**Lyra's POV**
I straightened my head as the servants at the door announced my presence before Alpha Damien.
"The Luna is approaching!" the shrill voice rang out, moments before the door swung open for me to step inside.
I was his Luna. I wasn't supposed to need such an announcement before entering his chambers. But ever since the incident the last time I came here unannounced, protocol had been forced upon me.
Surprisingly, Alpha Damien didn't flinch at my arrival. Nor did his face carry the familiar, permanent stamp of disgust I'd grown used to.
He often tried to hide that look in public for the sake of appearances. But in private, he'd never bothered to mask it — as if my mere presence in his pack soured the air around him.
"Luna. How are you doing?" he asked, smiling.
