Kael Stormfang couldn't sleep.
The moon hung high over the Stormfang estate, pale light casting silver shadows across the polished wood floors of his room. His window was open, letting in the scent of pine, wet earth… and something else.
Something hauntingly familiar.
Her.
That girl. Lyra.
He paced the room like a beast caged, the memory of her skin against his chest branded into his nerves. She was different—too composed, too precise. Not like the soft-spoken pup he vaguely remembered from childhood. This Lyra moved like someone with secrets buried deep beneath her skin.
And when she whispered, "Maybe I do," against his jaw, his wolf had surged, claws scraping the surface.
He'd nearly lost control.
Kael clenched his fists. That wasn't like him. No woman had ever rattled him. Not even Selene.
Especially not Selene.
He ran a hand through his hair, jaw tight. Tomorrow, he needed to know more. Because whatever this was, it wasn't normal.
And it wasn't going away.
---
Across the estate, Darius leaned against the balcony rail, shirtless, golden hair windblown, his grin unusually thoughtful.
She didn't flirt.
She didn't giggle or blush.
But her presence? It commanded.
And damn if that wasn't sexy.
He liked games, and Lyra Moonshadow had just dropped a challenge at their feet without saying a word. And the way Kael had reacted? Oh, his oh-so-stoic twin was definitely feeling it too.
Things were about to get interesting.
Very interesting.
---
The next morning
Lyra walked through the pack house courtyard wearing a simple black tunic dress, cinched at the waist, her silver hair gleaming in the sun. She moved through the crowd with quiet purpose, not seeking attention—but drawing it anyway.
And Selene noticed.
The other girl stood with her usual entourage, faking laughter with perfect polish. But her eyes tracked Lyra's every step.
She waited until Lyra passed, then reached out with a sugary smile. "Lyra! You were… impressive yesterday. Lucky, maybe."
Lyra paused, head tilting slightly. "Luck is what people call it when they don't understand preparation."
The girls behind Selene stiffened, uncertain whether to laugh or stay silent.
Selene's eyes narrowed. "Well, I'm glad you're… trying. Not everyone's cut out to be a Luna, but we all find our places, don't we?"
Lyra stepped closer, her voice a low murmur. "I already had my place once. You're the one playing dress-up in it."
Selene paled.
Lyra turned and walked away without waiting for a response.
Behind her, Selene's mask cracked for just a moment.
---
Later that day, Lyra found herself alone in the training grounds again. Purposefully. She needed to burn off energy. The bond was tugging at her—subtle, persistent, like a thread of fire wrapping around her ribcage. She'd hidden it well, but it was growing.
She began her forms—movement, flow, control. Her body moved like a memory, like instinct.
And she knew they were watching.
From the shadows of the trees, Kael and Darius stood silently, hidden by scent and wind. Neither spoke. Neither moved.
Until Darius finally murmured, "She's not the same."
Kael's jaw tightened. "No. She's not."
Their wolves paced, restless.
Lyra turned suddenly—locking eyes directly on their hidden position.
She knew.
She didn't look away.
Didn't flinch.
Instead, she smiled.
A small, knowing smile.
And in that moment, Kael felt something he'd never felt before.
Submission.
Not to weakness—but to power. To the magnetic, simmering power of a woman who knew exactly what she was doing.
Lyra turned and walked away, hips swaying with quiet confidence.
Darius exhaled slowly. "You feel it too, don't you?"
Kael didn't answer.
But his silence said everything.
The packhouse was alive with movement, wolves shifting in and out of human form, training drills in the open fields, and preparation for the upcoming Moon Ceremony—the full moon where bonds often deepened, and sometimes, were revealed.
For most, it was a celebration. For Lyra, it was war.
Selene had always used the Moon Ceremony to flaunt her "connection" with the twins. In her past life, it had been the first time Kael kissed her publicly. Lyra had watched from the shadows as her fated mates were taken from her by deceit and charm.
Not this time.
This time, she'd be the one on the dais, and Selene would watch.
---
The morning air was sharp with the scent of dew and distant smoke as Lyra made her way to the elder archives—a place she'd never dared explore in her first life. Knowledge was power, and this time, she wanted all of it.
