CHAPTER <b>49 </b>
<b>Lyra </b><b>POV </b>
I stared at Elias, who stood frozen in the middle of the kitchen, surrounded by shattered ss all over the
floor.
“Who the hell told you that?” he finally asked, his voice low but tense.
“No one told me,” I replied steadily. “They didn’t have to. At first, I thought it was Luke’s baby. But there’s <i>no </i>
reason for him not to be in her life or the baby’s. You, though–you <i>do </i>have a reason. Me.”
“You figured it out on your own?” he asked, sounding more surprised than anything else.
“That, and the fact that everyone around me starts acting really awkward whenever I bring up the baby,” I
said. “And it only gets worse when I say that it’s Luke’s.”
“s**<b>t</b>,” he muttered. “Look, there’s no actual proof it’s mine. She just said it was. I don’t even <i>know </i>for sure.
And back then–before I met you–there were a <i>lot </i>of girlsing and going through my house.”
“I know that. I’m not naive, Elias. I just want to understand–why did you lie to me? Why didn’t you trust me enough to just tell me the truth from the start?” I asked, my voice tight with frustration.
“Because I was scared,” he admitted, his shoulders dropping slightly. “I was terrified you’d leave me. And I thought maybe you’d believe that I’d put that baby before us… like he’d be heir to the pack or
something.”
“That hadn’t even crossed my mind,” I said, shaking my head slowly. <b>“</b><b>All </b>I’ve been focused on is the lie. I never expected you to be celibate. I know you’ve had other women before me–probably a lot. And I’vee to terms with that. But what I can’t wrap my head around is why you kept lying, even after I asked
directly.”
“I just… I didn’t know <i>how </i>to tell you. I didn’t want to hurt you. Like I said, I was scared of losing you. I’m <i>sti </i><i>Il </i>scared of losing you,” he said, voice cracking just a little.
Right then, Luke walked through the front door, immediately halting when he saw the mess and the tension thick in the air. He clearly wasn’t sure if he should even be here.
“It’s okay, Luke,” I said quickly. “I was just heading out to train.” I pushed back from the table and made my way out the back door, heading straight into the woods.
I heard them start talking again behind me, but I quickened my pace until their voices faded. I didn’t want
to hear Elias’s excuses. I didn’t want to listen to any more exnations that came toote.
Mates were supposed to mean <i>everything </i>to each other. But if I truly meant that much to him, he wouldn’t have kept such a huge lie from me. Hiding the fact that he might have a child with another woman–<i>and </i>letting me think it was Luke’s baby? That was beyond cruel. That was betrayal.
I knew I needed a clear head for what I was nning to do tonight, but rity wasn’t going toe easily
after what just happened.
More Rewards 1
I stood alone in the middle of the forest, my heart pounding, my breath uneven. I could feel my emotions
bubbling right beneath the surface–ready to explode. But the worst part was, I couldn’t even tell <i>which </i>
emotions were rising. Was it rage? Was it sorrow? Was it betrayal? I genuinely couldn’t tell.
And that kind of emotional confusion? That was dangerous–especially for what I was trying to practice.
So I forced myself to admit that now wasn’t the right time to work on my powers. Not like this.
“It’s okay to feel hurt by this,” Noir said softly in my mind. “Elias lied <i>to </i>you. He lied <i>to </i><i>both </i>of us.”
“Then why do I feel so jealous?” I whispered, feeling the lump in my throat growing.
“Because he’s our mate,” she answered calmly. “He belongs to us, just as much as we belong <i>to </i>him. That
connection–those instincts–they don’t go away just because we’re angry.”
“I feel like I don’t even have the <i>right </i>to be this pissed off just because he had a life before me,” I admitted.
“It’s not fair of me, is it?”
“You’repletely justified in feeling jealous,” Noir said firmly. “Especially when one of those women
literally tried to kill you, and now another is carrying his child. That jealousy is valid–because they’re still
close to him in ways that you can’t ignore. Don’t suppress what you’re feeling. You’ve spent your whole life
doing that. But you’re not living under your father’s control anymore. You’re allowed to feel. You’re allowed
to be angry with him.”
“I used to get beaten whenever I got mad. I don’t even remember how to be angry anymore,” I admitted
quietly.
“Yes, you do,” she said. “You’re starting to feel it again right now. You just don’t recognize it, because it’s
been so long since youst let yourself feel it.”
“So what the f**k am I supposed to do with this?” I demanded. “Am I just supposed to ept it all and
move forward with Elias? Or am I supposed to reject himpletely? Just tell me what I’m supposed to
do.”
“I can’t answer that for you,” she said gently.
At some point, I noticed I’d been wandering deeper into the forest without realizing it, and I didn’t want to <fn0357> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on find[f]ovel</fn0357>
spend the entire night doing this.
