Chapter One – He’s The Enemy!

Lyra’s POV 

Electricity fizzled at the brief touch, and I almost jumped away from him. Did he call me his mate? 

I blinked, the haze blocking my mind. I shouldn’t have accepted the drink. It was making me hallucinate! Dizziness trembled through me and little sparks of fire lit up my body. At that moment, I was oblivious to the chaos all around me. Was this how you felt when you met your mate? I whirled around to focus on my so-called swoon-worthy mate, but he was nowhere in sight. 

Was he a figment of my imagination?

My glance fell upon the main door, and I gasped with horror. What was my uncle’s best friend, Derrick Staten, doing here? In my uncle’s absence, it was he who shadowed me around, protecting me all the time from imaginary enemies! I was sick of him stalking me 24/7 for my uncle’s peace of mind. I was sick of this prisoner’s life! 

Just four more months and I would be free to live the life I had envisaged for myself. I couldn’t wait for my eighteenth birthday. I had no wish to train under my uncle and handle his empire. No, finance wasn’t my forte, but who could drill some sense into my uncle’s head? He had rescued me and I was too obligated to him to argue. Yet the rebel in me wanted to protest, to fight for myself.

I couldn’t let Uncle Derrick see me here. All hell would break loose and I would be grounded for a month! I was about to hide from him when he saw me.

“Lyra!” he growled, striding towards me purposefully. I looked around to see the guilty look on Selena’s features. It was obvious who gave me away. Uncle Derrick reached me in two strides and grabbed my arm in an angry grip. “You’re coming with me. So are you, Selena!” 

“No, I’m not. I’ll go home on my own!” I tried to extricate myself, but it was an impossible task. Uncle Derrick wasn’t a wolf to mess with. 

“Felixe is coming over to Hay River tomorrow morning, Lyra. You can’t take your own sweet time to return. I’ve brought the copter for you. If you return with me, I promise to keep this between us!” I gave him a hesitant look. Could I trust him? 

“Promise?” He nodded, pulling me away with him with Selena hot on our heels. It was better this way since I wouldn’t need to seek Nick’s help in going home. 

After an hour, we reached home, and I walked straight into my uncle’s bedroom to check up on Hermione Averoff! 

She was the warrior wolf from our enemy pack, the Luceres Pack, and his mate! My uncle had abducted her and held her hostage to teach her twin, Alpha Zephyrus, the leader of the Luceres Pack, a lesson. Despite being the enemy, Hermione or Hera, as she preferred being called, was kind and beautiful. I liked her from the moment I met her. 

“Hera, are you awake?” I had lied to her about my night out. She had no idea where I was and bought my excuse for going out to a movie with Uncle Derrick. 

“Uh, yes. So how was the movie?” I clasped my hands and gave her a fake dreamy look. 

“It was super romantic! Uncle Derrick slept through the entire movie! Can you imagine that? He’s such a boring creature!” We shared a laugh when my uncle emerged from the walk-in closet with a scowl on his face. My jaws dropped at the sight of him. Wasn’t he supposed to come over tomorrow morning? 

“U-uncle F-Felixe? W-when did you c-come home?” I took a step backward in panic. 

“Where the hell were you? I thought I made it clear you would not step out of the house without my permission. Didn’t you get it?”  

“I was with Uncle Derrick! It won’t happen again. Please don’t punish me.” 

“Don’t you get it, Lyra? There are unknown enemies loitering all around, ready to pounce on us. Didn’t you learn your lesson after losing all your loved ones? Do you realize they haven’t spared Hera? Then, how do you expect them to spare you? For a month, you’re grounded!” He stormed out while I stood trembling in one corner. I knew he would punish me. I was sick of this life. 

“Come here, Lyra!” I tried to blink the tears away and swallow the pain as I took baby steps towards Hera. She hugged me to comfort me. 

