Chapter Seven — Kaine’s POV

The image of Lyra’s perfectly shaped ass snug in those tight jeans stuck to my mind like glue. Even as the healer nursed my wounds, a smirk crept onto my face as I replayed the events of our hunting trip. It had been successful, not just because we brought back the biggest Jaguar of the year, but also because I got to spend time with Lyra under unusual circumstances.

I’d seen the panic in her eyes when the Jaguar lunged at me. She still cared for me, whether she admitted it or not. It wasn’t a full victory, but it was something—proof that her feelings hadn’t completely vanished. Winning back her trust would take time, but it wasn’t a lost cause, and today proved that. I’d have to show I wasn’t all talk. Words did hold meaning to me, especially the ones I’d said to her the night before I betrayed her.

“Kaine?” Elder Ronan’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I blinked myself back into the present, now aware of the presence of the elders sitting around me at the old wooden table—one that had been used by past Alphas for council meetings like this one. Council meetings were typically held once a month, at the end of every month. If it happened earlier than that, it was always because of an emergency. I guess ditching Juniper at the altar was something they’d consider an emergency, given what it meant for the alliance between my pack and that of Juniper’s. They were going to call me out on breaking the alliance, dredge up the promise I made to my father, and hint that I was unfit to lead because I let my emotions get the best of me.

Leaning forward, I rested my hands on the table, my knuckles locked together. And with utmost seriousness, I said, “You have my attention now.”

Elder Ronan didn’t hesitate to speak whenever he was given the chance to, so it came as no surprise that he was the first to make a comment. “You’re not taking this seriously, Kaine. Rumors like this shouldn’t be taken lightly. It is a serious threat to the security of the pack, and if you do not act on them…I don’t even want to begin to imagine what could happen.”

“You’re dancing in circles, Ronan. What rumors are you talking about?”

“If you’d been listening to a word I’ve said, you’d know that the first topic of discourse today is the obvious reappearance of Lyra: what it means to you, and what it means for the pack.”

“Lyra’s presence in Crescent Valley and what it means to me is not something I wish to discuss with the council. As for what it means for the pack? She’s one of us.”

“She’s not,” Elder Martha interjected, her voice sharp. “There are laws that bind the Ironclaw pack. She stopped being part of this pack the day she ran away. You know that as well as we do. There are laws, Kaine. Or have you forgotten the fourteenth law?”

I averted my gaze. Of course I hadn’t forgotten. How could I—my father had made me memorize every word of the Ironpack laws since I could speak. I knew every law like the back of my hand. The fourteenth law stated: any member who abandons the pack and returns must undergo retribution to earn their place back. Retribution involved several steps. First, they must face the entire pack to confess their abandonment and submit to the judgment of the Alpha. Then they’d be demoted to the position of an Omega, an outcast amongst the pack, and would have to undertake a period of servitude for a time. Finally, they’d undergo a redemption ritual, a blood-binding ritual where they’d be required to swear an oath of loyalty, pledging themselves to the Alpha and to the pack.

“I know the fourteenth law, Martha,” I said quietly.

“And yet you allow the girl to walk freely among the pack and even take a job.”

“She has a child. She has to survive somehow,” I shot back, my voice hardening.

Ronan shook his head, disbelief etched across his face. “Our laws are sacred, Kaine.”

“I know. But Lyra doesn’t need to go through all that. I was the reason she left the pack in the first place. I abandoned her first.”

“It doesn’t matter what happened,” Martha cut in. “The fact remains—Lyra Winters abandoned the pack for six years. She has to face the consequences of her actions under the law. Otherwise, she’ll be exiled.”

“And I fully support her exile,” Ronan jumped in before any of us could even take a breath. “Her presence has already compromised the pack’s security. There are rumors that the Blackwoods are after her.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I hadn’t told anyone about that, except…the witch, Salome. My eyes narrowed to slits, realization dawning on me. She was the one spreading the rumors about the Blackwood pack being after Lyra.

Ronan leaned forward, pressing on, like he wasn’t finished. He had a lot to say today—he always had a lot to say. “The Blackwoods are a ruthless bunch. They live in isolation for a reason, Kaine. Nobody dares to go near the territory of Red Rock except if they have a death wish, because they would hunt them down and kill them. If Lyra has crossed into their territory and come out alive, I don’t think we should be harboring her in our town.”

Anger simmered within me just listening to Ronan throw words around so callously. “Do you hear yourself, Ronan?” I flared. “You sound as ruthless as they are. You’d exile a member of this pack simply because she crossed into an unknown territory and managed to make it out alive?” I stood, fists clenched. “Lyra has a child. We’re not going to turn into monsters and cast her out simply because she left the pack.”

“It’s the law, Kaine.”

“The law is for her to face retribution, and she will. But she will not be exiled,” I said firmly, leaving no room for argument. Ronan slumped back in his chair, disapproval etched in every line of his face.

