Chapter Nine — Lyra’s POV

Six years ago.

“Would you like a refill, Mr. Mason?”

Mr. Mason held out his mug, a soft smile on his lips, deepening the wrinkles in the corner of his eyes. I poured the coffee into his mug, the gurgle of it sounding like music to my ears. Today, everything was music to my ears—the chatter in the mostly empty diner, the clatter of cutleries on plates, and the soft melody playing in the background.

“Thank you, my dear,” Mr. Mason said. “I don’t know what’s got you in such a good mood today, but whatever it is, hold on to it. Happiness is a rare gift.”

I returned his smile. “You bet I will. Enjoy your coffee, Mr. Mason.”

I walked back to the counter, humming along to the song playing in the background. Setting the coffee pot back in its place, I grabbed a towel and began drying the washed mugs and dishes. My hands were working on autopilot as my mind danced around the possibilities of the night ahead. Kaine, my fated mate, was going to be named Alpha. And tonight, at the mating ceremony, he would officially claim me as his Luna. The thought sent a wave of giddy excitement through me, a feeling I couldn’t quite suppress even as I tried to keep my head down and act normal.

“Wow, Lyra. If I didn’t know you any better, I’d think you’ve had way too much caffeine,” another regular, Mrs. Carter teased, as she approached the counter, a playful smile on her lips.

I grinned like a Cheshire cat. “You know me too well, Mrs. Carter.”

“Speaking of, I ordered a cheeseburger to go. My kids will riot if I come home empty-handed.”

“Isolde is finishing up in the kitchen. Let me just get her to hurry up.”

“That’ll be nice. Thanks, Lyra.”

I went to head into the kitchen when Isolde came out, carrying a brown paper bag which I presumed had Mrs. Carter’s burger in it.

“I’m sorry for the delay, Mrs. Carter. Minor mix up in the kitchen,” Isolde apologized, handing her the brown paper bag.

“It’s no worry, my dear.”

She dipped her hand into her purse and pulled out some dollar bills which she handed to me. “Keep the change.”

“Oh, you’re too kind. Thank you so much!”

She waved goodbye and walked out of the diner as I counted out the money for the burgers to see what change was left. “Woah, this is such a huge tip. How are we going to split it?”

When Isolde didn’t respond, I looked up to see her stacking the cleaned mugs and dishes on the open shelves behind the counter. Perhaps she didn’t hear me.

“Earth to Isolde,” I snapped my fingers in her face and she barely reacted. “I asked how we’re splitting the tip?”

“The tip’s all yours. You heard Mrs. Carter—she said you should keep the change.”

I waved it off. “She didn’t mean it like that.”

“Yes, she did, Lyra.” Isolde snapped and I drew back, startled at her outburst.

I didn’t know what had gotten into her today. She’d barely even said two words to me all day. Normally, we’d be whispering and giggling about tonight’s ceremony, imagining what my future as Luna would look like. But today, there was something different. There was a coldness in her eyes, a distance I hadn’t seen before.

“Isolde, are you okay?” I asked, walking over to her.

“Yeah. Just…tired,” she said, her voice flat and unconvincing.

I wanted to press her further, but before I could, the bell above the door chimed, and more customers streamed into the diner. Isolde quickly grabbed the menu and turned away, busying herself with taking orders. Something about her behavior felt off, but I let it go, deciding to take her word for it.

My shift ended early, thanks to Mr. Randolf, who let me go home to prepare for the ceremony. As I skipped along the path home, I felt my wolf buzzing inside me, her excitement a mirror of mine—like a live wire ready to spark. She’d been restless all day, pacing at the edges of my mind, her anticipation building with each passing hour.

Mate. She whispered through the bond, her voice clear in my head.

A smile tugged at my lips, my heart swelling at the word. Mate . That’s what Kaine would be, not just in name, but in every sense of the word. She practically danced with me as I hurried home to freshen up and change into the new dress I’d saved specially for this occasion.

