Chapter 4

• Lyra’s POV
• Mrs. Hope spoke coldly.
• Her well-manicured hand rested gently on Maya’s shoulder.
• “I heard that Maya here has been quite shaken lately, worried about the baby she’s carrying.”
• Her eyes never left mine.
• “Here in Morningstar Ridge, frightening a pregnant woman of noble blood is something you’d better pray to the Moon Goddess to forgive you for.”
• Selene caught on immediately. Her smile brightened as she hurried back to my side.
• “Lyra, did you hear that? Mrs. Hope isn’t blaming you. She’s just worried about Kane’s baby.” She grabbed my wrist tightly. “Come on, go apologize to Maya. Let’s just drop this.”
• Kane stood not far away, his face tense, his eyes fixed on Mrs. Hope with obvious sycophantic devotion.
• He didn’t even look at me, as if I were nothing more than an inconvenience to be handled and discarded.
• I glanced at Maya. Her face was flushed with smug satisfaction as she leaned into her mother’s arms, basking in the attention.
• Apologize?
• I went to prison for him. He got another woman pregnant.
• I came home, and he threw me out like trash for her.
• Now he wanted me to apologize to the thief who stole everything from me?
• “No way,” I said stubbornly.
• Selene’s smile froze.
• Thorin’s hand clenched tightly around the armrest of his chair.
• Kane finally turned his glare on me, pure rage burning in his eyes.
• “Lyra,” he hissed, his voice low, “don’t be shameless.”
• Mrs. Hope chuckled softly.
• “It seems this girl has rotted in that stone cell for too long and forgotten how to behave.”
• She raised her hand, and a nearby servant immediately stepped forward with a tray.
• On it sat a clear glass filled with amber liquid. The sharp, spicy scent carried a bitter herbal bite.
• Wolfbane.
• “This drink is called Moonfire,” Mrs. Hope said slowly. “It’s a sacred liquor our northern tribes drink when honoring the gods. They say if you have a guilty conscience, it will cleanse your sins. But if you’re innocent, it will feel as though you’re burning alive.”
• Her words were sweet on the surface and lethal underneath.
• “Lyra, since you believe you’re in the right, I suppose you’re not afraid to face the Moon Goddess’s test?”
• Every gaze in the room fixed on the glass.
• The elders exchanged looks, their expressions eager, like spectators waiting for a performance.
• They didn’t care who was right or wrong. All that mattered was whether Shadowfen and Morningstar Ridge could form an alliance.
• And I was the damn obstacle standing in the way.
• Kane strode forward and snatched the glass from the tray.
• His shadow swallowed me whole.
• “Drink it,” he said coldly, without a trace of warmth. “For Shadowfen. Drink it.”
• I lifted my head and met his gaze.
• There was no guilt in his eyes, only impatience and command.
• Always for Shadowfen.
• Three years ago, I walked into a stone prison for Shadowfen.
• And three years later, I was still expected to swallow humiliation for Shadowfen.
• “What if I don’t?” I asked.
• Kane sneered.
• “Then I’ll use my Alpha authority to make you.”
• “Lyra, don’t force me to kneel you down in front of everyone.”
• “That would be even uglier.”
• My heart turned to ice.
• I reached out and took the cold glass.
• The entire hall seemed to hold its breath.
• Maya’s eyes gleamed with barely concealed hope.
• Selene and Thorin looked relieved.
• And Kane gave me a look that clearly said, Good girl. You know your place.
• I raised the glass to my lips.
• The sharp scent hit first, strong alcohol mixed with wolfbane, a combination that made every werewolf instinct scream in warning.
• I didn’t hesitate.
• I tilted my head back and drank it in one gulp.
• The wolfbane exploded inside me.
• My wolf spirit curled deep within my mind, screaming in agony.
• My body begged to collapse, to cry out from the pain.
• My legs trembled as cold sweat soaked through the back of my dress.
• Darkness flickered at the edges of my vision.
• But I clenched my teeth.
• Kept my back straight.
• I couldn’t fall.
• I couldn’t let them see me break.
• This was the last shred of dignity I had left.
• I slammed the empty glass onto the table with a sharp thud.
• “Sorry. I can’t apologize.” My voice was hoarse, but every word was clear. “I drank your damn drink.”
• “Now, can I go?”
• The smug look on Maya’s face froze, shock replacing satisfaction.
• Mrs. Hope’s eyes narrowed slightly, surprise flashing through them.
• Kane’s expression twisted into something ugly.
• I hadn’t broken the way he expected. Instead, I had ruined his carefully staged display.
• His Alpha authority had been challenged.
• “Who the hell gave you—” he began angrily.
• But before he could finish, a sudden disturbance rippled through the banquet hall.
• From the far end, a young werewolf strode in, flanked by a group of warriors.
• He was tall, dressed in a sharp blue outfit, with black hair and an unmistakable presence.
• It wasn’t the suffocating dominance of an Alpha, but something older and far more commanding.
• Lycan blood.
• “Sorry to interrupt.” His cold voice carried across the hall as his eyes scanned the room. “My name is Kael. I’m from Silvermoon.”
• “I’m looking for a woman named Lyra.”
• His gaze swept over the crowd before locking onto me with deadly precision.
• The murderous intent burning in his eyes was impossible to miss.