Chapter 20

Twenty

LYRA

" Y ou're not getting away this time, little omega," sneered Voss as he tied my ankles with the chains used for the Shadow Wolf.

I was back in the cave.

Voss seemed determined to make sure I was sacrificed correctly this time. The macabre bones surrounding us were the stuff of nightmares, and I wondered if I was stuck in a nightmare. But the pinch on my ankles from the tight chains as Voss wound them around me several times felt very real.

"Why are you doing this, Voss?" I demanded, holding my stomach as a string of pain went through my middle. I had no idea what was happening to me, but my skin felt hot and feverish. My dress was heavy against my skin.

"The Royal Pack really thinks they're innocent," said Voss. "They need to know what the pain of losing family feels like. The Shadow Wolf will return to his lair at nightfall and find you."

I could hear cheering outside from the villagers as they eagerly awaited the beast's return. In their minds, my sacrifice would appease the Shadow Wolf for a year so he wouldn't hurt them.

"Why don't you just kill me yourself? Why go through all this?"

"The Shadow Wolf will do as I command when he realizes how loyal I am," said Voss. "You are the bait to draw him back in."

"I'm sure your little brother wouldn't be happy with this," I said.

Voss paused and touched my knee.

"He would be more than happy," he replied. "We didn't like the system and how everything was running with the Royal Pack running the island for years, especially when our best friends were sigma brothers who felt the same. The Great Moon Revolt was the greatest thing to happen on Howl's Edge. We will continue the revolt and win with the strength of the Shadow Wolf."

I had to keep him talking and maybe convince him to let me go. I couldn't sit here as bait and wait for my death.

"Why not get someone else?"

"I have to attack the Royal Pack where it hurts the most."

"It's not going to change anything," I said.

"That's it," he said, rubbing the dust from his hands and looking at the handiwork of chains tying my legs together. Then he looked at me with a devious glint in his eyes. "I think I should enjoy you a little before I go."

"What are you doing?" I asked, panicking as he knelt closer to me, bringing his mouth to my neck. He started kissing me on my neck and cupping my breasts in his hands. The smell of his cologne made me want to throw up. But the alpha energy that radiated from him pulled to the omega inside me.

I shut my eyes, resisting his pull. The invisible alpha pull was willing me to obey and relax.

"Mhm, you taste so good," he whispered, his mouth still on my neck. Then his teeth pierced my skin, and I screamed.

"No," I whimpered. "Why did you mark me?"

I felt my body stirring, awakening.

This alpha wanted me for his carnal pleasure. I felt blood trickle down my neck as he sucked. My skin was on fire, and my stomach clenched over and over in pain. My privates were throbbing with a need for relief that only an alpha could relieve.

I was going into heat, and he was triggering it.

"It's okay. You're going to die anyway," he said. "We wouldn't be mated for too long."

He smelled the air as if he enjoyed my omega scent, thickening all around us. He continued licking my neck and bit me again on my collarbone.

I screamed again, tears running down my face.

"Stop, please," I begged. "Just let the Shadow Wolf take me."

"But you taste so delicious," he said. I tried to headbutt him, but that made him angrier when he nicked me on the neck again on the same spot, deepening my wound. If he knotted me, it would seal our mating bond. I would be tied to him forever until one of us died.

A roar sounded at the entrance of the cave.

Voss removed his hold on me, and I looked up as tears blurred my vision.

My stomach dropped with dread when I saw the Shadow Wolf blocking the entrance. His hairy body filled the cave's space, water dripping from his brown fur coat. He charged toward us, and Voss jumped out of the way.

I was lying on my back on the wet cave floor, my legs tightly bound. My hands were free as I tried to crawl on my hands away from the werewolf, heart pounding wildly.

The pulse in my ears roared with my need to escape.

"There she is," said Voss, waving in my direction. "I've brought you another omega, Shadow, as I do every year. I made sure this one didn't get away."

The werewolf stopped in front of me, sniffing my legs. Then he turned towards Voss and growled, stalking him instead. My mouth dropped open in shock.

"Thank god," I breathed, watching as the werewolf charged after Voss and pinned him to the floor. It all happened in a split second when I saw the glint of a silver knife as Voss stabbed the werewolf in the chest. The Shadow Wolf howled, throwing his head back in pain.

He opened his mouth to chomp off Voss's head.

I turned my head as I heard Voss's last screams ringing in the air.

The sounds of crunching bones finally stopped, and I turned my head back to see what was happening. I was alarmed to see the werewolf lying on his back next to Voss's headless body. I averted my gaze from Voss, focusing on the werewolf.

The Shadow Wolf didn't attack me but instead saved me from my deranged husband.

Crawling on my hands, I dragged myself over to the werewolf and gripped the dagger's handle, pulling it out.

"You saved me," I whispered.

Blood dripped down from my neck onto the werewolf's fur as I pressed my hand firmly over his wound.

Something in me didn't want to let this werewolf die. I wanted him to live, regardless of his deadly past.

"Please wake up," I said, tapping his fur-covered face. My skin heated even more as I pressed tightly against his wound, and my scent covered the entire cave in my desperation.

"He's dead," said a voice behind me. It was Kodan, and he sounded resigned. Luke barged in as well in his werewolf form.

"No, he can't be dead," I said stubbornly, trying to stop the blood as I held on.

My heart ached as I looked at his face.

He was doomed to be stuck in this werewolf form forever. Then something took over me, and I kissed his cheek, trying to ignore the stench of blood and death. I closed my eyes, pressing my mouth against his cheek, focusing on projecting life and love into him. I imagined the sandy beach of Howl's Edge and the twinkle of stars at night. My calming omega energy flowed through every inch of my body.

Suddenly, a glow emanated from his fur. The cave lit up in an orange light.

I stared, astonished, as the fur started to retract from his body and his bare skin began to show. His body began to shrink into a normal-size sigma body. Long, curly black hair flopped over his face, and his fangs retracted, revealing a nicely sculpted jawline and mouth.

He looked similar to Kodan, but a younger version.

"Impossible," said Kodan as Luke was busy untying the chains around my ankles, but he also stopped to look.

The Shadow Wolf opened his eyes and sat up in his naked form. His gaze immediately turned to me, looking at me with shock and wonder. His wound began to heal in front of me as he finished shifting.

"I am forever indebted to you," he said, his voice hoarse. He put a hand to his throat. "It hurts to talk. It's been years. What is your name?"

"My name is Lyra," I answered, glad that he survived. I couldn't believe such a werewolf could turn into a hunky–but hot–sigma. My heart pounded hard as I also locked eyes with him. "And you're welcome. You saved my life first."

"I'm Seth," he said quietly.

We looked at each other for a couple of minutes, and he leaned in.

"Seth," interrupted Kodan, stretching out his hand and pulling his brother up to his feet. Without words, they hugged each other, and tears sprung to my eyes. Luke shifted back into alpha form and helped me stand up.

He hugged me while the brothers tried to catch up.

"Let's get out of this fucking cave," Luke muttered, staring at Voss's body.

When we stepped out of the cave, we stood at the entrance. The villagers were on the other side of the narrow bridge, watching us. Then, one by one, the fur disappeared from their bodies, revealing naked bodies everywhere. They looked down at their bodies in shock, and I looked toward Kodan, who was grinning.

Cheers and clapping resounded through the crowd, and Kodan kissed me on the lips.

"You saved them. You saved us all," he said, and my mind whirled. "The curse is broken, and they can live normally again."

Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion for me. Dizziness overtook me, and I collapsed against Luke.

Then everything went black.