way deeper into this labyrinth of knowledge."We shouldn't be here," Xander mutters, his eyes darting nervously around the cavernous space. "If the Fae Council finds out we've breached their most sacred archive..."I shoot him a withering glance. "And what would you suggest? Sit around and wait for that... thing controlling Luna to make its next move? We need answers, Xander. Now."He falls silent, but I can feel his disapproval radiating through our bond. It's a constant reminder of everything that's changed between us, of the chasm that's opened up
Last Updated : 2024-10-02Forbidden Bonds: Secrets of the Alpha's Mate Chapter 83: The Prodigal Son
Lyra's POVThe pack house thrums with tension as we gather in the great hall. Xander stands at the head of the room, his face a mask of carefully controlled emotion. But I can feel the turmoil roiling beneath the surface through our bond. The events in the Fae archive have left us both shaken, and the lingering electricity between us only adds to the chaos of the moment.A hush falls over the assembled wolves as the doors swing open. My breath catches in my throat as I see who enters.Luna.But not the Luna we knew. This Luna is older, a young man now, his features a perfect blend of Elara's beauty and something... other. Power radiates from him in palpable waves, making the air itself crackle with energy."Hello, Aunt Lyra," he says, his voice deep and resonant. "Uncle Xander. It's been... a long time."Murmurs ripple through the crowd. Wolves shift uneasily, torn between awe and fear at this impossible visitor from a future we haven't yet
Last Updated : 2024-10-02
Latest chapter
Forbidden Bonds: Secrets of the Alpha's Mate Chapter 147: Aftermath
Lyra's POVReality settles into its new configuration like scar tissue forming over a wound. I feel Luna's presence everywhere—in every quantum vibration, every probability wave, every moment of existence itself. He's become the cosmic constant, the eternal observer around which our transformed world revolves."The southeastern quadrant is stabilizing," Xander reports, his voice carrying the weight of exhaustion and loss. Without the Crown's power, he seems somehow smaller, more vulnerable. "The survivors are adapting to the changes, but..."He doesn't finish, but I understand. How do you comfort people who can feel their friend's consciousness woven into reality itself? Luna is everywhere and nowhere, present in every moment but unable to truly interact, to change, to grow with us.Through my transformed awareness, I sense the survivors exploring their evolved nature. Some have become beings of pure probability, existing in multiple states simultaneously. Others have developed symbio
Forbidden Bonds: Secrets of the Alpha's Mate Chapter 146: The Ultimate Sacrifice
Lyra's POVReality trembles on the brink of transformation as we face the impossible choice. Each of us stands ready to become the eternal observer, the fixed point around which existence can safely evolve."My powers are already unstable," Luna argues, his consciousness rippling through probability streams. "I'm the logical choice.""Your instability could make things worse," Xander counters. "I led us into this—I should be the one to anchor reality."But through my transformed awareness, I see deeper implications. "Neither of you fully understands what my merger with the Shield revealed. I should—"Reality fractures as the remaining Devourers launch their final assault. They pour through quantum breaks like cosmic locusts, desperate to preserve the cycle we're threatening to break forever."They know what we're planning," Luna warns, his evolved powers tracking their approach. "They're trying to destabilize reality enough to prevent any of us from becoming the anchor."The attack hi
Forbidden Bonds: Secrets of the Alpha's Mate Chapter 145: The Unraveling
Lyra's POVReality frays at its edges like a tapestry pulled too thin. I watch through my transformed consciousness as the changes we've initiated cascade beyond control. The evolution we triggered isn't just changing existence—it's threatening to tear it apart completely."The quantum foundations are destabilizing," Luna warns, his evolved powers tracking the dissolution. "Our transformation is happening too fast, too chaotically. Reality can't adapt quickly enough."Below us, entire sections of our patchwork world begin to dissolve into probability foam. Xander coordinates desperate evacuation efforts, guiding people to the few remaining stable zones."The southeastern quadrant is gone," he reports, his voice strained without the Crown's power. "Just... ceased to exist. And the stable areas are shrinking by the minute."Through my expanded awareness, I sense something else—a deeper pattern underlying the chaos. The Devourers aren't just attacking randomly anymore. They're following
Forbidden Bonds: Secrets of the Alpha's Mate Chapter 144: Broken Chains
Lyra's POVThe Council's judgment resonates through my transformed being as I navigate the quantum boundaries between realities. Everything feels different now—not just my own consciousness, but the fundamental structure of existence itself. Reality bends and shifts around me, responding to possibilities that were always there but never acknowledged."The defenses are failing!" Xander's voice reaches me across dimensional barriers, carrying the weight of impossible choices. Through our connection, I see him wielding the Crown's power in increasingly desperate ways. The Devourers' assault intensifies, their hunger taking on new urgency as they sense the cosmic order changing."I can reach her," Luna declares, his unstable powers suddenly crystallizing into something new. "The spaces between realities—they're not empty anymore. They're... alive."He's right. What once seemed like void between dimensions now pulses with potential. Luna's consciousness expands into these spaces, creating