She walked barefoot, deliberately quiet. Her presence still unsettled some, but she could feel it shifting. When she passed now, pack members lowered their voices. Some even bowed their heads. The twins had watched her train, and that meant something.
Inside the archives, she ran her fingers over leather-bound texts, pulling a heavy silver book from the shelves: Lunar Bonds and Their Echoes.
She carried it to a quiet reading table, lit only by slanting beams of golden morning light, and began to read.
> "The bond of a true mate may survive death. In rare instances, those killed unjustly by betrayal may return—blessed by the Moon Goddess with memory and fire. Their pull to their mates in a second life is stronger, sharper, more primal. Denying such a bond risks madness—for wolf and mate alike."
Lyra exhaled slowly.
So it was real.
Her revenge wasn't just about power or pride. It was fate righting a wrong. And she was the Goddess's chosen hand.
---
Meanwhile, at the training grounds, Kael was fighting like a man possessed.
Blow after blow, he traded hits with Darius, both shirtless, bodies gleaming with sweat and tension. But Kael wasn't focused. Every swing, every dodge was haunted by her.
Darius noticed it first. He ducked a strike and stepped back, breathing hard. "You're not here."
Kael didn't respond.
"You're thinking about her," Darius said, wiping his jaw. "Lyra."
Kael scowled. "She's… different."
Darius grinned. "You like it."
"She's dangerous."
"She's hot as hell."
Kael gave him a flat look. Darius shrugged.
"Don't act like I don't see you watching her like she's the last flame on a cold night," Darius teased, tossing a towel over his shoulder. "We both feel it. It's not just physical—it's pull. Deep. Like she's in our bones."
Kael didn't deny it.
Because it was true.
---
That evening, the pack dined under the stars. A long table stretched beneath hanging lanterns, golden light flickering across silverware and crystal. It was meant to be a bonding event before the Moon Ceremony.
Lyra arrived late—intentionally.
Heads turned as she approached in a deep midnight blue dress, sleeveless, with silver thread curling like moonlight across her bodice. Her hair was braided back in a crown, her lips a soft plum.
She didn't look like a warrior now. She looked like a queen.
Selene saw her from across the table and nearly choked on her wine.
Kael's gaze snapped to her the moment she stepped into the clearing. His breath caught—he didn't even try to hide it. Darius leaned back in his chair, a slow smirk spreading across his lips.
Lyra took her seat... right between them.
A calculated move.
Kael stiffened. Darius's eyes sparkled.
Selene stood abruptly. "Alpha Kael, would you walk with me? I wanted to—"
Kael didn't even glance up. "Not now."
Selene froze. The table went quiet for a beat too long.
Lyra turned to him slowly. "You're very direct."
Kael didn't look at her. "Always."
She leaned closer, just enough to let her scent roll over him like silk and spice. "So am I."
His hand clenched beneath the table. His jaw flexed.
Across her, Darius watched with interest. "Lyra," he said, voice low and teasing, "do you always toy with both of us like this, or are we special?"
She sipped her wine. "You're not special yet."
Darius laughed, and Kael exhaled sharply through his nose, caught between anger and arousal.
Checkmate, she thought.
But then—Kael leaned in.
His breath brushed her ear. "Careful, little wolf. The closer you dance to the flame, the more it burns."
Lyra turned her head just enough to graze his lips with the curve of her cheek. "What if I want to burn?"
The tension between them snapped taut.
Her pulse thrummed, not in fear—but in desire. Raw, sharp, hungry.
She turned and resumed eating, letting the silence stretch. The Alphas didn't speak, but they didn't leave. She'd made her mark—and they'd feel it long after the feast ended.
---
That night, in her room, Lyra lay awake, moonlight bathing her skin through the open balcony doors.
Her wolf stirred restlessly inside her.
She could feel them—Kael's cold fire, Darius's warm heat—circling her like storms. And soon, she'd have to choose how to break them.
One soft.
One hard.
But first—Selene.
Her cousin had watched it all.
Tomorrow, Lyra would take the next step.
Something subtle. Public. Untraceable.
But it would shift the balance just enough to start Selene's spiral.
And from there?
It would be a long, slow fall from grace.