Chapter 1

Lyra’s POV

A sharp chill bit into Lyra’s bare feet as she slipped through the shadows, clutching a threadbare blanket to her chest. The night was damp, heavy with the scent of river water and pine, but it was the only time she could breathe. No footsteps. No commands. No blows.

She winced as her soles met jagged roots on the narrow trail behind the pack house, but she didn’t stop. The bruises on her arms throbbed in protest, but pain was familiar now - almost comforting. What mattered was the moonlight ahead, silver and cold, dancing over the river that marked the edge of the territory.

Her sanctuary.

She stepped into the icy water with a gasp. It burned against scraped skin but offered a strange relief. She crouched, letting the current wash over her arms, scrubbing away the dirt and dried blood of another day spent bowing and bleeding.

But some stains went deeper than skin.

Her reflection in the water was a stranger - hollow eyes, tangled hair, a faint bruise darkening her cheek. Seraphine had struck her for missing a spot on the floor. Again. The Alpha’s daughter never needed a real reason.

“It would be easier if you’d fight back,” murmured a voice in her mind. Familiar. Fierce. Her wolf.

Lyra’s chest tightened. The voice had been distant for so long - muted by hunger and fear - but now it lingered like the echo of who she could’ve been. Strong. Free.

“If we shifted, they wouldn’t be able to touch us.”

“I can’t,” Lyra whispered, curling in on herself as the river surged past. “I’m not strong enough. Not yet.”

Her wolf didn’t argue. Just lingered. Waiting.

A breeze stirred the wild lavender that grew along the bank. Lyra reached out, brushing the soft petals with her fingertips, drawing in the sharp, clean scent. It reminded her of her mother - of sunlight, of warmth. Of a time before chains.

One day, she thought. I’ll be free.

The sound of rustling leaves made her flinch. Dawn was coming.

She hurried back, feet numb from the water, blanket clutched like armor. By the time she reached the small underground cell beneath the pack house, the first rays of sun were touching the trees. She curled on the cold stone floor, trembling under the thin cloth. The scent of mildew and mold mixed with the blood on her skin.

Tomorrow was her eighteenth birthday - the day the bond would awaken.

At least, that’s what the stories said. But Lyra didn’t believe in fairytales anymore.

A heavy step echoed down the corridor. She knew that gait - sharp, purposeful. Luna Regina.

“Get up, slave!” the Luna snapped, voice dripping with disdain. “The banquet hall needs cleaning. And if you humiliate me in front of our guests again, you’ll regret it.”

Lyra scrambled upright, suppressing a flinch as two guards entered. One of them, a scarred man, avoided her eyes as he grabbed her arm. The other sneered and shoved her forward.

She didn’t fight. Fighting only made it worse.

“You really think anyone would want you for a mate?” the cruel one hissed as they dragged her along. “You’re filth. A disgrace.”

Lyra said nothing. She had learned silence long ago.

The banquet hall was gleaming with gold and crystal - bright, too bright. She blinked against the sharp contrast, dwarfed by towering walls and polished marble. Today’s celebration was for the visiting Lycan Prince. A royal inspection. An opportunity for the Alpha to flaunt his perfection.

And Lyra was just another blemish to be scrubbed away.

She knelt, rag in hand, and began to clean. Each motion was mechanical. Wipe. Scrub. Breathe. Ignore the laughter echoing around her.

Then came the shatter. A tray of polished silver dishes clattered to the ground. The noise cut through the hall like a blade.

“You idiot,” Seraphine sneered, stepping into view. “Can’t even carry a plate without ruining everything.”

Lyra dropped to her knees, gathering the broken pieces with shaking hands.

“Let me help,” she started to say.

But Seraphine’s laughter sliced through her words. “Oh, save it. You’re pathetic.” She turned to her friends. “Let’s have some fun with her later.”

Lyra’s stomach twisted. She didn’t need to ask what that meant.

The doors opened with a loud creak, and silence fell. Lyra froze.

Aiden entered.

The Alpha’s son. Her childhood friend - before everything changed.

For a moment, their eyes met. And for a heartbeat, Lyra felt it: recognition. That invisible pull. The bond.

But then his gaze slid past her like she was nothing.

Her heart, already fragile, cracked.

Seraphine leaned down beside her, voice like venom. “He didn’t even blink at you, Omega. Did you really think a prince or an Alpha’s heir would ever want someone like you?”

Lyra didn’t answer. She didn’t cry. Not in front of them.

But inside her, something stirred. A flicker.

Not rage. Not hope.

Defiance.