“Now, can we drop the talk about Lyra and move on to the next agenda item?”

“The next agenda item circles back to Lyra Winters,” Elder Martha said, making me grimace as I settled back into my chair. .

She continued, “We have reasons to believe her presence has clouded your judgment. Or do you have a better explanation as to why you ruined an alliance your father spent years trying to build? Your marriage to Juniper Greymont was supposed to solidify this alliance once and for all. The Blackwoods remain a growing threat, and Lyra’s presence here might just have provoked them. Now, more than ever, we need that alliance to defend ourselves.”

“We’re strong on our own,” I said curtly.

The oldest elder, Zephyr, sprang to his feet, slamming his fists on the table. “Boy, you are going to bring us to the ground!” His voice was tight with anger, teeth gritted, jaws clenched, and his eyes blazed with frustration. “I’ve served on three councils, and no Alpha has been as hot-headed and reckless as you are. You let your emotions rule you, Kaine. You don’t think with your head—you act because of a woman.” He shook his head, disappointment clear in his eyes. “I thought your father raised you better.”

With that, he stormed out of the room. One by one, the other council members followed, until only Ronan remained. He walked over to me, his gaze softening just slightly.

“I understand that you love her, Kaine. But love is a weakness. Your father knew this better than anyone, which was why he rejected his mate and married a better woman—your mother. You followed in his footsteps six years ago. You can do it again.” He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper. “You can survive without Lyra if you cast her out.”

And with that, he left, just like the rest.

Zephyr’s words echoed in my head like a relentless bell that wouldn’t stop ringing, plunging me into deep thought. Since becoming Alpha, I’d pushed my personal desires aside, prioritizing the pack in every decision I made. That devotion led me to betray the woman that I loved. I convinced myself I was honoring the last wish my father made on his deathbed by fulfilling the alliance and mating with Juniper. Yet nothing I’d done in the past six years felt honorable. In fact, the decision not to push through with mating Juniper felt like the only right choice I had made in a long while. But it also made me feel like I was disappointing my father. He’d done the exact same thing I did—defied the wheels of fate by mating my mother and they’d spent the rest of their lives happy. I’d thought I could replicate that happiness, but joy eluded me the day I rejected Lyra.

The conflict of my emotions loomed over me like a storm, keeping me in deep thought for hours. It wasn’t until the servant arrived to clean that I realized darkness had enveloped the room. I had spent far too long questioning my leadership and whether I was selfless enough to be the Alpha. But at the end of the day, I circled back to one thought: being the Alpha didn’t mean I had to forfeit my own happiness. That inkling of joy when I found Lyra lying in the forest was enough to tell me that I could never be happy without her. Yet, I couldn’t help but wonder if my pursuit of happiness would come at the expense of the pack’s wellbeing.

As I walked back home, I felt numb, the weight of my impending decision about Lyra pressing down on me. Though I was lost in a haze, when I crossed into the courtyard, I immediately knew I was no longer alone. I spun around to find the last person I wanted to see—Salome.

“Hello, Kaine,” she greeted me, an edge to her voice. But I couldn’t care less.

“Save your pleasantries, Salome,” I snapped, my anger bubbling to the surface. We weren’t exactly friends, but we had maintained a cordial understanding.

Moving closer, I spoke through gritted teeth, “Do you realize what danger you’re putting Lyra in by spreading those rumors?”

A look of confusion creased her brow. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, don’t you dare play dumb. You’re the only person that knew about the Blackwoods being after Lyra. She came to you in confidence, seeking your help—”

Her sardonic laughter cut me off. “Confidence? Oh, please. Lyra came to me in desperation. And a desperate person always has something to hide.”

“That gives you no right to go around telling everybody about her dilemma!” I snarled, frustration pouring out of me.

Salome drew back at my tone, her gaze sharpening. “I assure you, Kaine, it wasn’t me. But maybe it’s a good thing. Surely you do not believe the story she concocted about the Blackwoods?”

My brows furrowed for a brief second.

“Before you jump in blindly to protect her, you should know that she isn’t the same girl you knew six years ago.”

“What has that got to do with anything?”

“Everything, Kaine. And the fact that you cannot even see the obvious lie in front of you worries me.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Salome?” I demanded impatiently.

“The boy—Lyra’s son. He’s your son, too.”

The ground seemed to drop out from beneath me. I felt my heart seize, a sharp ache spreading through my chest as disbelief and affliction battled for control. “No…” My voice was hoarse as I stumbled back, suddenly losing my balance. “You're lying.”

“Am I? You're a wise man, Kaine—I know you thought about it.”

I didn’t just think about it, I felt it. Yet, hearing it now struck me like a blow. Lyra couldn’t have kept my child from me for six years… could she?

“You can’t trust her, Kaine. Your entire pack is at stake if you do.” With that final warning, she retreated into the shadows, leaving me standing in the darkness, reeling from the shock of her revelation.