LYRA
When I opened my eyes, I was lying on the floor.
For a moment, everything looked wrong. The ceiling seemed tilted. The table looked like it was floating. My head spun as if the whole room had turned upside down.
I blinked slowly.
Once.
Twice.
My vision cleared little by little.
A dull ache throbbed in my chest. My body felt weak, like all the strength had been drained from my bones. I lifted my hand and rubbed my eyes, trying to steady myself.
What had happened to me?
The last thing I remembered was the sharp pain, that strange pulse inside my chest.
I pushed myself up slowly, my legs trembling slightly as I stood. My breathing was still uneven.
Get yourself together, Lyra.
My eyes moved toward the small window beside my bed.
Moonlight poured into the room.
My heart skipped.
Oh no.
The gathering had already started.
Panic rushed through me.
If I missed it, it wouldn't just be seen as forgetfulness. It would be seen as disrespect. And disrespect in a werewolf territory was never taken lightly, especially from a human.
I rushed toward the small bathroom connected to my quarters. It was barely more than a narrow stone space with a cracked mirror, a wooden bucket, and a small washing basin. Nothing fancy. Just enough to stay clean and presentable.
I grabbed the bucket with shaking hands and poured cold water over myself.
I gasped as the chill hit my skin, forcing the last traces of dizziness away. Water ran down my arms and soaked the thin fabric of my sleeping clothes.
No time.
I quickly washed, scrubbing away the sweat and weakness that still clung to me. My movements were hurried but practiced. This was a life where being late could mean punishment.
After drying off, I changed into the simplest dress I owned, a plain grey one with long sleeves. Nothing that would draw attention. Nothing that would make anyone think I was trying to be more than I was.
Just enough to blend in.
Just enough to be invisible.
After quickly tying back my hair, I hurried out into the night.
The gathering ground wasn't far, but the sounds reached me before I even arrived.
Voices.
Movement.
Power.
The territory square had been prepared for the assembly. It was held in the open, beneath the night sky. The full moon hung high above, bathing everything in silver light.
Torches burned along the stone paths, their flames dancing in the cool air.
Wolves were already gathered.
Warriors stood in formation near the front, their expressions serious. Ranked members stood behind them. Omegas moved carefully through the crowd, serving drinks and food while keeping their heads lowered.
Humans like me stayed at the edges.
Always at the edges.
I slipped quietly into a space near the back, hoping no one had noticed my late arrival.
My chest still felt strange.
Not painful. Just tight. Restless.
Like something inside me was paying attention.
Then suddenly the entire atmosphere changed. The conversations died. The laughter stopped.
Even the air itself seemed to hold its breath.
And without needing to ask why, I knew exactly who had arrived.
The moment he entered, the entire gathering shifted.
Alpha Lucian walked in wearing black ceremonial armor, his dark hair falling slightly over his forehead, silver eyes scanning the crowd with quiet dominance.
Power rolled off him in waves.
My heart stuttered. Then I felt pain.
It wasn't mild.
It wasn't subtle.
It felt like something inside my chest had suddenly snapped awake.
Heat exploded through my veins.
My knees almost gave out beneath me. I grabbed the edge of a stone pillar to steady myself, my fingers tightening against the rough surface.
What is happening to me?
Across the gathering, Lucian suddenly stopped walking.
His head turned slowly.
Directly toward me.
Our eyes met.
The world seemed to fall into silence as his silver gaze darkened instantly.
First shock.
Then something far more dangerous.
Recognition.
A low growl rumbled from his chest, deep enough that the nearby warriors immediately stiffened.
Whispers erupted around us.
"Who is he looking at?"
"That's the human girl…"
"It can't be…"
My chest burned.
Something inside me clawed upward, desperate and wild.
Mine.
The word echoed inside my head. Not in my voice.
Lucian took one step toward me.
Then another.
Each step felt like thunder in my veins.
When he finally stood before me, towering, overwhelming...I could barely breathe.
His scent surrounded me. Dark woods. Steel. Power.
His jaw clenched tightly.
I could see it now. His wolf was right beneath the surface.
"You," he said, his voice low and dangerous.
The way he said it didn't sound like a question. It sounded like possession. Like a claim.
My heart pounded violently.
"What have you done to me?" he demanded quietly.
I didn't understand. "I… I didn't…"
And then...
The bond snapped fully into place. The air itself seemed to tremble.
Every wolf in the gathering felt it.
Gasps spread through the crowd like wildfire.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Fear.
Alpha Lucian had just found his mate.
And she was human.