Chapter 4 The Witch King's Offer

• Lyra POV
• My hand stopped inches from Jason's palm.
• "You're insane if you think I'd go anywhere with you," I said, pulling back. "Your kind killed my parents."
• Jason's expression didn't change. "Did we? Or is that just what your pack told you?"
• The question hit me like a slap. "What's that supposed to mean?"
• "It means, sweet Lyra, that you've been lied to your entire life." He lowered his hand but didn't step away. "The Blood Moon attacks both our territories? They don't come from my clan. We're victims, just like your pack."
• "That's impossible. Everyone knows witches."
• "Everyone knows what they've been taught to believe." His voice carried an edge now. "Tell me, in all your years of hearing about these attacks, have you ever actually seen a witch participating in one?"
• I opened my mouth to argue, then closed it. He was right. The Kanimas came from nowhere, attacked everyone equally, then vanished. Never once had anyone claimed to see them with witch allies.
• "The real question," Jason continued, "is why two kingdoms that should be working together have spent centuries hating each other instead."
• "Because you practice dark magic. Because you steal children and corrupt souls and…."
• "And you can summon winds that level buildings." His eyes flashed with something that might have been amusement. "Tell me, Lyra, who taught you that ability? Which witch corrupted your innocent werewolf soul?"
• The words died in my throat. No one had taught me anything. The power just... was.
• "I can see the wheels turning," Jason said softly. "You're starting to understand, aren't you?"
• "Understand what?"
• "That maybe, just maybe, everything you've been told about magic is wrong."
• A branch snapped somewhere behind us. My head whipped around, expecting to see Donovan or his warriors coming to drag me back for execution. Instead, I saw nothing but empty forest.
• Jason noticed my tension. "We should keep moving. Your Alpha might decide exile isn't punishment enough."
• The thought sent ice through my veins. Donovan had looked conflicted during the trial, but duty always won with him. If the pack decided I was too dangerous to leave alive...
• "This way," Jason said, heading deeper into the forest.
• I didn't follow. "I'm not going with you."
• He stopped, turning back with raised eyebrows. "No? Then what's your plan? Wander the woods until you starve? Hope some other pack takes pity on an exiled Omega with dangerous powers?"
• "I'll figure something out."
• "Like you figured out how to control your abilities?" His voice was gentle, but the words cut deep. "Lyra, you nearly killed four pack members last night because you got angry. What happens the next time you lose control? What if there are children nearby?"
• The image of Maya's terrified face flashed through my mind. My power had been wild, uncontrollable. I'd been lucky no one died.
• "I can learn," I whispered.
• "From who? There isn't exactly a handbook for whatever you are." Jason stepped closer, his scent washing over me again. "But I might know someone who can help."
• Despite everything, hope fluttered in my chest. "Who?"
• "Come with me and find out."
• "Why should I trust you?"
• "Because," he said quietly, "I'm the only person in either kingdom who isn't afraid of you."
• The truth of that statement hit me hard. Even Selene, who loved me unconditionally, had looked frightened when she handed me that travel pack. Everyone else had looked at me like I was a monster.
• But Jason was watching me with something that looked almost like... admiration?
• "You saved me from the river," I said suddenly.
• "I did."
• "Why? You didn't know me."
• A strange expression crossed his face. "Didn't I?"
• Before I could ask what that meant, voices echoed through the trees behind us. Male voices, moving fast and getting closer.
• "Decision time," Jason said urgently. "Trust me, or face whatever's coming through those trees."
• My heart hammered against my ribs. The voices were definitely pack members, and they didn't sound friendly.
• "There! I saw movement!"
• "Search everywhere. Don't let her escape."
• They weren't here to bring me food or check on my welfare. They were hunting me.
• "Lyra," Jason's voice was sharp with urgency. "Now."
• I looked at his outstretched hand, then back toward the approaching voices. Everything logical told me to run from the witch king, to find my own path. But logic hadn't kept me alive in the river. Logic hadn't protected Maya from bullies.
• And logic certainly wasn't going to help me survive whatever the pack had planned.
• I grabbed Jason's hand…
• The moment our skin touched, power exploded between us. Not the silver fire I was used to, but something darker, richer. It flowed from him into me and back again, creating a circuit that made my bones hum with energy.
