Lyrean 's pov
"Eryx, baby," I muttered, rushing forward, my hands trembling even though I tried to keep them steady. The moment my eyes landed on him, everything else — Raze's smirk, Talon's heavy breathing, the tension filling the room like smoke — blurred into the background.
"Mommy..." His little voice cracked, his wide eyes darting between the two men behind me. He looked so small, so fragile, like they were monsters about to swallow him whole.
I cupped his cheeks quickly, forcing his face toward mine. "Don't look at them, Eryx. Look at me," I whispered firmly, kissing his forehead. His skin was clammy, his fear vibrating through his tiny body.
His lip quivered as he asked, "What are they talking about?"
I swallowed hard, masking the panic clawing inside me. He was too young, too innocent, to bear the weight of grown men's battles — and certainly not the weight of secrets soaked in betrayal and blood. I gave him the kind of smile mothers give when the truth would only burn. "It's adult matters, you know… the type Mommy and Aunt Elena talk about when we send you to bed early."
His brows pinched together, unconvinced.
"So, you don't have to know. And it's not about you, okay?" I said softly, pressing another kiss to his cheeks. "You are safe, baby."
Slowly, he nodded, but his eyes flicked again to Talon — curious, searching. My stomach twisted.
Behind me, I could feel both men watching, their breaths heavy, each of them torn in their own way. Talon took a step forward, his voice strained. "Lyrean, let me—"
"Don't," I snapped, shielding Eryx with my body. My arm curled instinctively around his shoulders, my eyes flashing at Talon. "Don't you dare try to confuse him. He doesn't know you. He doesn't need to know you."
Talon's jaw tightened. His gaze lowered to Eryx, and for a split second, his hardened exterior cracked. His lips trembled, the Alpha mask slipping away to reveal the man who once promised me forever. "He looks like me," he whispered, almost to himself.
I felt Eryx stiffen in my arms. He turned to peek again, his innocent curiosity prying through the tension. "Mommy, who is he?"
I froze. My heart stopped, and I swore my lungs forgot how to work. Raze chuckled low behind us, feeding off the chaos, his voice dripping with venom. "Go on, Lyrean. Tell him who the wolf with desperate eyes is. Or should I?"
My glare shot like daggers at him, but he only leaned casually against the wall, his grin spreading wider.
Talon's fists clenched. "Don't you dare, Raze—"
"Or what, brother?" Raze cut him off, mocking the word. "Will you kill me in front of your son? The same son your precious Luna doesn't even know exists?"
Eryx flinched at the rising voices, and I tightened my hold around him. "Stop it! Both of you," I hissed, my voice sharp enough to slice through the tension. "He is a child. He doesn't deserve this madness."
But children notice more than we think. Eryx tilted his head up at me, his little brows furrowed, confusion swirling in his dark eyes. "Mommy… is he my daddy?"
The question hit me like a blade to the chest. My knees nearly buckled under the weight of it. I felt Talon inhale sharply, his eyes widening with a hunger that wasn't just about fatherhood, but about redemption.
"Lyrean," he breathed, stepping closer. "Don't lie to him. He deserves to know—"
"He deserves peace!" I cut him off, my voice breaking. Tears stung at the corners of my eyes, but I forced them back. I wouldn't cry in front of him. Not now.
Eryx clutched my hand tighter. "Mommy, answer me."
I knelt down to his level, my heart shattering with every beat. "Baby, sometimes grown-ups make mistakes. And sometimes they fight because of those mistakes." My voice cracked, but I forced myself to keep it soft, steady. "You don't have to worry about who he is right now. All you need to know is that I am here. I am always here. And you are mine."
"But—"
"Enough, Eryx," I whispered, holding his face again. His confusion hurt more than any wound I'd ever taken.
Talon's breath rattled behind me. "Lyrean, stop hiding him from me," he pleaded, his voice breaking for the first time. "He's my son."
"Your son?" I spun on him, rage igniting through my veins. "You want to talk about sons when you abandoned us? When you threw me out, when your mother whispered lies and you believed them without even looking me in the eyes? You want to claim him now, when it's convenient? When your Luna is barren and suddenly the thought of an heir makes you crawl back?"
The words spat like fire from my lips. Talon recoiled as though I'd struck him, his chest heaving.
Raze laughed again, a cruel, low sound that twisted the knife deeper. "Tell her, Talon. Tell her why you're really here. Because it's not just about the boy, is it? It's about power. About keeping your throne warm."
Talon's eyes flickered, torn between fury and shame. He shook his head violently. "No—no, I came because…" He paused, glancing at Eryx again, and his voice broke. "Because I missed what I lost."
Silence stretched, heavy and suffocating.
My chest tightened, a storm of anger and grief swirling inside me. "You didn't lose us," I said coldly. "You threw us away. And now you think you can just claim us back like property?"
"I—"
"No!" My shout cracked through the air. "You will not confuse him. You will not hurt him the way you hurt me."
Eryx's little hand tugged at my sleeve, his eyes wide with fear. "Mommy, please don't cry," he whispered, and only then did I realize the tears had slipped free. I quickly wiped them, kissing his forehead.
Behind me, Talon's breath shook, and for the first time, I saw him falter, really falter. His Alpha stance broke, his shoulders slumped, his eyes glossed. He looked less like a leader and more like a broken man begging for forgiveness.
But forgiveness was not mine to give.
Raze pushed off the wall, his presence suddenly sharper, colder. "Enough of this pitiful scene. Talon, you heard her. Get out. This is my pack. My family. My child. You've overstayed your welcome."
Talon growled low, his voice rough with anguish. "You'll regret this, Raze. And you, Lyrean…" His voice cracked as he looked at me, his pain evident, raw. "One day, he'll want to know the truth. And when that day comes, no wall you build will keep me from him."
I held Eryx tighter, refusing to let the tremor in my body show. "Then I'll make sure that day never comes," I whispered.
His face twisted with heartbreak, fury, and something I couldn't name. But Raze's growl cut through the moment. "Leave, before I make good on my promise to deliver your corpse to Mother."
Talon's fists trembled at his sides, his whole body shaking with the effort not to lunge forward. Finally, he turned, his movements sharp and jagged, storming toward the exit with Raze after him.
Eryx buried his face into my neck, whispering, "Don't let him take me, Mommy."
"I won't," I murmured fiercely, my lips pressing to his hair. My eyes locked with Raze's for a fleeting second. He smirked — victorious, but also dangerous.
And deep inside, I knew this battle was only the beginning.