The gates of Blackthorn opened with a long, heavy groan.
Selene's heart raced with every step of the horse's legs under her. She kept her eyes on the road up ahead, not daring to peek at the pack wolves that gather on either side of the stonework road.
In silence, they stared.
Whispers followed her like shadows.
"Is that her?"
"She looks different…"
"Was she cursed?"
"Why would she come back now?"
Selene gripped the saddle tighter. Her shoulder still ached and her stomach turned.
She wasn't used to attention as the tower had always been quiet, hidden and safe.
But here—every stare felt like a blade.
Kael rode beside her, his face unreadable. His wolf had led the scouts in formation, clearing the path. Behind them, warriors moved in tight columns. No one questioned their Alpha, at least not aloud.
But Selene could feel it;
Doubt, suspicion, and something colder—Fear.
Bigger than anything Selene had ever seen, the pack house loomed ahead. It was a fortress as much as a home. Claw-like black stone walls surrounded the hilltop. The insignia of the Blackthorn, a wolf entangled in vines, was displayed on silver banners that blew in the wind.
A guard opened the main doors as Kael dismounted and turned to her.
Selene hesitated;
Her legs felt like they'd forgotten how to stand.
"Do you need help?" Kael asked.
She shook her head quickly.
And he didn't offer again.
She almost stumbled as she swung her leg over the saddle and landed. With her head held high, she followed Kael inside the house as the sounds disappeared the instant the door closed behind them.
She felt silence envelop her like frost. The entry hall stretched wide with high ceilings, dark wood, and steel chandeliers. Wolves lined the walls, watching and not one smiled.
Then—another voice, loud and clear.
"She's back."
A woman stepped forward—Blonde hair in braids and gold trim on her uniform. Her sharp eyes scanned Selene from head to toe.
"I told them you'd come back different," the woman said flatly. "But not this different."
Kael gave a slight nod, "Beta Elara."
Elara crossed her arms. "You've been gone for two moons, Lyra. You vanish during peace talks, return from the mountain half-dead, and can't even make eye contact with your own Beta?"
Selene swallowed. "I… was injured."
Her voice cracked slightly. She tried to sound firm and confident.
The Beta frowned. "You were raised in a war room, now you sound like prey."
Kael stepped between them. "She needs rest."
"She needs answers," Elara said sharply. "You of all people should want them, Alpha."
Kael didn't answer as his silence spoke louder than any threat.
Elara held his gaze a second longer, then turned on her heel and left.
Selene followed Kael deeper into the house.
It was warmer than she had anticipated in the guest room—In the hearth, a fire crackled. Covering the bed were clean linens, and a table near the wall held bread, cheese, and steaming tea.
Kael closed the door behind them.
Selene stood stiff in the center of the room, afraid to sit, afraid to speak.
She dislikes me," she said at last.
Kael did not respond at first, then,
"Elara served under your father," he said. "She was your mentor before she became Beta."
Selene blinked. "My… father?"
Kael's gaze flicked toward her. "Do you not remember him either?"
She shook her head slowly. "Not clearly."
Kael studied her, then stepped toward the window.
"This room used to be yours," he said. "When you lived here."
Selene looked around but she didn't recognize anything;
The books on the shelf, the blades on the wall, the small chest at the foot of the bed.
It all felt like someone else's story.
Kael turned back to her. "Do you want to stay here again?"
In her mind: Did she have a choice?
"I don't know," she whispered.
"You should rest," he said, opening the door. "But be ready as there's a Council meeting at moonrise and they'll want to see you."
He paused and said, "Be careful what you say."
And then he left.
Moonlight spilled through the tall windows by the time the summons came.
Two guards waited outside her door. One held out a long black cloak and she took it without question.
As they walked through the halls, Selene passed portraits of leaders—alphas in armor, warriors with silver eyes. Some of the faces looked eerily like hers but she didn't stop to study them.
Her heart beat faster with every step and they finally reached a wide, circular chamber.
The Council chamber.
Dozens of wolves lined the seats. Elders, alphas from lesser houses, and Blackthorn's inner circle. All eyes turned on Selene as she entered.
She felt exposed.
Kael stood at the center, tall and commanding. He gave a short nod, and she walked to his side.
Murmurs rippled around them.
"Her scent's the same…"
"She moves like a stranger."
"Where has she been?"
Kael raised a hand.
Silence fell.
"This is Lyra," he said firmly. "She has returned."
Someone scoffed. "She disappeared without explanation."
"She may have been taken," Kael replied. "Attacked, left to die."
"Then how is she here now?" another council member demanded.
Selene's fingers clenched the edge of her cloak.
"She doesn't even act like Lyra," a woman said coldly. "Lyra was proud and sharp, not this…this broken thing."
Selene's eyes burned but she took a breath.
"I've been through something I don't remember," she said softly. "But I'm here now, and I'm trying."
The room went quiet.
Then Kael spoke again.
"She has scars, new ones. Her scent is unchanged and her blood tested true. Until proven otherwise, she is still the heir."
"Blood is not enough," one of the Elders said. "We'll watch her closely and if this is trickery, it will fail."
The Council slowly rose and began filing out but Kael didn't move and Selene didn't breathe until the door closed behind the last one.
She turned to him.
"Thank you."
He didn't look at her. "Don't thank me. Just survive."
And then he left her standing there—alone in a room full of power and shadows.
-------
That night, Selene sat on the edge of the bed in silence.
Her body was healing but her mind was torn.
Every step deeper into Lyra's world pulled her further from the truth.
The lie was growing too big to run from.
And yet…
Part of her didn't want to run.
For the first time in her life, she wasn't locked away, she wasn't forgotten and she had food, warmth and a bed.
She had a name—although it wasn't hers.
She whispered it into the quiet.
"Lyra."
Her voice didn't shake but her heart did.