Forbidden Bonds: Secrets of the Alpha's Mate Chapter 143: The Council of Eternity
Lyra's POVI stand before the Council of Eternity, my transformed consciousness rippling through layers of existence they've woven into a courtroom. The cosmic observers, beings that predate reality itself, manifest as geometric impossibilities that hurt to perceive even with my expanded awareness."You have broken fundamental laws," their collective voice resonates through probability itself. "The cycle of consumption and transformation was not meant to be transcended."Through quantum threads, I sense Xander and Luna's desperate attempts to reach me. Their powers, formidable as they've become, can barely pierce the Council's dimensional barriers."The weapons were placed as a test," another Council member states, their form shifting through configurations that defy comprehension. "Each civilization chooses: become Devourers or face extinction. You have chosen neither.""Because both choices are false," I respond, my voice carrying through multiple probability streams. "The cycle its
Forbidden Bonds: Secrets of the Alpha's Mate Chapter 142: Metamorphosis
Lyra's POVI am everywhere and nowhere, everything and nothing. My consciousness expands beyond the boundaries of conventional existence, each thought rippling through multiple layers of reality. The Shield's power has transformed me into something beyond even the Devourers' understanding—a being that exists in the spaces between possibilities."We need to move!" My strike team's voices sound distant, as if reaching me through layers of probability. Their forms flicker at the edges of my new perception—quantum patterns dancing through infinite possibilities.But movement has a different meaning now. Each step we take creates cascading waves through reality itself. I watch as alternate versions of our escape play out simultaneously—in some we succeed, in others we're consumed, in others still we become something else entirely."Lyra," one team member pleads, their quantum signature destabilizing from proximity to my transformed state. "We can't understand what you're trying to tell us.
Forbidden Bonds: Secrets of the Alpha's Mate Chapter 141: The Shattered Truth
Lyra's POVThe revelation echoes through every quantum layer of my being—we're fighting our own future selves. Every Devourer was once a reality-shaper like us, transformed by the very weapons we thought would save us. The Shield of All-That-Is hovers before me, both salvation and damnation made manifest."The breach is collapsing!" one of my strike team members shouts. Reality warps around us as our escape route seals itself, trapping us in the heart of what was once our own civilization."They can't leave," our future selves speak with countless corrupted versions of familiar voices. "They know too much. They'll try to break the cycle."Through my fragmenting connection to Luna, I sense his struggle to maintain our quantum link. His consciousness flickers like static between realities, the strain of coordinating our split selves taking its toll."Xander," I try to call across dimensions. "The weapons—they're not what we thought. They're—"But Luna's destabilization cuts off my warni
Forbidden Bonds: Secrets of the Alpha's Mate Chapter 140: The Twilight Gambit
Lyra's POVI exist in multiple states simultaneously as we enact our desperate plan. Part of me remains with Xander, defending our transformed reality. Another part leads a strike team through the quantum breach into the Devourers' realm. Luna's maze-like consciousness bridges the gap between, holding our fractured selves together.The Devourers' realm defies comprehension—a place where existence itself is constantly being consumed and reformed. My strike team, composed of the most stable Altered, moves through landscapes of living entropy. Reality here doesn't just bend; it feeds on itself."The Shield pulses stronger," I tell them, feeling the weapon's resonance through both the Sword of Unmaking and my quantum-split consciousness. "But something feels wrong about it."Through our shared awareness, I sense Xander confronting Marcus and his rebels. The Crown of Infinite Possibility lets him show them visions of what failure means—the complete consumption of all realities. Some waver
Forbidden Bonds: Secrets of the Alpha's Mate Chapter 139: Shadows of Our Selves
Lyra's POVReality settles into its new configuration like ripples smoothing on a pond, but nothing feels quite right. I stare at my reflection in a quantum mirror, seeing dozens of slightly different versions of myself overlaid like double-exposed photographs. Each one carries memories I both do and don't remember living."The integration is still stabilizing," Luna explains, his form finally solid but somehow more complex, as if he exists in multiple states simultaneously. "Our old selves are merging with the possibilities I explored in the maze.""Who are we now?" Xander asks, the Crown of Infinite Possibility flickering uncertainly on his brow. "I remember leading the pack to victory against the Void, but I also remember failing, watching everyone die. Both feel equally real."I grip the Sword of Unmaking tighter, its power resonating with my confused identity. "We're all of it," I realize. "Every choice, every possibility – Luna made them all real."A quantum tremor interrupts ou
