“You are so understanding,Elara.Next time,when there’s a proper treaty event,I’ll take you with me so every Clan can know who my true claimed Mate is.”
Elara stared at his sincere expression and suddenly found the entire exchange ridiculous.
This was the first time in five years that he had offered to publicly validate their bond.And it happened at the very moment she had already executed the plan for their permanent severance.
She turned to leave the Alpha's chamber,and without looking back,dismissed him with a promise:“Alright,Alpha.Next time.”
But in her heart,she knew the moon cycles would never align for a next time.
As Elara had predicted,Ryder’s‘female companion’for the night was Lyra,the wolf from the rival clan.
At the ceremony,Lyra wore an elegant white silk gown—the color of a peace flag in the Pack world—and clung to Ryder’s powerful arm in front of the assembled Pack Leaders.Her cheeks were flushed with a triumphant glow,and she leaned into Ryder,causing murmurs among the observing wolves.
“Lyra’s spirit is stronger these cycles.”
“Yes,she and Alpha Thorne’s scent profiles are a perfect match!”
No one mentioned their history as adopted siblings.
After all,Lyra was no longer legally bound to her former Mate.To the outsiders,they were simply two powerful wolves beginning a new,necessary alliance.
After the ceremony,Lyra,whose emotions were heightened by the ceremonial mead,sat in the passenger seat of Ryder’s armored transport.She clutched his leather gauntlet.“Ryder...I really can’t go back to that guarded den.Can I stay at the Keep until my severance is finalized?”
Ryder’s knuckles whitened on the steering wheel.
His Alpha instinct screamed at him to refuse.If Elara detected Lyra’s rival scent in the Alpha’s chambers,it would trigger a hostile reaction—and the Elders might get involved.
But when he saw Lyra’s tear-filled eyes and the fragile flush on her neck,he couldn’t find the necessary authority to say no.He wrenched the car toward his home territory.However,when he arrived,an unexpected,unsettling scene was waiting.
Elara stood at the grand oak doors of the Keep,speaking with Elder Weston,the wealthy wolf known for handling the Pack’s most difficult bond severances.They were examining a large,official document.
Ryder’s heart gave a sudden,hard thump of pure,primal dread.He swiftly exited the vehicle and helped the unsteady Lyra forward.