Lyra’s POV I trembled inside the room until the voices at the door receded. I knew my uncle had sent Hera to fetch me. But I didn’t want to go. I wanted to stay here in Leandros’s house forever. I could hear him putting up a fight for me. Now my trust in him escalated. I knew he wouldn’t let any harm come upon me. He wouldn’t hand me over to my uncle. I tried shifting back into my human form for the thousandth time but couldn’t. It seemed Leah didn’t want to let me in. I knew she wanted to spend more time with Leo after their meeting was disrupted. But now wasn’t the right time. It was late, and I wanted to talk to Leandros. ‘Leah, let me in!’ I scolded her in annoyance. ‘No, if I let you in, you’ll block me again. I want to spend as much time as possible with Leo!’ I grunted with desperation. How would I convince her? ‘I promise to shift often and let you spend time with Leo.’ There was silence, and I tried to shift back again. Yet I met with disappointment repeatedly. A knock
Leandros’s POV My heart sank at the sight of their furious faces. I had been so preoccupied with Lyra’s condition; I had completely forgotten about their promise to return this morning. “You’re hiding here while we were searching for you everywhere. What did you think? We wouldn’t find you?” Stavros gritted out, looking mad at me. Did he seriously think we were trying to bluff him by hiding here? “Chill, bro. Why would I flee? Lyra shifted for the first time last night and couldn’t shift back to her human form at all. I had to bring her here to seek Alex’s help. It’s as simple as that.”“Oh!” said Stavros with a frown, but Hera looked determined as she ignored me and turned to face Lyra. I could feel her tremble with fear as the threat of separation loomed over our heads. How long could I fight with Hera? “You’re coming with me.” She ordered Lyra, who gave her a weak smile without committing herself. I knew she, too, couldn’t go against Hera. The only way to stop her from dragging
Leandros’s POV All the fights left my body. Ever since that fateful night, twenty years ago, I have always looked up to Zephyrus like an older sibling, a father figure. He had done a lot for me, rescued me and Alexandrios from the jaws of death, and taken us away with him to Aromania. I respected him, and loved him with all my heart. Until now, I had never resisted Zephyrus. My shoulders sagged, and I moved away, allowing them entry into my home. Their gaze went to Lyra in the living room.“She doesn’t want to go back to her uncle. You can ask her.” “She’s going back,” said Hera, making me scowl at her. “But I don’t want to go back. I’m tired of Uncle Derrick tagging around everywhere I went. I’m not allowed to make friends or go out except with a bodyguard. It’s a prisoner’s life, Hera,” protested Lyra. “You can go back and explain those things to your uncle,” said Hera sternly, but Lyra saw red. “No, I’m not going back. How can you be so selfish, Hera? How can you separate me
Lyra’s POV I panicked at the sight of my uncle’s bodyguards closing in upon us. Was Alpha Zephyrus blind? Couldn’t he see my uncle’s wolves had surrounded them? I couldn’t see him capture us and torture us. He wouldn’t let this go. I feared his punishment more than death! An enormous luxury bus stopped before us, shielding me from my uncle’s minions. I took the opportunity and sneaked away into the departmental store behind me. With Leandros and Zephyrus busy talking to Hera, it was my perfect chance. I knew Leandros would be worried about me, but I had no other option left. Once my uncle captured us, he wouldn’t give us a chance to talk, let alone convince him. Hera knew what she was leading us into, but she was concerned only about her relationship with my uncle. Did she think handing me over to my uncle would solve her problem? He would still push her away! Our lives were too complicated. My uncle had too much on his plate to contemplate a family life with Hera. I raced towards
Leandros’s POV After looking for Lyra all night, I checked into a hotel in the wee hours of the morning. Zephyrus had left with Hera after Felixe refused to accept her back. What a selfish wolf! He had his way with her, knocked her up, and refused to take responsibility for her. I wondered why Zephyrus didn’t kill him already. When I woke up this morning, the sun was already up. I checked out and followed Lyra’s scent all the way to Enterprise. The moment I entered the strategically located resort in Enterprise, I could feel her presence nearby. She was here somewhere. Obviously, the resort was expensive and Lyra was short on funds, but she could afford the numerous little lodges in the area. I combed the place down but found no trace of Lyra. She didn’t have money, and I had to find her fast. A call from Stavros stopped me in my tracks. I knew Zeph had reached home, and he had appointed Stavros to take an update on me and Lyra. I had to keep my phone switched off last night to co
Leandros’s POV Before I could reach Lyra, my phone buzzed with an incoming call from Stavros. I stopped in my tracks but couldn’t take his call. I had to reach Lyra before she escaped again. Why was Stavros calling me repeatedly? Had Felixe attacked them early? I dreaded it. Switching off my phone, I crossed the road and entered the house. Lyra gasped at the sight of me. “Leandros!” she murmured, with tears in her eyes. The cops immediately turned to give me a suspicious look. “And who are you?” asked the officer, interrogating Lyra. “I’m Leandros Vasiliou, CEO of LeV Finance Corp, Lucania, NT.” Lyra rushed to cling to me with relief and I held her close to calm her. “Do you know the victim?” asked the officer, and I nodded. Obviously, I couldn’t tell the human we were fated mates. Neither could I tell him we were in a relationship since she was still underage. “Yes, we’re family.” They seemed to accept my explanation and demanded my ID proof. After inspecting it, they asked me
Leandros’s POV “I need to help Emma!” she muttered, ready to disappear inside, but I tightened my grip on her hand. “She doesn’t need help, Lyra, but I do. Tell me why you escaped without informing me. You had planned this all along, right? Why didn’t you consider it necessary to involve me?” I felt hurt at her lack of trust in me. Why did she pack up for me if she didn’t trust me? “How could I? You were sticking to your Alpha and his twin all the time! I just couldn’t get you alone!” I gaped at her, remembering the moments. “You could have told me when we were on our way to Zephyrus’s house?” She shrugged, trying to get free. “Obviously, I hadn’t decided then. I just picked up your clothes on the spur of the moment.”I sighed, searching her eyes to see the honesty reflected in them. I released her hand, and she rubbed the bruise that had already set in. Had I caused that? I felt like a monster and picked her hand up gently to my lips. A gasp escaped her lips when I pressed a ki
Lyra’s POV We carried the stuff towards a cluster of trailers waiting for rentals. There was a tiny cabin nearby raised above the ground level with a man fixing its window. He grinned at the sight of us approaching him. “Hey, can we get a trailer for a couple of days?” asked Leandros. The man grinned, baring his yellow teeth, and nodded readily. “Sure, but I accept only cash!” He checked Leandros out to ensure he could pay him. “How much?” The man quoted a price, and Leandros paid him the full amount for two days. “If we extend our stay, I’ll pay the rest when we check out.” The man looked too pleased with the money to pay any heed to us. He handed us the keys to the trailer I wanted, and we headed there. “There’s a snowstorm brewing up. You might want to get some supplies beforehand!” he yelled after us. “Sure we will. Thanks for the information!” yelled back Leandros. He unlocked the trailer, and I went inside to check it out. There were four bunk beds and my cheeks flushed w