The mist thinned as I followed the sound of the howl. Each step felt heavier, the air thick with the scent of pine and rain-soaked earth.
My heart pounded, not from fear — but from something deeper. A memory I'd buried too long ago.
Lyra.
Her name echoed in my mind like a forgotten prayer.
I reached a clearing where the moonlight spilled silver across the grass. There she stood. Or at least, the ghost of who she used to be.
Her dark hair clung to her face, her eyes glowing faintly beneath the half-moon. She looked thinner, her expression carved with pain and longing. But those eyes… they were the same ones that once saw through my rage and found the boy underneath.
"Kael," she whispered. My name trembled on her lips.
For a moment, I couldn't speak. I just stared, afraid that if I did, she would vanish like smoke.
"You're alive," I finally said, my voice rough. "I thought—"
"That I was dead?" Her tone was bitter, soft as a blade. "So did I."
She stepped closer, the scent of wild roses and blood surrounding her. "Ronan said you abandoned us."
A snarl built in my throat. "He lied."
Her eyes flickered — hurt, disbelief, and something else. "Then where were you, Kael? When the pack burned? When they took me?"
My hands curled into fists. "I was hunted. I barely survived. I came back for you, Lyra. For all of it."
Silence stretched between us. The forest held its breath.
Finally, she shook her head, tears catching in the moonlight. "You shouldn't have come back. He'll kill you if he finds out you're here."
"Let him try." I stepped forward, close enough to see the small scar beneath her jaw — a mark she never had before. "What did he do to you?"
Her gaze dropped to the ground. "You don't want to know."
Something inside me broke. I wanted to reach out, to hold her, to erase the years of pain written on her skin. But she pulled back.
"You shouldn't touch me," she said softly. "I'm bound to him now. To Ronan."
The words hit harder than claws ever could. My chest tightened, and for the first time in years, I felt powerless.
"He forced it," I said. It wasn't a question — it was truth.
Her silence was answer enough.
"I'll kill him," I swore, my voice low and trembling.
"Don't," she said quickly, stepping closer, her hand brushing my chest. "Please, Kael. If you fight him now, you'll lose. He's stronger. The council stands with him."
"Then I'll tear down the council," I whispered. "One by one."
Her breath caught, eyes glistening with tears. "You haven't changed."
I smiled faintly. "Neither have you."
For a heartbeat, the world stilled — just her hand, warm against my skin, her heartbeat echoing in mine. Then, she stepped back, eyes full of pain.
"Go," she whispered. "Before he senses you. The moon remembers blood, Kael. It always does."
I hesitated. "Will I see you again?"
She looked up at the moon. "Only if fate is cruel."
Then she was gone — fading into the mist like a memory the night refused to keep.
I stood there for a long time, my chest hollow, my rage alive.
Ronan had taken my father. My throne. My mate.
Now, he had my vengeance.