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Chapter 5- Awaken
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-01-13 14:37:27Lyra
As Lyra rushed through the village, smoke’s acrid bite stung her nostrils. Homes smoldered. Everything was in ruins.
She scrambled through collapsing buildings looking for signs of life. But the streets were vacant, eerie silence weaving through the heat. Then, a faint cry near the old well drew her attention.
Aunt Maris lay on the ground. Blood stained her clothes. When she heard Lyra approach, her eyes fluttered open. Maris smiled weakly as she kneeled beside her.
The cold, damp ground sent a shiver through her, the metallic scent of blood making her stomach twist. Warmth faded from Maris’s hand as Lyra gripped it in her own.
“Aunt Maris!” She blurted, trying to stop the bleeding pooling beneath her.
Maris’s chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven breaths. Lips tinged blue.
“Lyra…” Maris gasped, her dull gaze filled with love.
Lyra’s heart throbbed in anguish. “Don’t talk. Save your strength,” she pleaded.
Maris’s fingers twitched in Lyra’s grasp. “They took them…” she sputtered, “Your father… Selene and Seraphina... They’re prisoners now.”
Prisoners? Images of her father’s stern face, Selene’s cold eyes, and Seraphina’s cruel smirk flashed through her head. Lyra sighed, a knot releasing in her chest.
Relief? Am I really relieved?
Maris coughed weakly and blood spurted up from her mouth. “I… I’m not long for this world.”
“No!” Lyra cried, her voice cracking with desperation. She stood. “I’ll find help!” She spun around, calling, “Someone—anyone! Help!”
But Maris spoke weakly. “No time... little wolf...”
Lyra froze. Little wolf. It was her aunts’ affectionate term for her. But it felt like so much more now. What did Maris see? Could she ever live up to it?
“It’s up to you, Only you…” Maris's hoarse whisper faded as a cold sweat broke out across Lyra’s back.
Me? Her heart thudded in her chest, shaking her head in disbelief. I am nothing. An exile.Maris’s breath grew more ragged, her body convulsed. She grimaced.
“Kyline…” Maris whispered. “She’s… she’s with Alpha Veyron. You must find her.”
The words didn’t make sense. Kyline... with him? He led the attack—why would she...?”
“What does that mean?” Lyra asked.
Maris’s grip tightened. “She’ll help you,” Maris rasped, “But the Alpha… you’ll need him… You have to save them, Lyra.”
“Save who?” Lyra asked. “My family?”
Her heart beat heavier, enveloping her in panic. She had no power, no pack—only her broken heart and Maris’s dying plea. How could she face an army with nothing?
“You have to. The moon… wanes... goddess awakens...”
“I don’t understand,” Lyra’s voice cracked, each syllable harder to form as tears ran down her cheeks.
Maris barely nodded, her grip weak but insistent. “The power… it’s in you, Lyra. The world… chaos, rebirth.”
Lyra trembled as she cupped her aunt’s face, slick with tears.
“I wish I could’ve done more for you, Lyra…” Maris’s smile grew faint. “You’re braver than me... You’ll need that strength.”
“Don’t go. Please, don’t leave me.”
She pressed her forehead to Maris’s, trying to hold on to what little was left of her. Maris’s body grew unnaturally cold, and her breathing ceased. Lyra screamed, her misery echoing through the desolation.
****
Lyra rushed through the forest, worn boots crushing emerald moss and scattering wildflowers. Bird song faded into the hum of insects.
She had to go. Had to find Kyline.
At the edge of a crumbling outpost, stones veined with moss, Lyra stopped to breathe.There was something ancient about this place that she couldn't explain.
Voices carried through the trees. Alpha Veyron’s patrols. Heart racing, she darted into the shadows of the ruin, pushing against the cold stone wall, as their footsteps grew closer.
The soldiers would attack first and ask questions later. They wouldn’t listen. She was a threat to be eliminated.
Lyra grazed the rough-hewn stones, finding irregular grooves etched into its surface. She turned to look.
Faded sigils were carved, words half-obscured by time, but still legible enough to send chills down her spine.
When the moon grows dark, the Luna Stone bound to its heart, the goddess shall awaken…
The goddess awakens... Maris’s last words haunted her.