Standing in front of the mirror, I bit my lips, debating on what to do with my hair. My fingers fidgeted with a strand, unsure whether to leave it down like I always did, or try something different. My wolf stirred impatiently, pushing me with an opinion of her own.

Up, she urged, her voice playful but insistent. Do something different for him.

I glanced at the ivory satin dress that flowed effortlessly down my body, clinging to my curves just enough for me to feel elegant. Smiling, I grabbed a few hairpins, deciding to wear my hair up. Tonight was going to be a new beginning for me, after all.

*****

By the time I arrived at the pack headquarters, the place was already swirling with people. It was difficult to spot Kaine in the sea of faces and my height was doing me no favors. I managed to squeeze through the crowd, weaving my way to the front of the quarters where I finally caught sight of Kaine.

A smile touched my lips as I took in the breathtaking sight of him. He stood tall, exuding authority in his intricately woven tunic, made of midnight black fabric and accentuated with silver embroidery that traced the ancient symbols of the pack. The high collar framed his strong jawline, while a thick leather belt clinched his waist, bearing the Ironclaw crest at its center. Draped over his broad shoulders was a wolf pelt, a mark of his lineage and strength. His brown hair, normally a wavy mess, was slicked back today, glistening under the light of the full moon.

The smile on my lips slowly faded when Kaine’s eyes landed on me. Those piercing blue eyes which always held tenderness and warmth when they looked at me, now reflected nothing but emptiness. It was like staring into an endless void—hollow, stripped of warmth, as if whatever connection we’d once shared faded, leaving only a cold, unreachable emptiness.

My stomach twisted in knots. Something was wrong. I could feel it.

Suddenly, the whole gathering quieted. I glanced around and realized everyone was watching Kaine expectantly, waiting for his next move.

I would never have seen his next move coming, not in a million years.

Kaine stepped forward, stopping only a few inches away from me. “I cannot be with you,” he said, the words sharp as daggers.

“Wh—what?” I blinked back in confusion, wondering what had changed since last night to this moment.

“You’re not good enough for me, Lyra,” Kaine continued with a straight face. “You’re not worth the love of an Alpha. Lyra, you’re not worth my love.”

I reeled at his words which felt like a hard slap to the face. “Did I do something wrong?” My eyes watered. “I’m sorry, Kaine. I—I’m sorry if I…please, Kaine, don’t do this to me.”

He remained silent, offering no attempt to refute any of the words he had just said.

Refusing to believe everything, I shook my head, saying, “You can’t do that…you’re my mate. We’re supposed to be together, Kaine. It’s our fate.”

“I do not wish for my fate to be tied to yours anymore. I’m rejecting you as my mate, Lyra Winters.”

The moment those words left his mouth, my chest tightened and my wolf howled in agony. I could feel her presence growing weaker, as if his rejection wasn’t just breaking my heart, but crushing her spirit, too. I stumbled back, clutching my chest as if I could somehow hold my heart together. It felt as though a part of me was ripped away, the part that was supposed to complete me…make me feel whole.

My heart trembled in an agony foreign to me. I had experienced grief before, when my father died, and I thought that was the worst feeling in the world. But this—this pain surpassed it. It was a grief unlike any other, threatening to swallow me whole. It felt as if a part of my soul had been shattered with the very enunciation of those words, leaving behind a raw, pulsating hurt.

At first, the gathering was eerily silent. Then murmurs began to ripple through the crowd, accompanied by looks of pity cast my way. The air became thick with humiliation and the overwhelming sense of despair that engulfed me. I wanted nothing more than for the earth to open and consume me. Tears flowed freely from my eyes, but even the sight of me breaking apart didn’t move Kaine. He just stood there…staring at me.

