Kael's POV
"Lyra Valen."
The name echoed across the clearing. For one suspended moment, the entire world seemed to go silent. Then the crowd erupted.
Cheers.
Gasps.
Excited murmurs spreading in every direction. But I barely heard any of it. Because my eyes were already locked on her. Lyra. Standing near the edge of the crowd beside her friend… completely frozen. Her face had gone pale.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Fear.
Every emotion flashed across her expression in the span of a heartbeat. My wolf surged forward immediately.
Mine.
The word slammed through my mind with a force that nearly stole the breath from my lungs.
Yes.
Mine.
It had always been her. The moment our hands touched during the competition…The moment my wolf recognized her… The moment she froze and pretended she didn't hear it. Everything made sense now. The way she reacted. The way she avoided me.
The way she tried so desperately to deny the truth. She knew. She had known all along. And she still tried to walk away.
My jaw tightened. Across the clearing, Lyra finally moved. She took a small step back.
Then another. Like she was trying to disappear into the crowd. Like she could outrun what had just happened. My wolf growled low in my chest.
No.
Not happening.
Around me, elders and Alphas gathered quickly, already congratulating my father.
"An excellent alliance." " Our packs will become unstoppable." "This will strengthen the entire region." Their voices blended into background noise. I barely acknowledged them. My focus never left Lyra. Because the moment the announcement ended… She turned. And started walking away.
My patience snapped. I stepped forward.
"Kael." My mother's voice stopped me mid-stride. I turned slightly. She was watching me closely, her expression thoughtful… far too observant. Then her gaze shifted toward Lyra. Understanding slowly dawned in her eyes.
"Is that her?" she asked quietly. The question caught me off guard. For a brief moment, I said nothing. Then I shook my head. "No." The answer came too quickly.
My mother raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
Her gaze returned to Lyra again. "I watched you earlier," she continued calmly. "During the games." I remained silent. "And afterward." Her voice softened slightly. "You pulled her aside."
A pause.
"You have never done that with anyone before." I exhaled slowly, already losing patience with the conversation. "This alliance has nothing to do with that." My mother studied my face for another moment.
Then she smiled faintly. "Of course."
The way she said it made it clear she didn't believe me. But I didn't have time to argue.
Because Lyra was still walking away. And something about the way she moved made one thing painfully obvious.
She was trying to escape.
I stepped away from the group without another word. "Kael," my mother called again. But I was already moving. The crowd parted instinctively as I walked through it.
People were still talking excitedly about the announcement… about the alliance, about the future of the packs. None of them seemed to notice the girl at the center of it all trying to disappear. Except me.
Lyra was almost at the edge of the festival grounds now. Her friend was speaking quickly beside her, clearly trying to calm her down. But Lyra wasn't listening. Her steps were too fast. Too tense. She looked like someone whose entire world had just been turned upside down. My wolf surged forward again.
Mine.
"Yes," I muttered under my breath.
Mine.
Which meant she wasn't walking away from this.
Not now.
Not ever.
"Lyra."
My voice cut cleanly through the noise behind her. She froze instantly. Slowly… Very slowly… She turned around. Our eyes met again across the distance. The same storm of emotions flickered through her gaze.
Shock.
Fear.
And something else. Something she was trying very hard to hide. I closed the distance between us. Each step felt deliberate.
Unavoidable.
Like fate itself had decided this moment would happen whether we wanted it or not.
When I finally stopped in front of her, the tension between us felt almost tangible.
Her friend glanced nervously between us.
"I'll… just…" she muttered awkwardly before stepping away.
Now it was just the two of us.
Lyra lifted her chin slightly, trying to look composed. But her heartbeat was racing. I could hear it clearly. "You look surprised," I said quietly. Her eyes flashed. "You don't?"
A corner of my mouth lifted slightly. "Oh, I'm surprised." A brief pause. "But not about the alliance." Her brow furrowed.
"Then what?" I leaned slightly closer, lowering my voice so only she could hear. "That the girl who kept pretending she couldn't hear my wolf…" Her breath caught.
"…is now officially bound to me." Lyra's eyes widened. Anger flashed across her face almost immediately.
"This doesn't mean anything," she said sharply. I tilted my head slightly. "Doesn't it?"
"This is politics," she continued. "Nothing more." My wolf growled softly.
Politics.
Right.
I studied her carefully. "You really believe that?" "Yes." The answer came instantly. Too instantly. Which told me everything. She was still lying.
To me.
To herself.
Or both.
I took one slow step closer. Now there was barely any space left between us. Lyra didn't move. But her breathing became uneven again. "You can keep pretending," I said quietly. Her eyes narrowed.
"I'm not pretending." I held her gaze. Then I said the one thing I knew she wouldn't be able to ignore. "Then tell me something, Lyra." A brief pause.
"If this alliance means nothing…" My wolf stirred again. Mine. "…why does your wolf react every time you stand this close to me?" Lyra froze. And this time… She had no answer.