It reminded her of fairy tales Kyline would tell her at bedtime. Just Fantasy. Right?
Lyra followed the words with her palm, feeling an arcane pulse beneath the surface.
... a new age will begin...
What did it mean? She brushed the moss aside to read the next line, so faint she could barely make any of it out:
...time of chaos… or ruin… She shall decide… Destroy the world.
She gasped as the words ran through her mind, “The power… it’s in you, Lyra. The world… chaos, rebirth...”
Goosebumps tingled along her arms, and she jerked her hand back.
An end, a beginning... and a power tied to her.
She stumbled back, and collided into something solid and unmoving. Molten panic ran through her veins as she whipped around. A patrolman loomed over her, eyes wide with surprise.
Everything blurred. With a final, desperate inhale, her vision went black, and she crumpled into unconsciousness.
Bab terkait
The Princess in the Shadows Chapter 6 - Aunt Maris Is Gone
LyraThe ground fractured. Dark clouds spiraled in a vicious storm. Buildings cracked and crumbled beneath the force of the wind, stones tumbling into the abyss. The scent of smoke and ash smothered everything except the howls of the wind. The world was splintering.Through the chaos, she saw a man. A tall pillar of strength amidst the collapse. His arms raised, body straining. He held the line between destruction and salvation. Their eyes met. Quiet desperation marked his features, restraining something far darker than the storm. A tense understanding neither fully grasped passed between them.Lyra’s heart beat a fierce staccato. Darkness grew, engulfing the realm, and sweeping away her father, stepsister, and stepmother. Silence swallowed Lyra’s screams.The storm’s center drew her forward. Despite the blinding glow, she couldn't look away. In the chaos’s nexus, a woman stood, obscured by the brilliance that radiated from her. But her power was undeniable. The Moon Goddess…As the
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-13The Princess in the Shadows Chapter 7 - Your Lives Are Now Mine
Veyron Vast stone walls enclosed the throne room, amplifying every breath. High ceilings disappeared into shadows. A massive tapestry hung behind the throne, depicting a wolf under a blood-red moon. Its eyes, glowing like embers, tracked every movement with chilling precision.Guards in polished black armor stood at rigid attention. Their faces were impassive, but their eyes betrayed unease. At the foot of the raised dais, disheveled captives knelt, their heads bowed low. Their clothing was torn, stained with the gore of battle. Chains hung from their wrists.The doors groaned open, reverberating through the chamber. The captives flinched, gazes dropping lower, some squeezing their eyes shut in a futile attempt to make themselves invisible.Veyron entered, dark titanium hair framing the jagged scar that carved across his brow, nose, and jawline. The cloak over his brawny shoulders swayed, whispering like shadows come to life. The scent of leather, iron, and blood carried the reminder
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LyraIn the morning, Lyra and Kyline left on horseback. The greenwood Lyra had known her entire life gave way to deep, fertile topsoil. Trees thinned until they were little more than scattered clusters on the horizon. Tall, golden grass swayed in the ever constant wind, stretching endlessly before her, the horizon broken only by distant hills. Seeing Lyra shiver, Kyline handed her her cloak.The magic in the air shifted as they crossed the boundary into another alpha’s territory, forsaking the familiar hum of home. It felt like an unseen predator watching, warning her she was unwelcome.Kyline and Lyra exchanged only a few words throughout the day, small comforts about shared loss and reassurances that Lyra wasn’t alone. Lyra clung onto her Aunt’s kindness, but it couldn’t drown out her thoughts or Aunt Maris’s final words, tangling with her dream.Kyline wouldn’t answer her questions about the plan. “Not yet,” her aunt assured her every time. “There’s no use worrying until it’s time.