I couldn’t bear to be here any longer. I couldn’t bear to be anywhere around him. I whirled around and took to my heels, feeling my breath slip away with every stride. I allowed the anguish to take over as I raced down the empty streets, the world blurring into a haze of sorrow. As I reached the edge of the woods, I felt my wolf rise to the surface, tugging at me to let her free. And in one fluid movement, I shifted and howled into the night— a sound of both pain and anger—before dashing into the woods with great speed. I didn’t know where I was going, only that I needed to run, to escape this unbearable pain.

But my escape was quickly overshadowed by a wave of nausea and dizziness that struck me. I pushed myself to continue running but with each step, my legs weakened. This feeling eating through me was akin to death. I didn’t know the feeling of death but I imagined that it could not be worse than this.

My eyes began to flutter close and I slowed down, just enough to catch my breath. But darkness closed in around me. And before I realized what was happening, I collapsed to the ground and the darkness enveloped me.

******

I woke up with a splitting headache, as if my brain was being pulled apart from my skull. Groaning, I sat up, using my elbow to support the weight of my body as my eyes adjusted to the brightness of the room. Panic surged through me and my eyes snapped open when I realized I was in an unfamiliar environment. Just before I sprang to my feet, a strange woman entered the room, carrying a bowl of water and a towel.

“Oh good, you’re awake,” she said, taking the seat beside me. “You should lie back down. You need proper rest.”

I eyed her with suspicion, but exhaustion weighed down on me, so I fell back in bed.

“What were you thinking, shifting in your condition?” She scolded, eyes narrowing on me in disapproval.

“My…condition?” I croaked, confused, and too tired to think straight.

I glanced at her. The surprise on her face was unmistakable. “You don’t know, do you?”

A groan escaped my lips. “Know what?”

A pitiful smile crossed the woman's face as she placed a hand on my stomach, gently pressing against it. “You’re pregnant, child.”

All traces of exhaustion evaporated as I shot up, the words echoing in my mind. No. No way. I couldn’t be pregnant. I shouldn’t be pregnant. Kaine had promised me he was being careful. Then it dawned on me. I was pregnant with Kaine’s child.

“No, no,” I whimpered, jumping out of the bed and throwing on the fresh clothes she had laid out for me.

“Where are you going? It’s the middle of the night,” the woman called after me.

Without responding, or even sparing her a second glance, I dashed out of the house and ran until I reached the familiar path that led to my home. I needed to get out of here before this strange woman spread word of my pregnancy. The Ironclaw laws were clear—any child born without the Alpha’s claim would be deemed unlawful, an abomination, a threat to the future of the pack’s leadership. They would cast me out, and force me to terminate the child. I couldn’t let that happen.

I stumbled into my house in a daze, every instinct screaming at me to run before it was too late. Heading straight for my closet, I grabbed a small bag and began shoving clothes inside when a voice startled me from behind.

I turned around to see Isolde standing in the doorway, her face pale as she watched me frantically gather my things. “What are you doing?”

I swallowed, tears blurring my vision. “I can’t stay here, Isolde. They’ll force me to kill my baby. I—I just can’t.”

For a moment, she looked confused. Then her expression softened in realization, and she stepped forward. “Let me help you.”

Together, we packed what little I could carry. Before I fled, I hugged her as tightly as I could, promising I’d find a way to communicate with her. She pointed out a path, assuring me it was safe and would lead to another town where I would find shelter.

I followed her instructions, fleeing into the woods on the path she mentioned. But I quickly realized that I wasn’t alone. Dark figures moved through the trees, their eyes glowing red in the moonlight. Shifters. I recognized their scent.

Fear surged through me as I pushed harder, dodging trees and ducking branches, in an attempt to evade them. I burst into a clearing near the river, thinking I’d managed to lose them. Thirsty, I dashed to the water to drink, but I’d barely gotten a sip when I felt the sharp sting in my neck. I looked down to find a dart lodged in my skin, and when my head came back up, I saw a group of shifters emerge from the trees.

My legs gave out, and I collapsed to the ground, feeling the sedative spread through my veins. But just before I blacked out, I saw a woman kneel beside me. She touched my belly and smiled, whispering, “She’s the one.”