Lyra's POV
The dawn came too early.
Sleep hadn't claimed me not truly. I'd spent the night tossing in the narrow bed, staring at the ceiling as shadows crawled across the walls. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him. The glint of sunlight on black armor. The gold of his gaze cutting through the crowd like a blade
Kaelan Draven.
The name alone was enough to make my chest tighten. For years I had whispered it like a curse, and now… fate had spoken it back to me.
My wolf stirred restlessly beneath my skin, pacing like a caged thing.
Mate.
The word echoed again and again until I wanted to scream.
I pushed myself up, dragging a hand through my hair. The air in the workers' quarters felt too thick, heavy with the faintest trace of pine and steel his scent, still clinging to my senses like smoke.
I needed distance. Fresh air. Anything to drown it out.
Outside, Riverbend was quiet. The mist hung low over the valley, silvering the trees and dulling the world to a hush. The other omegas had already begun their morning tasks, carrying baskets of laundry toward the stream and sweeping the paths. I slipped past them silently, clutching the herbs basket as an excuse for being out.
But even as I walked, the ache inside me deepened. Every instinct screamed to find him. To follow the bond.
It was primal, instinctive a pull that came from somewhere deeper than reason.
And I hated it.
I had spent years burying that part of myself the girl who used to believe in bonds, in promises, in allies who would never betray. That girl had died beside my brother in a pool of blood.
This… whatever the Moon Goddess thought she was doing… was nothing but a cruel trick.
"Lila!"
Elias's voice broke through my thoughts. He was already up, carrying a crate of training weapons toward the practice yard.
"You're up early," he said, eyeing me. "Didn't sleep either?"
"Barely," I admitted, keeping my tone light. "The envoy's arrival stirred everyone."
He grimaced. "Ironclaw doesn't travel quietly. Half the pack's been on edge since their Alpha set foot here."
I bit the inside of my cheek. So have I.
Elias lowered the crate, wiping sweat from his brow. "I heard Rowan's planning a hunt this afternoon for the visiting Alphas. Luna Aeryn wants all omegas on kitchen duty. You'll be there?"
"Yes," I said quickly, too quickly. Anywhere away from him.
Elias frowned. "You sure you're all right, lila? You've been… strange since yesterday."
I forced a smile that didn't reach my eyes. "Just tired."
He didn't believe me, but he didn't push. "Fine. But if one of those Ironclaw wolves gives you trouble, tell me. They've got a reputation."
"I can handle myself," I said quietly. If only he knew how much.
The day stretched endlessly.
Every time the wind shifted, I felt him. Not saw, not heard felt.
A flicker of awareness along the edge of my mind, like a shadow brushing against my soul. My wolf reacted every time, her heartbeat syncing with a rhythm that wasn't mine.
He's close.
"No," I whispered under my breath, slamming a pot of water on the stove harder than necessary. The other kitchen workers glanced up in surprise. I forced a tight smile. "Sorry. Dropped something."
Inside, I was unraveling.
The bond pulsed like a second heartbeat, tugging, whispering find him, find him, find him.
But I didn't want to.
Because if Kaelan Draven found me if he looked at me again I wasn't sure I'd have the strength to hate him the way I'd promised I would.
By mid-afternoon, the packhouse buzzed with preparation. Servants hurried through the halls with trays of fruit, wine, and venison. Warriors assembled outside for the ceremonial hunt.
I stayed in the back kitchens, chopping roots, keeping my head down.
It was working until I felt it.
A shift in the air.
Every hair on my arms rose as that familiar energy rolled through the walls. My wolf froze mid-breath.
He was here.
My pulse kicked hard. I gripped the knife too tightly, the blade slipping and nicking my finger.
"Damn it," I hissed, watching blood bead across the cut.
One of the older cooks looked up. "Lila, go to the infirmary. That looks deep."
"No," I started, but she was already shooing me away.
And maybe it was instinct or fate's cruel sense of humor that made me obey.
Because the infirmary was in the main wing. The same wing where the visiting Alphas were gathered.
The corridors grew quieter the farther I went. My steps echoed softly against the stone floor, heartbeat loud in my ears
The scent was stronger here richer, darker.
Kaelan.
My wolf lifted her head, tail high, trembling with recognition.
Mate.
"Stop," I whispered, pressing my hand to my chest. "He is not ours."
But the bond didn't listen. It only grew stronger.
