6. Bloody Kill

Lyra POV

I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, my breaths coming in short, panicked gasps. My heart thundered wildly in my chest, and the metallic scent of blood clung to me, a suffocating reminder of what I had just done. The image of the white wolf, shattered and broken, flashed before my eyes, her pleas for mercy echoing in my mind. The sound of her voice, desperate and fearful, clawed at me, cutting deeper than any wound.

I had no choice. Lucian's words haunted me, the sting of his hand across my face and his cold threat replaying in my memory. He had warned me that disobedience would mean being dragged back to my pack, only to be slaughtered in front of them as a warning. Fear had taken hold, wrapping its icy fingers around my throat and leaving me with no other option. What I once thought was redemption had twisted into a nightmare I could never have imagined. He had saved my life, and now I was bound to his will, a slave to his commands.

The scene replayed in vivid detail, refusing to let me go. I had been hiding behind the old, gnarled tree, watching as the girl gathered wildflowers with her younger brother. Innocent laughter had filled the air, piercing through my hesitation. I had felt torn, paralyzed between defiance and duty. But then something inside me snapped. A moment later, she was on the ground, lifeless and stained red, her brother's screams echoing in the distance. My hands and clothes were soaked in her blood.

I stopped running and fell to my knees, a raw, guttural scream tearing from my throat. Tears streamed down my face, hot and relentless, as I clutched at the ground, digging my fingers into the dirt as if I could bury my shame.

What have I done? The question pounded in my head, unrelenting, as the reality of my actions settled over me like a suffocating shroud. The prophecy, the whispers about me—I was everything they said I would become. A killer. A monster who turned on her own.

A sob racked my body as I collapsed fully, pressing my forehead to the cold, unforgiving earth. The guilt gnawed at me, a parasite feeding on what was left of my sanity. How could I wash this blood from my soul? I felt trapped, bound by an unbreakable chain to the darkness that had taken root inside me.

The forest, usually a place of peace, was now a silent witness to my horror. The wind whispered through the trees, carrying the distant sound of rustling leaves as if the woods themselves mourned the loss of the girl whose life I had taken.

I didn't know how long I lay there, trembling and broken, but one thought cut through the fog of my anguish like a blade: I couldn’t let Lucian control me any longer. If I had become what the prophecy foretold, then I would find a way to reclaim what was left of me before he pushed me beyond the point of no return.

This was my chance, to escape, to never return to his mansion, to Lucian. I glanced around, my mind racing for options, but there was nowhere to go. Everyone I once knew had rejected me, and the only person who had given me a roof over my head was now my captor.

I pushed myself up from the ground, my limbs shaking with exhaustion as I took unsteady steps toward the mansion. Every muscle in my body screamed from the force I had put into running, and my feet ached so badly that I tore off my tattered sandals and flung them into the darkness. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand, trying to think through the haze of pain and fatigue.

The idea of confiding in the other guy in the mansion came to my thought, and I shook my head disagreeing with myself. His menacing eyes and the aura of barely controlled violence, clearly read it out to me. He didn't like people invading his territory.

Stumbling through the thick woods, the eerie silence was soon broken by the patter of raindrops, gentle at first and then heavy, relentless. Rain soaked through my clothes, chilling me to the bone and weighing me down as my body shuddered from the cold. It felt like the universe was punishing me, drenching me in icy water as a reminder of my sins. I leaned against a tree for support, breathing hard and trying to stay upright.

The rain washed away the blood that had dried on my arms and clothes, blending with the mud beneath my feet. For a brief moment, I felt a strange sense of relief, as if the water was trying to cleanse me of the guilt that clung to my soul. But that relief was fleeting. My legs buckled, refusing to carry me any further, and I collapsed onto the wet ground.

The forest spun around me as my vision blurred, the sound of rain muffling everything but the thundering of my heart and the chattering of my teeth. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to preserve what little warmth I had left. Tears mingled with the rain as I lay there, helpless, cursing my existence. If the Moon Goddess could hear me, I wished she would take me now, spare me from the torment that had become my life.

I barely registered the sound of footsteps splashing through the mud. A shadow loomed over me, and before I could react, a warm, strong arm slid beneath me, lifting me effortlessly from the cold earth. The heat from his body seeped into mine, easing the numbness and quieting the shivers wracking my frame. I struggled to open my eyes, catching a glimpse of a familiar face before the darkness claimed me, and everything went blank.

When I woke, the first thing I noticed was warmth. My body was wrapped in a heavy, dry blanket, and I could feel the soft crackle of a fire nearby. The scent of burning wood mixed with the faint hint of something spicy and familiar. I forced my eyes open, blinking against the dim light, and saw Varg sitting across the room, his eyes a storm of unreadable emotions as he watched me.