10|Not a mistake

I've heard so much about you, Dorothy," she said, her voice smooth, a warm smile playing on her lips. "Shall we have a little... chat?".

Dorothy swallowed nervously, her heart beating fast against her chest. How did she know about her, she doubted anyone in her pack knew her that well to be able to say so much about her and she was as hell sure their words weren't nice at all. The most they would probably say was that she was a slutty omega who would seduce men in the pack and that wasn't true.

So what did Lyra hear about her?

“Why are you so scared of me?” Lyra asked Dorothy as she drew nearer and sat on the door beside her. Dorothy smiled nervously and tried to say she wasn't, because of course she wouldn't give Lyra the idea of using her body for sacrifice.

“I am sorry for being jumpy, I am not scared of you. I'm just tired”. Dorothy lied through her teeth without blinking.

Lyra frowned and suddenly, her bony fingers curled towards Dorothy like creeping claws, her eyes glinted with mischief as her wrinkled face broke into a toothy grin, watching Dorothy flinch back in fear.

Lyra broke into a hearty laughter, holding her stomach as Dorothy clutched her chest, eyes widened at the woman in disbelief– wait, why did she remind Dorothy of a specific someone.

“I'm sorry, I couldn't resist it” Lyra wiped a tear from her eye. “That idiot must have said some terrifying things about witch doctors to get you so terrified”.

Dorothy was still trying to register what was happening before Lyra said “How is Agnes doing? I haven't seen her in years– twenty or maybe thirty…. I can't remember, when you get old your memory starts getting foggy and you can't even remember what you ate for breakfast anymore, not even your cat name…”

Lyra started to trail off and Dorothy’s eyes widened, “You know Agnes?!”

Lyra scoffed and crossed her arms, “That fool and I are twin sisters so of course I know her,” Dorothy covered her mouth in shock, Agnes never told her about having a sister before but now seeing Lyra clearly, she could point out their similarities.

“I don't know what she told you about witch doctors but if she said we kill people and sacrifice their lives to our gods then she is lying.”

Dorothy looked away with a shy smile and Lyra rolled her eyes, “Idiot”.

Dorothy suddenly held Lyra’s hand when she remembered something. “Can you get in contact with Agnes, I am not sure if she will be fine without me”. It seemed like she wasn't going back anytime soon and she didn't know if anyone would take care of Agnes.

“She will be fine” Lyra waved her hand, standing up from her sit as she dismissed Dorothy “And besides you are not in the state to worry about others right now, we have a lot of more important things to tend to”

Dorothy released Lyra’s hand and realized that she was right, she hadn't forgotten that her mate, the ruthless Alpha king, despised her and wanted to break their bond. “Can the bond be broken?” She asked and Lyra shrugged, hands now deep in her bag.

“But if I don't try then the Alpha king will have my head and we don't want that” Lyra muttered under her breath and Dorothy felt bad. It was because of her that other people were dragged into this.

“Aha found it!” Lyra screamed as she had something clutched in her grip. She walked to Dorothy, placing the crystal necklace in Dorothy’s hand.

“This is something that weakens mate bond. It is rare because it is said to have a drop of the Moon goddess' tears. It will not immediately break the bond but this will do before I can find a solution”.

Dorothy stared at the necklace that seemed to shimmer faintly under the soft glow of the room’s light, catching her eye in a way that felt almost hypnotic. The delicate chain, though simple, seemed to hold an enchanting, otherworldly sparkle.

“Thank you,” Dorothy said, wearing the necklace. She didn't feel any different but since Lyra had said it would weaken the bond then she would just have to put it on.

“Good good, I will be coming here to check up on you. Hopefully this will help” Lyra carried her bag and walked to the door and Dorothy followed.

Lyra suddenly turned around with a smile “Remember, Dorothy, everything in this life has a reason so do not think that this was a mistake” Dorothy looked confused but Lyra had already left the room.

Immediately Lyra left, Dororhy ‘s legs suddenly gave out and she fell to the ground. She didn't know she had been holding on until now. The events of these few days weighed on her and she covered her face and finally cried.

Her shoulders shook as she cried into her hands. All the suppressed emotions within her gave way and she cried bitterly. The door to the room opened and Dorothy felt a pair of arms wrap around her. She looked up to see Sofia silently hugging her, Sofia didn't say anything to comfort her since she knew Dorothy had to let it all out.

“I am- I am fine” Dorothy wiped her tears and Sofia smiled softly, patting her back. “I am sorry you had to see me that way” Dorothy whispered but Sofia shook her head.

“It's okay to let it out, Dorothy. Maybe you should take a shower first, have a change of clothes and eat” Sofia handed her new clothes and Dorothy thanked her.

“Am- am I allowed to shower here?” Dorothy asked, unsure if she could stay in such an expensive room. Sofia nodded and Dorothy walked into the bathroom.

As she stepped into the bathroom, Dorothy didn't pause to consider one crucial detail: If Lyra hadn’t seen Agnes in years, then who had told Lyra about her.