Chapter 8

• Lyra’s POV
• My Alpha. My mate.
• He stood at the altar, chest puffed with pride, protecting another woman who carried his child and accepting blessings that should have been mine.
• A cold chill swept through my veins before my blood ignited like wildfire.
• Step by step, I walked toward the altar bathed in moonlight.
• The guards moved to stop me, but when they met my eyes, they hesitated.
• “Lyra?” Kane spotted me first.
• Panic and anger twisted across his face.
• “What are you doing here?”
• His voice carried a clear warning.
• I ignored him.
• My gaze slid past him and locked onto Maya.
• Sensing my stare, she fluttered her lashes and slowly opened her eyes.
• “Lyra… you…” She shrank back, one hand shielding her belly while the other clutched Kane’s arm.
• A natural-born actress.
• The high priest overseeing the ceremony frowned.
• “Alpha Kane, what is the meaning of this? The blood blessing ritual does not allow any unclean person near the altar.”
• Unclean.
• That was meant to be me.
• I smirked.
• “High Priest, may I ask what kind of person qualifies as ‘unclean’?”
• His brows knit together. “Those who betray the Moon Goddess’s teachings. Those burdened by sin. Those filled with hatred.”
• “Then allow me to ask a few questions.”
• I turned to Kane, meeting his burning glare.
• “Does a mate who took the fall and spent three years in prison for her Alpha’s mistakes count as unclean?”
• “Does a mate who leaves prison only to find her Alpha holding another woman, pregnant with his child, count as unclean?”
• “Does a mate who struggles to survive on her own, only to have her Alpha strip away every opportunity and block every escape, deserve to be condemned for the hatred forced into her heart?”
• With each question, I stepped closer.
• Every eye shifted between Kane and me.
• His expression twisted with fury.
• “Enough, Lyra!” he growled.
• “Not enough.” I held his gaze. “Kane, do you dare answer me here, in front of the Moon Goddess and everyone present?”
• “Do you dare say you didn’t betray the bond between us?”
• “Do you dare say standing here with Maya isn’t an insult to me, to the Moon Goddess, and to our pack’s traditions?”
• Kane’s chest rose and fell violently.
• He had no answer.
• Because every word I spoke was the truth.
• Sensing the shift in the crowd, Maya immediately began her performance.
• “Lyra, please, don’t do this…” Tears streamed down her cheeks.
• “I know you hate me. This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have gotten pregnant with Kane’s child. I shouldn’t have accepted the blessing…”
• “If you want him, I’ll give him back to you. Just don’t hurt my baby. He’s still so little…”
• She sobbed as if her heart were being torn apart.
• Whispers spread through the crowd.
• “She’s so pitiful…”
• “Lyra is far too aggressive.”
• “She’s carrying the Alpha’s heir.”
• “How can a sinner show her face here and cause trouble?”
• I watched with cold detachment.
• Twisting the truth. That had always been her specialty.
• Kane finally found a way to salvage his dignity.
• He gently caught Maya and pulled her behind him before turning to face me.
• “Lyra,” he said coldly. “Have you said enough?”
• “To you, is a personal grievance more important than the honor of the entire clan?”
• “To you, is jealousy more important than the safety of the Alpha’s heir?”
• I stared at him, then laughed.
• “My grievance? My jealousy?”
• “Kane, have you ever understood anything about me?”
• “I don’t care about you or your heir.”
• “What I care about is justice.”
• “The man who once promised me a future… how did he become this?”
• “The Alpha I trusted with everything… how could he betray me so completely?”
• My voice trembled with rage.
• For a brief moment, something flickered in Kane’s eyes.
• “I’ll say this one last time, Lyra. Leave. Now.”
• His warning rang across the altar. “Or don’t blame me when I show no mercy.”
• “Mercy?” I laughed bitterly. “Is there even any mercy left between us?”
• I raised my hand and pointed at Maya behind him.
• “If you had even a shred of mercy, you wouldn’t let her stand here.”
• “If you had even a shred of mercy, you wouldn’t have forced me to drink Moonfire.”
• “If you had even a shred of mercy, you wouldn’t have stripped me of my right to be a priestess apprentice and destroyed my future.”
• Kane snapped.
• “Unrepentant!” he roared.
• His Alpha pressure slammed into me like a tidal wave.
• This time, there was no restraint.
• The force struck like a physical blow. My knees gave out, and I crashed to the ground. The cold stone bit into my skin, pain shooting through my legs.
• I tried to rise, but the pressure was overwhelming, like a mountain crushing me in place.
• I was forced to kneel.
• Kneel before him.
• Before his new love.
• In the most humiliating way imaginable.
• “Lyra.” Kane looked down at me, his gaze icy and devoid of warmth.
• “Since you’re determined to remain at the altar, fine. I’ll grant your wish.”
• “From today onward, you will stay here and confess your sins to the ancient tree.”
• “You will remain until you learn obedience. Until you learn how to be a proper partner.”
• He paused, his voice echoing through the sacred grounds.
• “You want the Moon Goddess’s blessing, don’t you? Then hear this.”
• “A woman who does not know her place will never deserve that blessing.”
• I lifted my head and met his merciless gaze.
• Then I looked at Maya beside him, her smug smile barely concealed.
• I saw the crowd too. Some watched with pity. Others with disdain. Many simply waited for my complete downfall.
• I smiled.
• A quiet, wordless smile.
• But my tears betrayed me, slipping free despite my will.
• So this was the ending I received after three years behind bars.
• Kane.
• I will never forget this.