• "What…." I gasped.
• "Later," he said, pulling me deeper into the forest. "Run."
• We ran. Jason moved through the trees like he'd been born in them, finding paths I couldn't see. Behind us, the voices grew louder, more frustrated.
• "She went this way!"
• "No, the scent trail leads north!"
• "Split up. Cover more ground."
• We ran for what felt like hours. My lungs burned and my legs ached, but Jason's hand in mine kept me moving. That strange power connection pulsed between us, giving me strength I shouldn't have had.
• Finally, he pulled me behind a massive oak tree and pressed a finger to his lips. We waited, breathing hard, as footsteps passed nearby.
• "Lost the trail," a voice muttered. "Alpha's not going to be happy."
• "Should have just killed her during the trial," another replied. "Exile was too merciful."
• My blood turned to ice. They really had come to finish what the trial started.
• The footsteps faded, but Jason kept us hidden for several more minutes. When he finally deemed it safe, he led me to a small clearing where a horse waited, saddled and ready.
• "You planned this," I said, staring at the animal.
• "I planned for several possibilities." He helped me onto the horse's back, then swung up behind me. "This was the most likely outcome."
• "How did you know…"
• "Because I know Alpha Donovan better than you might think." His arms came around me to grip the reins, and I tried to ignore how safe that made me feel. "He's honorable, but he's also practical. Exile sounded merciful in front of the pack, but letting you wander free was never really an option."
• The horse began to move, carrying us away from everything I had ever known. "Where are we going?"
• "Home," Jason said simply.
• "Your home. Not mine."
• "We'll see about that."
• ::::::::
• The forest grew stranger as we traveled. The trees were taller here, their branches twisted into unnatural shapes. Flowers bloomed in colors that didn't exist in nature, and the very air seemed to shimmer with barely contained magic.
• "This is witch territory," I said, suddenly nervous.
• "Very observant."
• "What if your people don't want me there? What if they're just like my pack?"
• Jason's arms tightened around me slightly. "My people understand what it means to be feared for what you are. They won't judge you."
• "And if they do?"
• "Then they'll answer me." His voice carried absolute authority. "I'm their king, Lyra. My word is law."
• The certainty in his tone should have been comforting, but it raised new questions. Why would a king risk his position for an exiled werewolf? What did he really want from me?
• "There," Jason said, pointing ahead.
• Through the trees, I saw something that made my breath catch. A city of impossible beauty rose from the forest floor, its spires reaching toward the sky like crystal flowers. Bridges of light connected floating platforms, and waterfalls cascaded from nowhere into pools that glowed with their own radiance.
• "Welcome to Red River," Jason said. "Capital of the witch kingdom."
• "It's beautiful," I whispered.
• "It's home." He paused. "Your home now, if you want it."
• As we approached the city gates, figures emerged from the shadows. Witches, I realized, with the same otherworldly beauty as their capital. They watched our approach with curious eyes, whispering among themselves.
• "Is that her?" one called out.
• "The one from the prophecy?"
• "She doesn't look like much."
• "Enough," Jason commanded, and the whispers died instantly.
• We passed through gates that hummed with protective magic, into streets paved with stones that sparkled like stars. People stopped to stare as we rode by, their expressions ranging from curiosity to something that looked almost like reverence.
• "Why are they looking at me like that?" I asked. Jason was quiet for a long moment. "Because they've been waiting for you."
• "Waiting for me? That's impossible. I'm nobody."
• "You're wrong about that." We stopped in front of a palace that seemed to be carved from a single massive tree. "You're not nobody, Lyra. You're the most important person in either kingdom."
• "What are you talking about?"
• Jason dismounted and helped me down, his hands lingering on my waist. When he looked at me, his eyes held secrets that made my stomach flutter with anxiety.
• "Tell me," I demanded.
• "There's an ancient prophecy," he said quietly. "About a woman who would bridge the gap between our peoples. A woman with the power to end the Blood Moon curse forever."
• My mouth went dry. "And you think that's me?"
• "I don't think so, Lyra." His hand cupped my face, thumb brushing across my cheek. "I know it. You're the vampire we've been waiting for."
• The world tilted sideways. "What did you just say?"