I turned the corner and froze.
Kaelan Draven stood at the far end of the hall, speaking with Luna Aeryn and another Alpha. His back was to me at first, but I could feel him the air around him alive with power and heat.
As if he sensed me, he turned.
And our eyes met again.
The world fell silent.
I couldn't breathe. Couldn't move. Couldn't think beyond the weight of his gaze anchoring me to the floor.
Kaelan Draven.
Up close, he was exactly as I remembered only more dangerous. Broader. Older. The boy who once stood beside my brother had become a man carved from command and shadow. His presence filled the corridor like thunder waiting to break.
And his eyes those gold-flecked eyes that had once held laughter and loyalty now burned with something darker. Recognition.
The moment his gaze locked on me, the air changed. My lungs seized, my wolf stilled, and then the pull struck violent and absolute.
The mate bond roared to life.
Heat crawled beneath my skin, tracing every nerve with fire. My wolf howled, wild and desperate, clawing to reach him.
I took a step back. Then another.
But he was already moving
Kaelan murmured something to the Luna beside him. I couldn't hear the words before he turned fully toward me. The other Alpha said something, but Kaelan didn't respond. He walked forward, steps slow, deliberate a predator closing in.
Every instinct screamed to run. Every cell in my body screamed to stay.
My breath caught as he stopped in front of me, so close I could feel the heat of him.
For a heartbeat, neither of us spoke.
Then, softly:
"You."
His voice was low, rough, like gravel over smoke.
I forced my chin up. "Alpha Draven.
His expression flickered confusion first, then something that looked like disbelief. "You know who I am."
"Everyone knows who you are," I said, careful, quiet. "You lead one of the largest packs in the North. Your reputation precedes you."
A lie. But I'd grown good at those.
Kaelan's gaze sharpened, scanning my face as though searching for something hidden beneath my calm.
"You were in the kitchens earlier."
"Yes, Alpha. I serve there."
His jaw tightened. "An omega?"
I nodded once. "Yes."
For a moment, the corridor filled only with silence. Then he stepped closer, close enough that I had to tilt my head to meet his eyes. The scent of pine and storm surrounded me grounding and suffocating all at once.
"You're lying."
The words landed like a command. My pulse jumped.
"I"
"You're not just an omega."
I swallowed hard, keeping my tone even. "I don't know what you mean."
He leaned down, voice rough against my ear. "I can feel your power. You're trying to hide it, but your scent gives you away. Who are you, little wolf?"
The world tilted. For a moment, I almost forgot how to breathe.
"Step back," I said, the words sharper than I intended. "You're making a mistake."
His eyes darkened, but he did take half a step back not out of obedience but out of control. I could see the effort in every muscle, the way his hand flexed at his side, resisting the urge to reach for me.
"What's your name?" he asked again.
I hesitated, then forced the lie past my lips. "lila."
His gaze narrowed. "Lyra what?"
"Lyra… Vance."
The fake surname tasted like ash.
Kaelan studied me, expression unreadable. "Lila Vance," he repeated, testing the name. Then, softer, "You're lying again."
I flinched.
He saw it.
The air crackled between us the bond thrumming like a live wire. My wolf whined, torn between fear and unbearable need.
"Why do you smell like that?" he asked suddenly, voice rougher now, as if the words hurt him to say. "Why does your scent feel like home?"
Home.
The word tore through me. I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood.
"I wouldn't know, Alpha," I whispered. "Maybe you're mistaken."
Kaelan's eyes softened, but the tension didn't ease. "Mistaken?" he echoed. "You think I could mistake this?" His hand lifted slow, hesitant and for a terrible second, I thought he'd touch me.
I stepped back quickly. "Don't."
His hand froze midair. His eyes searched mine. "You feel it too."
I wanted to deny it. To laugh. To tear down every hint of emotion that might betray me. But the words wouldn't come.
Because he was right.
The bond pulsed so strongly I thought I might break apart.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I said at last, voice thin, trembling.
Kaelan's jaw clenched, something fierce and pained flickering behind his eyes. "You do," he murmured. "You're mine."
The sound of it made my heart stop.
I forced my spine straight. "No, Alpha. I belong to no one."
Then I turned sharply and walked away before my courage shattered completely.
But even as I fled down the hall, his voice followed me low and unyielding.
"I'll find out who you really are, lila."
And somehow, I knew he would.