Lyra’s visible hostility faded slightly.She took Elara’s arm with a false affection,projecting an aura of naive vulnerability.“Elara,you don’t know how utterly I rely on my Alpha…”
Her voice was soft,like the rustle of dry leaves,but there was an unmistakable,triumphant sense of pride in its cadence.
“This cycle,my Alpha helped me secure my severance.My ex-Mate’s Clan caused deep territorial trouble and even blocked the sole entrance to my temporary den.”
Lyra leaned closer,her scent of manufactured distress giving way to pride.“But my Alpha hired Elder Weston and had them driven off the perimeter overnight.When it came to the property settlement—the division of the shared territory—he utilized the Thorne Clan’s entire network to ensure I kept the best lands.Even my most difficult former Mate’s mother-wolf didn’t dare challenge his decree.”
Lyra’s eyes shone with blatant admiration for Ryder’s power.
Then,she lowered her voice shyly.“To be honest...I never Mated my ex-Mate out of true devotion.I had little choice;the Pack demanded it.But now that I sense the shift in fate...My Alpha and I are not biologically related,nor are we bound by the archaic Mating laws anymore…”
Her meaning was now as sharp and clear as a fresh wound.
Lyra had only entered the previous Mating contract due to Pack ethics and necessity.Now that nothing stood in the way—no legal tie,no claimed Mate—she and Ryder could finally complete their destined bond.
Elara slowly swirled the ceremonial mead in her glass and asked lightly,“So,what you are declaring is...you desire your Alpha,Lyra?”
Lyra’s face flushed instantly,a deep,tell-tale red.
She lowered her head and whispered,“I...I don’t know.I’ve just always depended on him for my safety and protection.”
Her voice took on a nostalgic,possessive tone as she continued,“When I was a sick pup,my Alpha stayed by my side all night,guarding the entrance to my den.When I was targeted by the rogue teenagers at the training grounds,he personally went to confront the Clan Leaders of their families.Even when I first experienced my first internal cycle,my Alpha ran out to secure the necessary human supplies…”
Elara listened,feeling a crushing,hollow emptiness grow inside her.She suddenly realized that even though she and Ryder had been pups together,she could never compete with the primal,familial bond that he and Lyra shared.