“Don’t mind him, Lyra. You’re his only family, and he cares a lot about you. He saved you from the jaws of death, didn’t he? Listen to what he says and I’m sure everything will be fine. I’m sure Felixe will defeat the enemy soon and we’ll all be free.” I knew about my uncle’s enmity with the vicious Flame Hounds who could attack us any time!

“I know the enemy is vicious and we can never get rid of them. Soon we will all die. Can’t I enjoy it a little before that? Uncle Felixe knows there’ll never be a better tomorrow, and so do I. Why else do you think he called your brother to Yellowknife?” I walked away, leaving her gaping after me. 

Uncle Derrick informed me on our way back that Alpha Zephyrus Averoff was on his way to Hay River to get Hera. My uncle was ready to give up his mate. There were some threats looming over his head, and he didn’t want to endanger Hera’s life. 

Soon Hera would leave and I would again be a lonely prisoner here with Uncle Derrick accompanying me everywhere. 

I trudged over to my room and lay down, but even after an hour, I couldn’t get a wink of sleep. The memories of my mate haunted me while his mesmerizing arctic-blue eyes kept on beckoning me. I knew he was real. He wasn’t a figment of my imagination. 

‘Mate!’ a faint whisper echoed in my mind, driving me crazy. 

I dozed off thinking about my mate. Who was he? Would I ever see him again? 

The next morning, I woke up late and rushed to freshen up. I didn’t want to skip breakfast after missing my dinner last night. However, the moment I emerged from the en-suite, a commotion around the premises got my attention. 

From the windows I could see Uncle Derrick rushing around, talking to the security guards. There was chaos all around when the sound of helicopter blades echoed in the air. Hera came rushing out of her room. Maybe it was my uncle who had left last night!

However, the helicopter landed in the helipad on the banks of the Hay River, a few miles away. I was totally confused. Uncle Felixe always landed on our premises instead of the helipad. What happened now? Within minutes, another helicopter landed at the same place and I gasped, realizing what was going on. Maybe Uncle Felixe led Hera’s twin, Alpha Zephyrus, to Hay River!  

“Your twin is here.” Hera’s eyes filled with tears at my announcement. 

“I’m not going anywhere. He should have asked me before pushing me away from him.” The tears fell and cascaded down her cheeks as I helplessly looked at Uncle Derrick talking to the guards. I had seen Uncle Felixe’s car leave to fetch him from the helipad. 

“Oh! What do we do now?” I gasped when Uncle Felixe’s car entered the premises.

“Zephyrus and Leandros are following me. Close the gates and tighten the security around the premises. They shouldn’t be able to sneak inside. If they want Hera, they have to face me!” I distinctly heard my uncle agitatedly instructing his friend. 

Uncle Felixe entered the house and started closing all doors and windows around us. It confused us, since it was he who had led the enemy here. 

A movement near the boundary wall alerted us. 

“They’re at the back door!” Hera whispered to me and I instinctively moved towards her, trembling in fear. I knew Alpha Zephyrus was furious with Uncle Felixe for abducting Hera. There was bound to be a battle here! Would they kill me too?

“Please don’t leave me alone here. I’ll be with you, Hera.” We held hands and tiptoed towards the back door. 

“Where’s Felixe?” she whispered, but I shrugged. I was too panic-stricken to notice my uncle. 

We hid ourselves in a room and peered just in time to see the back door open. My heart constricted with fear but there was no sign of Uncle Derrick or Uncle Felixe around. Where did they go, leaving us alone with the enemy? 

I didn’t want to die at such a young age! 

My eyes widened at the sight of none other than my so-called mate entering stealthily! I blinked in a state of daze! What was he doing here? Did he come here looking for me? 

Before I could react, my uncle emerged from nowhere and attacked him. The punch sent my mate flying out through the door and he landed on the porch with a thud. 

A gasp of horror escaped my lips when Alpha Zephyrus walked in furiously. I realized then who my mate was!

He was from the Luceres Pack, our sworn enemies! 

How could the Moon Goddess choose him for me? I felt rebellious, ready to fight my bad luck!