Selene pressed herself against Fenris's arm with practiced intimacy, her scent deliberately mingling with his in a display of closeness. Her tone was light and dismissive—not a trace of genuine remorse anywhere in her demeanor. "I'm so sorry, sister. That day was entirely my fault, and you suffered such terrible injuries because of it. You've always been so kind-hearted—surely you won't hold a grudge against your poor little sister."
Lyra lifted her gaze and regarded her with quiet calm. Her eyes were like still water, utterly devoid of ripples. She didn't respond. Didn't even slow her pace. She simply turned and walked back to her recovery chamber, leaving the two of them standing in the corridor.
Selene's expression crumpled instantly. She turned to Fenris with wounded eyes, her lashes already glistening with unshed tears. "Fenris, does she... does she still hate me?"
Fenris watched Lyra's retreating figure in silence, something distant flickering in his dark gaze. "She doesn't," he said with certainty. "She's always been soft-hearted. She never holds grudges for long."
But when they reached her chamber and pushed open the heavy wooden door, they found Lyra mid-motion—her hand raised, dropping a familiar memory-crystal into the waste basket beside her bed.
Fenris's pupils contracted sharply, his wolf stirring beneath his skin. He strode forward, disbelief sharpening his voice. "Lyra, what are you doing?!"
That memory-crystal held years of their bond together—captured moments from their first courtship run, images from their travels through allied territories, the howl-song he'd recorded for her during her first moon-fever. She used to treat it like a sacred treasure, keeping it tucked in the innermost pocket of her satchel, barely letting anyone else touch it. And now she'd tossed it away like refuse.
Before he could say another word, her hands moved again. She slid the mate-promise ring from her finger, held it between her fingertips for a moment, then let go. It landed in the basket with a soft clink, settling beside the memory-crystal.
Her voice was flat, utterly without inflection, as though she were remarking on the weather. "Nothing important. I just realized Selene had a point—useless garbage belongs in the trash."