Rivendale had known fear before, but nothing was as intense as the worry that now burdened everyone. The hushed discussions traveled through doorways, along hallways, under council seats, always leading back to the same individual.
Lyra.
Or, as the whispers now called her, the unlucky Luna.
It began that morning when a guard hurried into the council room, looking very pale, struggling to speak about the prison.
Someone locked away, kept behind strong bars, had disappeared. Not broken out. Simply gone. The chains were untouched, but the walls had scratch marks that no regular wolf could make. Even worse, on the stone floor, carved deeply with something sharp and on purpose, was a message that silenced everyone in the room:
By the middle of the day, the quiet talks had become wild guesses. Some said Lyra was causing problems. Some said she would ruin them all. Some even dared to say quietly that the unlucky link might drag Rivendale into war.
She couldn't change what they thought. But she could protect them.
That's why she offered, without hesitation, to do twice the usual patrol duty until the person who escaped was caught.
Now, hours later, she walked the north patrol path alone, the cold night air seeping through her clothes. Her senses became sharper with each step she took. She forced herself to breathe normally, even though her inner wolf growled, feeling uneasy. It wasn't just about the person who had escaped.
The connection felt strong all day, pulling at her back, flashing with Zack's feelings, restless, careful, tense. She didn't want to care. She wanted to hate him. But the connection didn't care about what she wanted.
A rush of wind shook the branches. Lyra stopped, hand on her knife. Nothing moved.
Then something moved behind her.
A sound too soft for people to hear, but not for her. A footstep. Controlled. On purpose.
Her muscles grew tense. "Who's there?" she asked, her voice steady.
Silence.
Lyra stepped forward, watching the trees. "I'm not in the mood for games."
Still nothing.
The connection sparked, sharp, urgent, like a warning sign. Her inner wolf growled.
"Show yourself!" she shouted.
A figure in a cloak came out of the shadows, moving with smooth confidence. Not the person who had escaped. Someone stronger. Taller. More dangerous.
Lyra's hand immediately went to her weapon.
"Stay back," she warned.
The figure put both hands up in surrender. "If I wanted you dead," he said calmly, "you'd already be on the ground."
His voice was deep, steady, clearly practiced. A warrior.
"Take off the hood," she ordered.
He did it at a slow pace.
His eyes were silver. His jaw was sharp. His dark hair was pulled back away from his face. He seemed as cold as the winter season.
Lyra could not breathe for a moment.
She knew who those eyes belonged to.
Not really, but from seeing images, quick views from Zack's thoughts that she did not want to see.
"I'm Xylan," he said in a quiet way. "I work for Alpha Zack."
Lyra gripped her knife harder. "You are on Rivendale land without our say-so."
"I am aware of that fact."
"Then go away right now, or I will force you to leave."
A small smile showed on his face, but his eyes remained serious. "I didn't come here to fight you."
"Then why are you here at all?" she questioned him.
His face changed, and now he looked serious. "I am here to give you a heads-up."
Lyra stopped in her tracks.
A heads-up always means something bad is coming.
"I am fine without warnings from strangers," she said.
"Yes, you aren't," Xylan said. "More than you can guess."
Lyra paused, feeling on edge. "Tell me the information you have."
He got a bit nearer, not too close, but her wolf felt worried. "The person who got away wasn't just anyone," he said softly. "He wasn't just a normal prisoner. Someone made them take him… someone who wants to destroy your link."
Her heart dropped. "What exactly are you talking about?"
"There's a man, a murderer. He knows about your link with Zack. He knows how strong it is. And he is going to come here."
Lyra's heart beat fast in her chest. "How does he know we are bonded?"
Xylan's face grew tight. "Because he used to be one of us."
A person who turns against their group.
Lyra took a deep breath. "Why would he want to hurt me?"
"Because if you die, Zack dies with you." Xylan said it in a straightforward way. "And killing you would be easier to do."
Lyra felt like she couldn't breathe right. She knew things were dangerous. But she didn't want to be the target. "Did Zack ask you to bring me this news?" she asked.
"No." Xylan shook his head to disagree. "He has no clue I'm here."
That made her feel surprised. "Then what made you enter enemy territory?"
"Because Zack is losing who he is," Xylan answered. "Because he feels what you feel. Because he's not thinking clearly and acting in a weird way."
Xylan seemed a little nicer. "And because whether you want it or not, you staying alive is what keeps him alive."
Lyra closed her eyes for a second, feeling his words like a big weight. "I didn't ask for this bond."
"He didn't either." Xylan didn't sound unkind, just truthful. "But what we want doesn't matter to fate."
She breathed out unsteadily. "What does the killer want to do?"
Xylan paused for a moment. "To break the bond. The old way it used to be done."
Her blood turned cold. "What do you mean, the old way?"
"Killing the one who is marked," he said. "That would be you."
Lyra turned her head, looking upset. She knew how to keep her friends safe from gossip. She knew how to deal with feeling ashamed. But now a person wanted to kill her because of Zack. Because of the link she had been working to destroy. And the more she resisted it, the more risky it was.
"What should I be doing at this point?" she asked quietly.
"Keep breathing," Xylan said plainly. "Until we locate him. Until Zack feels healthy again. Until the link stops making you both suffer."
Lyra felt tightness in her throat. "And what happens if the murderer shows up sooner?"
"Then stand your ground," he stated. "You know how to protect yourself, Lyra. You are a strong person on your own. Link or no link."
He walked away, and his coat flowed with him like a shadow.
"Also," he went on. "Zack hasn't spoken the words. But he can feel your presence. All the time. Every emotion."
Lyra felt a sudden jab of pain in her chest.
"He will track you down," Xylan declared. "No matter your feelings."
Before she spoke, he vanished into the woods, with only his words still there.
Lyra was all alone, and the night felt incredibly quiet.
The connection pulsed, softly, powerfully, trembling.
She wasn't certain if she felt afraid for once.
Or perhaps something far more awful.