Lyra had barely made it past the outer gates of Nightfall territory when the first crack of a twig snapped behind her.
She froze.
The forest was too quiet.
No laughter.
No music.
No safety.
Only shadows.
Her breath came out slow as she turned slightly, her senses straining. The moonlight filtered weakly through the trees, casting long, shifting shapes across the ground.
Nothing.
Maybe it was just her imagination.
After everything that had happened tonight, her nerves were—
Another sound.
Closer this time.
Not imagination.
Lyra's heart slammed against her ribs.
"Who's there?" she called, her voice sharper than she felt.
Silence answered her.
Then—
A low growl.
Her blood ran cold.
From the darkness, a pair of glowing eyes appeared.
Then another.
And another.
Three wolves stepped into the moonlight.
Rogues.
Lyra stumbled back slightly, her pulse racing.
Rogue wolves didn't follow pack laws.
They didn't respect territory.
And they definitely didn't show mercy.
"Well, look at this," one of them shifted partially, his voice rough with amusement. "A little pack girl wandering all alone."
Lyra forced her fear down, straightening her shoulders.
"I'm still within Nightfall territory," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Leave now, or the Alpha will—"
"The Alpha?" another rogue laughed, stepping closer. "You mean the same Alpha who just rejected you in front of everyone?"
Her stomach dropped.
They knew.
Of course they knew.
News like that spread fast.
Especially something so humiliating.
"You don't belong to anyone now," the first rogue said, circling her slowly. "No mate. No protection. No value."
Lyra's nails dug into her palms.
"I can still defend myself," she shot back.
The rogues exchanged amused looks.
"Can you?" one of them asked mockingly.
Before she could respond, he lunged.
Lyra reacted on instinct, barely managing to dodge as claws slashed through the air where she had just been.
She stumbled, her heart pounding wildly.
Too fast.
They were too fast.
She needed to shift.
Now.
Closing her eyes for a split second, she reached for her wolf—
Nothing.
Panic surged.
No.
No, no, no—
Her wolf didn't respond.
Weak.
Silent.
Still affected by the rejection.
Lyra's breath hitched.
This couldn't be happening.
"Pathetic," one rogue sneered. "She can't even shift."
The second one moved in, faster this time.
Lyra tried to run—
A hand grabbed her arm, yanking her back hard enough to make her cry out.
Pain shot through her shoulder as she was thrown to the ground.
The air left her lungs in a rush.
She barely had time to roll before claws slashed toward her again, tearing through the fabric of her dress and grazing her skin.
Heat flared across her side.
Blood.
Her blood.
The scent hit the air instantly.
And everything changed.
The rogues' expressions darkened.
Hungry.
Dangerous.
"Oh, she bleeds," one of them murmured, his voice dropping.
Lyra scrambled back, her hands shaking as she pushed herself up.
Think.
Think.
She couldn't fight them.
She couldn't shift.
She couldn't—
Another lunge.
This time, she wasn't fast enough.
Claws raked across her arm, sending sharp pain through her body.
Lyra cried out, falling back again.
Her vision blurred for a second.
This was it.
She wasn't going to make it.
Not like this.
Not alone.
Her chest tightened painfully.
Not alone…
The thought barely formed before something deep inside her stirred.
A flicker.
Small.
But there.
Her wolf.
Weak… but awake.
Mate…
The word echoed faintly.
And with it—
A surge of heat.
Stronger than before.
Different.
Lyra gasped as something rushed through her veins, sharp and electric.
Her fingers curled into the dirt as her body trembled.
The rogues paused, watching her carefully now.
"What's she doing?" one of them muttered.
Lyra didn't know.
She couldn't explain it.
All she knew was—
Something was changing.
The pain in her chest shifted.
The fear twisted into something else.
Something hotter.
Something stronger.
Her eyes snapped open.
And for a split second—
They glowed.
A faint, unnatural silver.
The nearest rogue hesitated.
"What the hell—"
Lyra moved.
Faster than she thought possible.
Her body reacted on pure instinct as she twisted away from the next attack, her movements sharper, more precise.
Not stronger than them.
Not yet.
But enough.
Enough to survive.
She bolted.
Branches whipped against her skin as she ran deeper into the forest, ignoring the pain, ignoring the blood, ignoring everything except one thing—
Escape.
Behind her, the rogues snarled.
"Don't let her get away!"
Footsteps thundered after her.
Too close.
Still too close.
Lyra's lungs burned, her legs screaming in protest, but she didn't slow down.
Couldn't.
Not when death was right behind her.
A root caught her foot.
She stumbled—
And went down hard.
Pain exploded through her knees as she hit the ground.
No.
No, get up—
A shadow loomed over her.
Too late.
One of the rogues grabbed her, dragging her onto her back.
"Well, that was fun," he said darkly, his grip tightening.
Lyra struggled, but it was useless.
She was too weak.
Too slow.
Too—
The rogue's expression suddenly changed.
Confusion flickered across his face.
Then fear.
Lyra felt it too.
A shift in the air.
Heavy.
Powerful.
Deadly.
The forest went still.
Completely still.
And then—
A growl.
Deep.
Terrifying.
Not from the rogues.
From something far worse.
The rogue holding her stiffened.
Slowly… slowly… he turned his head.
Lyra followed his gaze.
And her breath caught.
From the shadows, a massive black wolf emerged.
Larger than any wolf she had ever seen.
His fur dark as night.
His eyes glowing gold with pure, lethal fury.
Alpha Kael.
The bond flared violently the moment she saw him.
Relief crashed into her so hard it almost hurt.
Mate—
The word echoed again, stronger now.
Alive.
Unbroken.
Kael's gaze locked onto the rogue holding her.
And something in his eyes promised death.
The rogue released her instantly, stumbling back.
"Alpha—"
He didn't get to finish.
Kael moved.
Fast.
Brutal.
Merciless.
The first rogue went down in seconds, a blur of claws and teeth.
The second tried to run.
Failed.
The third didn't even move.
Too frozen with fear.
Lyra watched in stunned silence as Kael tore through them like they were nothing.
Like they had never stood a chance.
When it was over, the forest fell silent again.
Only the sound of her ragged breathing remained.
Kael stood still for a moment, his chest rising and falling as he faced away from her.
Then slowly…
He turned.
Those golden eyes met hers.
And for a heartbeat, everything else disappeared.
The fear.
The pain.
The distance.
All gone.
There was only him.
Her mate.
Kael took a step toward her.
Lyra's breath hitched.
Another step.
Closer.
Her heart began to race again.
Not from fear.
From something else.
Something deeper.
Stronger.
He stopped just a few feet away.
Close enough for her to feel the heat of him.
Close enough for the bond to hum between them.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then—
Kael shifted.
His human form replaced the wolf in a fluid motion, leaving him standing there, bare-chested, powerful, and dangerously close.
Lyra pushed herself up slightly, wincing at the pain.
"Why…?" she whispered, her voice trembling despite everything.
"Why did you come?"
Kael's jaw tightened.
For a second, it looked like he wasn't going to answer.
Then—
"I didn't come for you," he said coldly.
The words hit.
Hard.
But this time…
Lyra didn't break.
Because she had seen the truth.
Felt it.
In the way he had fought.
In the way he had looked at her.
In the way the bond still pulsed between them.
"You felt it," she said quietly.
It wasn't a question.
Kael's eyes darkened.
Silence stretched between them.
Then he took a step back.
Distance.
Walls.
Control.
"Stay away from me, Lyra," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Next time… I won't come."
The lie hung heavy in the air.
Because they both knew—
He would.
And that was the real problem.