7. Secrets

Varg POV

I sat on the chair, spreading my arms over the armrests, as I stared at her. Her eyes met mine, wide and fearful, but that fear quickly shifted into something else, something unreadable. I knew she would have died from the cold if I hadn’t found her, yet the question gnawed at me: what was she doing alone in the woods during such a storm? What game was she and Lucian playing? The urge to ask tugged at me, but I reminded myself that it wasn’t my business, not unless it affected me directly.

She pulled herself up, not quite sitting but clutching the blanket tightly around her shoulders, shivering. I couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or something else, but the way she looked at me with those deep red eyes, wide and shimmering with unshed tears, sent a strange pang through my chest. I scoffed, trying to shake off the feeling, but her gaze stayed locked on me, stirring something in the pit of my stomach that I didn’t want to acknowledge.

“Thank you for saving me,” she whispered, her voice trembling. She dropped her gaze, staring hard at the blanket, but when she looked up again, I saw a single tear slide down her cheek, betraying how hard she was trying to keep her composure.

What the hell? Why am I paying attention to how she feels? Why do I even care?

I watched her for a long moment, the urge to ask her questions growing stronger, despite myself. “Who are you?” I demanded, my voice rougher than I intended. “And what business do you have with my brother?”

Her face went pale, and I saw her hands tighten around the blanket. Another tear slipped out, trailing down her cheek, and I had to force myself to look away. I hadn’t felt anything close to sympathy for anyone in years, not even when my last girlfriend left. Yet here I was, unsettled by a single tear from a stranger.

Her silence was only fraying my patience. I stood up, crossing the room toward her in a few swift strides. She flinched and pulled the blanket tighter, her fearful eyes fixed on me. I knew I hadn’t exactly given her reason to trust me, but her terror was so palpable it was almost ridiculous.

I leaned in, letting my voice drop to a firm tone. “Who are you?” I repeated.

She swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper. “Lyra Moon.”

The name hit me like a shockwave. “Moon.” The word echoed in my mind, bringing old memories of my parents death and the moments we spent there. Could she be from the Moon Pack? Was that why Lucian brought her here? I was about to press her further when there was a sharp knock on the door.

Before I could answer, Lucian stormed in, his expression darker than I’d ever seen. He glanced sharply at Lyra and let out a low groan, as if irritated by her very presence. Clearly, something was going on, something he hadn’t bothered to tell me.

"I've been looking for you, Lyra," Lucian said, his voice calm, though I could tell he was masking something serious beneath it. He walked in her direction, momentarily ignoring my presence as he moved past me and went straight to her. Lyra stood up from the bed, nearly stumbling as she did. I sensed her fear, different from the unease she felt around me. This was the kind of fear that seemed to paralyze her, as if she had just seen something deadly. She took a shaky step toward him, and the blanket slipped to the floor. I tried to make sense of her reaction, of the look in her eyes when she saw Lucian.

Lucian reached out and grabbed her arm a little too tightly, before whispering something I couldn’t quite make out. I wrapped my hand over my chest staring at them, trying to figure out what my brother was up to. Lyra didn’t resist, but her eyes flickered in my direction for the briefest moment, an unspoken plea was evident in them. I don't think I've ever pay so much attention to anyone the way I was at that moment, a part of me wanted to save her from something I didn't know anything about.

“Who the fuck is she?“ I asked, my gaze fixed on her with a slight frown. “What game are you playing.“

Lucian started to walked away but he ain't leaving my presence without giving me a solid response. “Stay out of this, Varg,” Lucian muttered, his tone hard, he continue walking. “This has nothing to do with you, Varg. She’s my responsibility, and you’d do well to remember that.”

I felt a growl building in my chest, but I forced it down. Lucian might be my elder brother but he knew very well that whatever comes into my premises deserves my attention, and I wasn't going to let him out of my sight without a solid response. “I don't give a damn if it doesn't has anything to do with me.” I replied evenly, taking a step forward. “But I won't let you do something fucking stupid.“

Lucian stopped walking and turned towards my direction his eyes flashed with a warning, but he kept his tone cold and measured. “Don’t make this more complicated than it needs to be. You have no idea what’s going on here, Varg.”

I’d always known Lucian to be a secretive person, though his so-called secrets were rarely hidden from me. Lucian was like an open book, and I’d learned to stay out of his business, just as he wouldn’t dare interfere in mine. But this girl, she was different. She was getting under my skin in a way I couldn’t ignore. I looked at her for a moment, wondering why I even cared. It didn’t matter if she was my mate. She was Lucian’s problem, not mine, and I had no reason to get involved.

I crossed my arms, refusing to back down. “Then why don’t you tell me, brother?”

He clenched his jaw, his grip tightening on Lyra’s arm. She bit her lip, trying to keep her expression neutral, but I could see the faint shimmer of tears again in her eyes. Lucian, however, seemed pissed off that I was asking too many questions, but that wasn't about to stop me.

“She's my woman and if she's bordering you I understand. I'll ensure she doesn't do that anymore.” Lucian said, his voice low. “This doesn’t concern you. Just focus on what you’re good at, Varg. Fighting, training… things that don’t involve her.”

He gripped her arm, and she moved obediently, head lowered, as he pushed the door open. Just before they left, Lyra glanced over her shoulder at me, a look of desperation mingled with something else—a faint glimmer of hope, as if she were silently pleading for me to intervene.

“Remember what I said, Varg,” Lucian shot me a glare over his shoulder, his tone laced with anger. “She’s off-limits.”

He didn’t wait for a response, and the door closed sharply behind them, leaving me alone with a strange, heavy feeling in my chest.

I stood there, staring at the closed door for a long moment. Not knowing what was going on was creating a disturbance deep inside me, and the fact that I even cared only made it worse.

But I couldn’t deny the truth anymore, Lyra Moon was my mate.