Chapter Three: Lost

Morning arrived with a dull, overcast sky, casting a cold light over the packhouse.

I moved through the corridors, numb, the pain of last night sitting heavy in my chest.

My mind replayed every moment of Alpha Damon and Damien cruel rejection.

I had cried all through the night but I woke up with a resolve to let go of everything.

As I passed by the Alpha’s office, I heard voices.

Damon and Damian’s.

My steps faltered, and I pressed myself against the wall, listening even though I knew I shouldn’t.

"So tell me sons, what happened last night, did you find your mate yesterday?" I heard their father ask them.

"Nothing happened last night," Damon’s voice was casual, almost indifferent. "No, we didn't find our mates."

"None," Damian added, his tone flat, emotionless.

A sharp pain shot through my chest, and I bit down on my lip to stifle the cry that threatened to escape.

They were denying it. Denying me . The bond I had felt, the pull that had shaken me to my core—it meant nothing to them. I had never felt more alone.

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, but I blinked them away, forcing myself to keep moving.

I couldn’t break down, not here. Not now. I still had work to do, still had to pretend like nothing had changed. But inside, everything was falling apart.

"But you know you need to have your mates before I can step down as the Alpha and hand over to you both." The Alpha said.

"Yes father, we know." They both said.

"Good! So make sure you find your mates and if you still can't find you chosen mates, then you can pick from any suitable lady in the pack." The Alpha instructed.

I walked away without hearing their response.

The day dragged on in a blur of chores.

My hands moved automatically, scrubbing floors, polishing silver, but my mind was elsewhere—stuck in that moment when everything shattered.

Every so often, a tear would slip down my cheek, but I wiped it away quickly, hoping no one would notice.

I had always dreamed of finding my mate. Since I was a child, the thought had been a small beacon of hope, a light in the darkness after my parents died.

I used to believe that having a mate would change everything—that it would bring me the love and acceptance I’d longed for. But now… now I wasn’t sure if that dream had ever been real.

How could it be, when the very ones fate had chosen for me wanted nothing to do with me?

I felt like a ghost, drifting through the packhouse, unnoticed and unwanted.

The weight of their rejection pressed down on me, suffocating, but I couldn’t escape it.

No matter how hard I tried, the bond still pulsed faintly in my chest, a constant reminder that I was bound to them, even if they refused to acknowledge it.

By midday, I was exhausted—physically and emotionally.

I paused near the back entrance of the packhouse, leaning against the stone wall, trying to catch my breath.

The cold breeze nipped at my skin, and I closed my eyes, letting the wind dry the tears on my cheeks.

"Lyra!" Vivian shouted my name.

The shout startled me, and I quickly straightened, wiping my face as one of the pack members called for everyone to gather outside.

I shuffled toward the courtyard, my heart heavy. What now?

"Yes?" I asked her.

"Wow, you must have grown a little wings just because you were mated to the twin Alphas." Vivian said and I gasped.

"How did you know?" I asked in shock.

"Well, I happen to over hear them reject you and guess who stayed with them the whole night." She said laughing.

My stomach churn in revolt. When I left the twin Alphas last night, I saw someone slip into the room and I started hearing some moaning noises.

"So that was you." I said I'm disgust.

"Yes, and when I become the Luna, I will make sure you work till you drop!" She threatened.

"Is that what you came to tell me?" I asked nonchalantly.

"No, I came to tell you that there is a visitor in the pack and Alpha Dominic wants everyone to welcome them so stop your pity party and come serve!" She said and walked away.

I shook my head and followed her.

As the pack assembled, I lingered in the back, as I always did, trying to blend into the shadows.

Alpha Dominic stood at the front, flanked by Damon and Damian.

They looked as untouchable as ever, their expressions unreadable.

I couldn’t bear to look at them for long, so I averted my gaze, focusing on the ground instead.

But then, I felt it—a pull, different from the one I had felt with the twins. It was sharper, more intense.

My eyes flicked upward, scanning the crowd, until they locked with a pair of dark, piercing eyes.

A man stood near the edge of the clearing, his presence commanding.

He was tall, with broad shoulders and a powerful frame, and when his gaze met mine, a shiver ran down my spine.

His wolf growled, low and dangerous, the sound carrying through the wind.

"Mate." he growled.

The word vibrated in the air, and my heart skipped a beat.

'No. Not again.'

I took a step back, panic rising in my chest. How could this be happening? First Damon and Damian, and now this stranger—this Alpha I had never seen before.

My mind raced, trying to make sense of it all, but the harder I tried, the more lost I felt.

Before I could flee, someone called my name.

I turned to see one of the pack members approaching me, their expression unreadable.

"Alpha Kyle wants to see you," they said, their voice low.

My stomach twisted into knots.

Kyle. That was his name. The man who had just growled "mate" at me.

My legs felt like lead, but I followed them, my mind a blur of confusion and fear.

How could this be happening? How could I have three mates?

When I was led into a private room, Kyle stood there waiting.

His dark eyes locked onto mine the moment I entered, and I felt the air shift between us.

He didn’t move, didn’t speak at first. He just watched me, as if he was waiting for something.

"What is your name little mate?" He asked me in a gentle voice.

"I’m Lyra," I managed to say, my voice shaky.

I didn’t know what else to say. I was too overwhelmed, too lost in the chaos of everything that had happened.

"What a beautiful name," Alpha Kyle said, his voice smooth, confident.

"Wait, do you know who I am, I am an..."

He took a step closer, and the words died in my mouth.

"Yes I know who you are, You’re my mate."