I spotted a tree that looked easy enough to climb. I jumped up to grab the lowest branch and pulled
myself onto it<b>, </b>then made my way up a few more branches until I reached one that felt strong and stable. From there, I had a full view of the entire vige. I leaned my head back against the trunk and sat silently, breathing.
From up here, the sky was wide open, and I stared up at the moon, wondering if the Moon Goddess might send me a sign–or <i>anyone</i>, really. My mother crossed my mind. But there was nothing. No voice, no warmth. Just silence.
< CHAPTER 49
More Rewards <b>> </b>
I had never felt so alone in my life.
I heard someone moving through the woods and I already knew it was Elias, even before his scent drifted to me. I held my breath, blocking it out, and remainedpletely still in the tree.
He walked slowly, scanning the area, stopping near the base of my tree. He must have picked up my scent -he knew I was close. He was going to find me soon.
“Do you not get the hint when someone wants to be alone?” I called down tly.
He looked up and spotted me sitting there in the branches.
“I didn’t expect to find you <i>up </i>there,” he said, surprised.
“Well, here I am,” I replied, not even looking down, just keeping my eyes on the sky.
“Can you pleasee down so we can talk?” he asked.
“I like it up here. It’s quiet,” I answered simply.
Instead of arguing, Elias started climbing the tree himself. He reached the same branch where I was
sitting but found a ce on the opposite side, leaving space between us. He didn’t sit against the trunk
like I was.
“What do you want me to do about the baby?” he asked after a pause.
“I don’t know, Elias,” I said honestly. <b>“</b>All I know is that there’s a woman carrying your child, and she’s going
through it alone. And somehow, that makes me feel sorry for her… even though I <i>hate </i>her. And I hate feeling like this–feeling both things at once.”
“Look, there’s a real chance that the baby isn’t even mine,” he said. “It could be Luke’s. He was sleeping
with her around the same time I was. And she was also hooking up with a few other guys in the pack.”
“Oh, well that makes me feel <i>so </i>much better,” I said, my voice thick with sarcasm.
“I know it doesn’t make the situation okay,” he replied. “But she’s the only one who’s actually imed the baby is mine. I’ll get another DNA test done just to be sure.”
“Wow<i>. </i>This just keeps getting more and more wonderful,” I said. “People look to you and your pack for safety and leadership. I doubt they realize this ce is just as screwed up as anywhere else.”
“They don’t,” he said. “No one knows what really goes on here. And that’s exactly why.”
“There’s a waring,” I said.
“With the witches?” he asked, looking at me closely.
“That’s what we’ve been told,” I said. “That witches will turn the humans against us because they blend in better than we do. But what if it’s not them? Werewolves can blend in just as easily.”
“You think the werewolves are the real threat?” he asked.
“I think my father is the threat,” I said. “And I think he’s using witches to carry out his orders. I don’t think
3/5.
C CHAPTER 49
they’re doing it by choice–just like I never had one. And I think I need <i>to </i>find a castle.”
“A castle?” he repeated, confused.
Mote Rewinds <b>> </b>
“The royal castle,” I said. “It’s been empty for decades. No one’s gone near it because my mother and her family never saw themselves as royalty. They lived like ordinary werewolves, mixed in with regr packs. But the royal castle <i>is </i>out there. That’s where everything started. With the original royal family.”
“We would’ve heard about a ce like that if it really existed,” he said.
“Exactly,” I said. “No one wanted it known. But I <i>know </i>it exists. And I have to find it.”
“How are you going to do that?” he asked.
“I don’t know yet,” I said. “But we also need to start recruiting.”
“You’re saying we need to bring people into the pack?” he asked.
“No,” I said. “To the castle.”
“Recruit werewolves to help fight this war. And make the castle our base,” he said.
“Exactly,” I replied.
“That’s actually a solid n,” he said. “But we still don’t know where this castle is.”
“I’ll figure it out,” I said. “I just… can’t do it right now.”
“Why not?” he asked gently.
“Because when I use my powers, I need to be calm, focused. And I can’t be that way right now,” I told him.
“Alright,” he said quietly. “Then I’m going to sit right here with you until you know that I’m not leaving. I’m
with you–no matter what.”
“And what if I just want to be alone?” I asked.
“You’ve already spent too much of your life being alone,” he said softly. “It’s time to let someone be there for you–especially when you’re hurting. Even if that someone is the one who caused the hurt.”
I didn’t say anything. I just kept my eyes on the sky above me. He reached across the branch and gently took my hand in his. I didn’t look at him, but I didn’t pull away either. Deep down, I knew he was right. I’d spent my whole life trying to handle everything alone. With no one to lean on. But that part of my life was
ending.
Having a mate meant I wouldn’t be alone again. And no matter how hard it was to admit <b>it</b>, I needed to
start letting people in. Even when every part of me wanted to shut them out.