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LyraInside the Den’s office, a trace of lavender tempered the otherwise austere space. The den was what they called Alpha Veyron’s home. A sprawling fortress carving strength and primal elegance into the heart of the grasslands. The three storied structure, built from dark timber and reinforced stone, embodied the raw power of the wolves who ruled this territory. While it was large enough to house the pack, only those who served within its walls chose to make it their home. Instead of sharing quarters, most of Alpha Veyron’s people chose to move into their own houses. Such distance between pack members was strange. But if their alpha was as domineering as she’d heard, it was no wonder his pack didn’t want to be near him.Behind a large wooden desk, worn and polished to a near mirror-like sheen, the Keeper of the Den examined Lyra with a gaze that could pierce armor, white streaks ran through her dark braid.“Do you know,” the Keeper began, her voice smooth yet cold, “what happened t
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-19The Princess in the Shadows Chapter 10 - Prove Your Worth
LyraThe shared maid quarters were a chaotic swirl of movement as the maids rushed around preparing for the Alpha’s arrival. Lyra sat on the edge of her cot, straightening her new dress and trying to ensure every crease was perfect.The anticipation and friendly competition amongst them was undeniable. Lyra hadn’t said a word, simply observing, trying to stay out of the way.This would be her chance to finally belong somewhere, and make herself useful. As a maid, she could earn trust, and discover what she truly needed to know, what Aunt Kyline sent her here for.A knock on the door made her pause. The girls froze, wide eyes darting to each other. The single, confident knock came again before the door swung open. The other’s faces paled with recognition. Lyra's breath caught as she saw her for the first time. The Mistress of Shadows filled the doorway. Her black hair, sleek and straight, fell to her shoulders in a glossy wave. A long, delicate hand rested on the doorframe, slender fi
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VeyronVeyron entered his chambers. Eryx restlessly pacing his mind."Finally," Eryx growled. "The stench of fools lingers. Strip it away."Veyron ignored the beast’s impatience, focusing on removing his pauldrons. The gilded metal, scuffed with marks of combat, clattered onto the nearby table. Piece by piece, the rest of his armor followed, revealing the taut, scarred flesh beneath.From a side chamber, the Mistress of Shadows entered without announcement. She swayed up to Veyron with unspoken authority, her dark eyes gleaming with cunning. A sly smile carved on her face.“Veyron,” she spoke, low and silky, a secret meant only for him.“Mistress,” he greeted.She loosened straps and untangled layers of his attire with practiced ease. His flesh was hot beneath her wandering fingertips.Her touch was feather light, circling his throat to fasten his silver torque around his neck. Her fingers lingered, trailing down to adjust the folds of his cloak. There was no affection—only possession
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LyraLyra’s breath was shallow and erratic as Alpha Veyron loomed over her. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak. Her lips parted, but her voice refused to come. The silence was absolute. Noone dared breathe.His chest rose and fell heavily as he stared her down, the golden intensity of his eyes burning into her soul. Those eyes… they felt so familiar. Where…? “Who are you?” He demanded again.His gaze roamed her face, his body rigid and trembling with restraint. The connection between them thrummed, wrapping tighter with every passing moment, drowning her in its rawness. Warmth spread through her abdomen.Her mouth opened again. Say something, she begged herself. Anything.But then, a graceful hand curved over Veyron’s broad shoulder with deliberate care. “Alpha,” the Mistress intoned.It took him a heartbeat too long to respond. Slowly, almost reluctantly, his head turned toward her, the hard lines of his jaw flexing as though it took all his will to drag his focus away.The Mistress
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VeyronVeyron swept through the familiar halls, lit by flickering sconces. His heavy steps echoed the thoughts he struggled to organize. The council was concerned with unpredicted changes all around the territory.Scorpions venturing further than they ever had. Patrols returned wounded, the varying venoms claiming lives. Some never came back. But they weren’t the only casualties. The pack wars also plagued the edges of his territory.“You’re wasting time,” Eryx rumbled in his mind, interrupting his thoughts. “Let the council debate themselves into oblivion. Can’t you smell her?”
