Chapter 1

• Lyra’s POV
• I stood before the stone prison door as the heavy iron gate clanged shut behind me.
• The entrance to the territory was deathly silent. Not a single soul was in sight.
• Kane didn’t come.
• The last time he visited me in prison was a year ago. A thick pane of glass had separated us as I clutched the communicator, my eyes swollen and red from crying. He had promised then that he would come for me and take me home.
• My name is Lyra. I am a lowborn wolf with a bloodline so weak that I was once suspected of being an Omega.
• Three years ago, my Alpha, Kane, leader of the Shadowfen Pack, lost control during a clash with the Blood Clan and nearly shattered the Moon Truce Treaty.
• To protect him, and to keep his pack from being judged by the Elders’ Council, I stepped forward and took the blame.
• In return, he promised to protect Greystone Haven, the place that raised me, and to give me a future.
• Back then, he had bitten into the back of my neck and marked me, saying it was proof that he would come for me when the time was right.
• Now, more than a thousand days and nights had passed.
• I clenched the few crumpled bills the guard slipped into my hand upon my release and stood at the desolate border crossing, waiting for someone who never came.
• Maybe something came up and delayed him.
• He was an Alpha, after all. His responsibilities never ended.
• I repeated that excuse to myself, but disappointment gnawed at me like a blade lodged between my shoulder blades.
• With the last of my money, I hailed a ride and gave the driver the address of the place I once called home, the grand house where Kane lived.
• The car sped down the road.
• At last, the familiar front door came into view. After all this time, I was back.
• I took a deep breath and swallowed the pain, even rehearsing how I would act angry and punish him for standing me up.
• I raised my hand and knocked.
• “Coming—”
• The voice that answered was a woman’s.
• A voice I knew far too well.
• I froze as the door swung open.
• Maya stood there.
• The “little sister” Kane had raised since childhood after she lost her parents and was taken in by Shadowfen. The same Maya whose hair Kane always ruffled, insisting she was nothing more than family.
• She wore a silky nightgown, her hair loose over her shoulders, a glass of milk cradled in her hands.
• She showed no surprise at seeing me.
• “Lyra? You’re out.”
• My gaze drifted downward against my will, settling on her belly.
• The fabric stretched outward in a clear, unmistakable curve.
• My mind went blank, buzzing uselessly.
• Then the rich aroma of soup drifted out from inside the house.
• Kane appeared, carefully carrying a bowl from the kitchen.
• He stopped short when he saw me.
• “Lyra? You’re out today?” His voice was calm, as though nothing were wrong.
• I shivered. “Whose baby is she carrying?”
• Kane’s brow furrowed at once.
• He didn’t answer. Instead, he walked past me and handed the bowl to Maya.
• “Maya, drink the soup while it’s hot. You should go back to your room and rest. Don’t catch a cold.”
• Maya nodded obediently and headed toward the master bedroom.
• The door closed behind her.
• Kane turned back to me, and whatever warmth he had shown moments earlier vanished without a trace.
• His eyes swept over my clothes, faded and threadbare from years of washing. Disgust twisted his features, and he even took a half step back.
• “Since you’re back, go take a shower in the rear bathroom. Don’t bring dirt into the house. It’s bad for the baby.”
• Dirt?
• I had spent three years locked in a pitch-black hellhole for him.
• Today was the day I regained my freedom. He hadn’t bothered to show up, yet here he was, cooking soup for another woman.
• “Kane!” I shouted, my eyes burning. “I spent three damn years in prison for you! And this is the ‘future’ you promised me? Answer me. Is that your child or not?!”
• My words ignited his temper.
• He yanked his arm free from my grip and, with the ruthless strength of an Alpha, slammed me against the wall.
• “Lyra! What the hell are you doing?” he growled, his voice low and furious. “Maya is in a fragile condition. She can’t handle stress. If you frighten her, I will never forgive you.”
• “You volunteered to take the fall back then. I never forced you,” he continued coldly. “I didn’t mistreat you during those three years. I even gave you my mark to secure your status in the pack. Don’t act like I owe you anything.”
• Volunteered.
• Didn’t mistreat.
• Status.
• “Remove the mark, Kane,” I said quietly, my calm voice frightening even myself. “Apply to the elders to dissolve the Mate Bond. I’m giving you and your ‘family’ space.”
• He spun toward me and strode forward. “Lyra! You just got out, and you want to cause trouble already?”
• “I said, end everything.” I met his gaze without flinching.
• He inhaled deeply, forcing down his anger, his tone softening slightly. “Enough. Stop throwing a tantrum. You need rest. Tomorrow, come with me to my parents’ house. They want to see you.”
• Under his breath, he muttered, “I shouldn’t have let you get too comfortable in there. Now you don’t even know your place. A damn Omega who took the fall…”
• Something inside me finally snapped.
• “Smack!”
• I raised my hand and struck him hard across the face.
• His head turned to the side, a red handprint blooming on his cheek.
• He didn’t hit me back. Not yet.