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-20
Bab terbaru
The Princess in the Shadows Chapter 58 - A Name
VeyronThe room was suffocating. The candle on the nightstand burned out, leaving the scent of melted wax and a faint wisp of smoke. Veyron sat on the edge of the bed, his hands clenched into fists so tight his nails left crescent shaped lacerations on his palms. Lyra’s laugh still bounced around his head. Rivenn had charmed her, teasing, touching, even stealing glances. And Veyron watched, as the people he trusted most toyed with her attention. And she had welcomed it.Eryx growled in his mind, a low, restless rumble. They covet what is ours.Ours.Veyron’s breath shuddered out, the tension in his shoulders growing until they ached. He wanted her. More than he wanted air. Why did he yearn for her so? Why did her refusal to accept him burn so hot and deep? He didn’t need some girl. Never had. And yet, he needed her.The Mistress’s voice was a whisper in his mind, silk over steel, winding through the cracks in his resolve.Break her…He squeezed his eyes shut, but it was useless. Her
The Princess in the Shadows Chapter 57 And In Losing, Surrender
Lyra“He’s got a habit of picking up strays,” Brann remarked, tipping back his ale and nodding toward Veyron. “Over half the bastards here wouldn’t have a place if he didn’t take ‘em in.”Eryssa smirked. “Or a purpose. We’re all misfits in one way or another, but Veyron—he finds a use for the discarded.”Lyra listened quietly, her fingers tracing the rim of her tankard. She had seen Veyron’s leadership firsthand—the way these warriors, dangerous and unruly as they seemed, deferred to him without a command ever needing to be spoken. “And yet, he doesn’t unwillingly bind anyone to him as their Alpha.” Rivenn admired. “Veyron doesn’t demand it. He never has.”Most packs didn’t work that way. The pack bond was everything. The unshakable link that demanded loyalty, submission, belonging. It kept betrayal and fights out. Veyron did that all through sheer might.She glanced at him, half-hidden in the shadows now, nursing his drink as he listened but didn’t engage. His eyes distant.“It’s be
The Princess in the Shadows Chapter 56 Brooding Is An Art And He is A Master
Veyron The tavern buzzed with life, its warmth at odds with the cold void inside him. His enforcers reveled in their drinks, their camaraderie unshaken despite the serious mission ahead. They nudged him, coaxed him, trying to pull him into their merriment. “Come on, Veyron,” Brann called, already three drinks deep. “I haven’t seen you smile in years. Are your teeth still intact, or did you grind them all to dust?” Veyron exhaled through his nose, arms folded across his chest. “I’ll smile when I see something worth smiling about.” Delvin smirked. “Gods help us all when that day comes.” Eryssa shook her head. “Lost cause,” she muttered, clinking her tankard against Rivenn’s. “Might as well try getting Aeron drunk.” Veyron barely heard them. His attention was elsewhere. On her. Lyra sat among them, relaxed in a way she never was around him. Her lips curved in amusement as she sipped her drink, a strand of raven hair slipping over her shoulder. The firelight softened her edges… w
The Princess in the Shadows Chapter 55 - Much Worse
Lyra“We’re after an artifact,” Veyron explained, setting his tankard down with a dull thud. “The Eglantine.”Silence fell over the table.Brann exhaled. “Shit.”Rivenn let out a low whistle. “She really has you chasing that?”Eryssa threw back a swallow of her drink before asking, “I knew it had to be bad, but… that bad?”“Alright,” Daphne glanced between them. ”someone want to explain? What’s the Eglantine?”Delvin drummed his fingers on the table. “Ancient. Dangerous. Powerful. One of a kind.”Brann chuckled, but it lacked his usual warmth. “Sounds like my type.”Eryssa rolled her eyes. “It’s not something to joke about, Brann.”“So we’re retrieving it…” Lyra frowned. “for what purpose?”Veyron’s jaw flexed before he answered. “The Mistress wants it. She says it’ll protect the pack from what’s coming.”That sent a ripple of unease through the group.Eryssa spoke, “It’s really happening, then.”Aeron merely nodded.Lyra’s eyes narrowed. “And what exactly is ‘it’?”No one answered i
The Princess in the Shadows Chapter 54 - Welcome To The Pack
LyraFollowing the group to the table, Lyra watched Veyron warily. Rivenn had been testing and teasing him but she had seen the moment where he almost didn’t stop. He had wanted to see blood and the echoes of anger hadn’t fully faded.Rivenn leaned back in his chair, lazily scanning the room as he took a deep swig of ale—then nearly choked on it. He set his tankard down with a thunk, eyes locking onto Lyra and Daphne.“Well, well,” he drawled, a slow grin spreading across his face. “No one told me we’d have company.”At that, the rest of the group turned, as if finally registering the two women who had ridden in with Veyron.Brann’s grin widened. “And no one told me the company would be this pretty.”Veyron’s fingers curled around the handle of his drink, his knuckles tightening as Brann leaned forward, all easy charm and reckless grins. A low growl hummed in the back of Veyron’s throat, too soft for anyone but Lyra to catch.She tried to ignore him.Eryssa groaned. “Gods save us, her
The Princess in the Shadows Chapter 53 - Devour The Weak
VeyronLyra, Daphne, Veyron, and Delvin rode toward the inn, its warm golden light spilling from shuttered windows onto the mud-slick road. It was a welcome sight after a long day’s ride, promising food, rest, and reacquaintance with old friends.The inn was bustling, the scent of roasting meat and ale mingling with the perfume of courtesans who prowled between tables like well-fed cats. Laughter and the clink of tankards filled the barroom.When they stepped inside, the world stilled. People recognized Veyron. A few stiffened, others averted their eyes. He was their leader, if not their Alpha, and he had long since stopped caring about being the center of attention.Then, cold steel pressed against his throat.Lyra sucked in a sharp breath, taking a step back. The firelight caught the glint of the blade, its edge whispering against his skin. His body went taut, but he didn’t flinch.Rip. Tear. Make him bleed. Eryx’s voice rumbled inside him, low and eager, his wolf’s instincts coiled
The Princess in the Shadows Chapter 52 - Daughter Of The Moonlit Thorn
LyraThey traveled for the better part of the day through the vast, wind-swept grasslands, where golden fields rippled like an endless sea. Daphne kept the mood light, chatting idly with Lyra about whatever she saw around them; the color of the sky, the crispness of the air, idle musings about the villages they passed. Lyra responded when she could, but she was exhausted. Yet with every lapse of the conversation, her blood burned with a secret intimate need. The mistress of shadows’ torment never far, lurking behind every breath. The vibrations of riding thrumming along her ever sensitive womanhood.Veyron rode ahead. The tension in his shoulders and the sharp set of his jaw made it clear that his thoughts were not something he intended to share. The warrior who had fetched them from the quarters rode alongside them. He was middle-aged, with graying temples and a face lined by years of battle, yet his demeanor was easygoing. He joined in Daphne’s chatter with an amused tone, though w
The Princess in the Shadows Chapter 51 Her Companion
LyraThe morning light spilled into the maids’ quarters, casting long golden streaks across the worn wooden floors. Veyron had told her to ready herself, but for what? He hadn’t said where they were going or what she would need. The others were dressing and debating the order of tasks for the day ahead.Daphne turned toward Lyra as she entered the room and beamed. “We were worried about you last night,” she said. “You came back unconscious. Are you alright?”Lyra opened her mouth to answer but she had none. Was she alright? The exhaustion, the pressure of everything smothered her. “I don’t know,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.Before Daphne could respond, a sharp knock at the door drew every gaze. A warrior stepped inside, broad-shouldered and solid, his face weathered with years of battle. His graying hair was cropped short, a jagged scar cutting across his brow. He wore dark leathers reinforced with iron plating, his sword strapped to his hip. The scent of damp sto
The Princess in the Shadows Chapter 50 - Illusion of Tenderness
LyraLyra didn’t remember standing, didn’t register the moment her feet began to move. Her thoughts drifted through her dream. Who was mother talking about? How will I find them? And what is this rose?Her heartbeat was too loud in the den’s quiet halls. Everyone slept.The mistress had tested her tonight. Why? What would it lead to? Her skin still hummed with the magic’s energy, the thrill splashing over her thoughts like ice water. Her cheeks flushed with shame. Why did I enjoy it?Rounding a corner, her breath caught as she caught sight of Veyron.He moved down the hall ahead of her, a bowl clutched in his large hands. His fingers were tight around it, knuckles white. He did not stride with his usual command; instead, his steps were short, and careful as if afraid he might lose his balance.She followed but he didn’t notice. Not when he entered his chamber. He stepped toward the great stone hearth, the firelight throwing his shadow long against the walls. Lyra stopped at the th
