Have I Met Him Before
1644 Kata
Lira Ashera Lourox POV
I stared at the letter in my hand, eyebrows furrowed.
I was a prisoner of the sins of my family for 7 years.
Not even allowed to go near the city’s central tower, let alone receive private letters sealed with the Alpha’s crest.
Worse still, the letter contained an invitation to attend the Great Moon Companion Ceremony, a ritual to determine our soul mate.
“This has to be a mistake,” I muttered. “There’s no way I’m meant for anyone.” my throat tight
Disgusted, I crumpled the letter and tossed it into the metal waste bin in the corner.
“Who was the letter from?” Maeve’s voice brushed into my mind, inquisitive.
I turned toward her.
“Oh, you’re awake,” I said, walked over to where she sat.
“Just a misdelivered invitation. Probably meant for someone else more deserving.”
Maeve frowned. Her silvery eyes narrowed slightly, scanning my face as if trying to read the truth beneath my words.
Without saying anything, she crouched down to pick the letter from the trash. The morning light filtered through the cracked window, casting long shadows across the dusty floor.
“Lira… this could be our only way out,” her thoughts pressed urgently into mine.
I stared at her, “You have to be joking. The guards would never actually let us walk free.”
“But I have a plan,” she replied. “This is a rare opening. All you have to do is play along and follow my lead. Don’t respond to me out loud. Last time you did that, we almost death.”
I winced at the reminder.
She wasn’t wrong. I was reckless.
Four 4 months, we slipped moving freely for a while under new names, no one recognized us.
But I got too comfortable.
One night I got drunk and told a group of strangers how we escaped the fire. Word spread like poison. We were arrested the next morning
charged with identity fraud, inciting public fear, and violating underage surveillance laws. I was only eleven years and seven months old when I was first detained, yet they treated me like a weapon.
Because they were afraid I’d tear down the northern territories the way my parents once did.
A harsh voice echoed from outside the house.
“Get ready.”
My stomach dropped. I rushed to the window.
“For what?” I called back.
No answer.
Maeve looked at Me. “So… it wasn’t a mistake?”
Before we could process it further
the front door slammed open.
Gamma soldiers stormed inside, their boots clanging on the wooden floor.
They snapped metal cuffs on our wrists.
The air outside was cold and damp. Fog clung to the trees like ghostly fingers. Dew wet the hem of my dress as they dragged us down the stone path.
“Listen carefully,” Maeve’s voice slipped into my thoughts again. “Tonight is the Moonmate Ritual. It’s held when the moon reaches its highest point. All attention will be on the young wolves and their spiritual resonance.”
“And us?” I whisper to Maeve.
“There’s a hidden passage beneath the altar. It leads out of Bloodridge.”
“That’s real?” I blinked. “I thought that was just a myth.”
“It’s real. I found the key. We only get one shot at this, Lira.”
A spark of hope tried to flicker
Still… this could be our only chance.
***
Unfortunately, the plan failed spectacularly.
Instead of blending into the crowd or slipping away during the preparations, Maeve and I were both thrown into an iron cage.
It was humiliating.
At least…
They put Maeve and me in the same cage.
I guess that was the universe's tiny mercy, if you could even call it that.
The sacred hall of North Bloodridge stretched before us, its marble floor catching streaks of midday sun.
It was eerily empty, silent except for the occasional shuffle of guards or the quiet hum of wind pressing against the high stained-glass windows. The ceremony wouldn’t begin until nightfall, but the place already held an air of tension.
I leaned my head against Maeve’s shoulder with a sigh.
“So… what now?” I whispered, defeated.
“I didn’t expect them to be this protective,” Maeve replied through her telepathy.
I nodded, sadness prickling behind my eyes. We were so close… but we were caged again.
“If I remember correctly, the secret tunnel is under the altar,” Maeve pointed toward the far left side of the stone platform.
I followed her gaze. The altar was still several yards away, guarded and distant
too far for us to reach while locked up like this.
“Well, that’s just great,” I muttered. “We’re screwed.”
I let my back hit the iron bars. They rattled, felt cold, but I didn't care.
Suddenly, a voice echoed across the hall. “Hey! You’re that girl from back then, aren’t you?”
My eyes widened.
Wait... what?
I turned and squinted toward the entrance. There he was.
“That weird guy? How the hell is he here?” I muttered under my breath.
I mean, come on. I was literally locked in a cage like some criminal from an old fairytale. This was officially embarrassing.
“Who’s that guy, Lira?” Maeve asked in my head.
I let out a nervous laugh. “That’s just… Cien. The annoying one.”
“Cien?” Maeve sounded surprised. “Since when do you know strangers?”
Oh. Right.
Maeve didn’t know about Lucien.
He was someone I met without telling her.
Before I could answer her, Lucien walked closer casually, like we weren’t surrounded by steel or guards.
He stopped just in front of our cage, hands tucked into his pockets, a crooked smile on his lips.
“Wow. You look like an actual prisoner,” he said, chuckling. “Your sentence’s not over yet, huh?”
I narrowed my eyes at him.
He smirked. “I mean, you vanished seven years ago right after our little drinking game. Next morning— poof. You disappeared like some spooky legend.”
I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly, flashing a tight smile. “Yeah… life happened.”
“I don’t like him,” Maeve’s voice slid into my thoughts sharply. “Something about him feels… off.”
I caught Maeve eyeing Lucien closely, her expression was clearly suspicious.
I bumped her elbow and whispered through clenched teeth, “He might be someone we can use.”
“But after seven years, you look even more beautiful,” Lucien said, his eyes roaming shamelessly down to my chest.
What a pig.
Still, I let it slide. This was going exactly as I’d planned.
“Thank you so much for the compliment,” I said sweetly, locking eyes with him and biting the corner of my lower lip as if begging for mercy.
“You look amazing too, Lucien. Those arms so full, so strong… truly perfect.”
I reached out slowly, letting my fingers hover just inches from his bicep.
As expected, Lucien beamed like a fool. “You always knew how to melt me, you little flirt,” he chuckled, eyes sparkling with arrogant satisfaction.
“I’m not lying, handsome,” I added, letting my voice drop into a husky whisper. Thankfully, my cold made it sound naturally raspy. “That body of yours… it's making me wet.”
“You two are disgusting,” Maeve’s voice cut through my thoughts, her telepathy sharp as ever.
Gods, I wanted to snap at her. Can you not ruin my concentration right now?!
I was in character!
Lucien slipped his hand through the metal bars, reaching for my neck.
“You could come to my place tonight,” he whispered hotly. “We could... try something fun. You know, just the two of us.”
I gave him my most delighted smile. “You really are the best, Lucien.”
Then I let my face fall, shifting from playful to sorrowful in a heartbeat.
I looked at him, slowly dragging my thumb along the corner of my lips.
“But look at me… chained up like this. No one’s coming to save me.”
Lucien’s eyes flared with purpose. “But I can save you!”
Ha. He took the bait! Just like I knew he would.
What a predictable fool.
“Really?” I asked, raising a brow, giving him a look of daring disbelief. “And how exactly do you plan on doing that?”
“My best friend works in the government. He can pull a few strings to save your life,” Lucien said proudly.
Inside, I was stunned
but my face gave nothing away. I tilted my head and pushed harder.
“Well, well… Then I’ll be waiting. The moment your friend sets me free, I swear I’ll run straight into his arms, and sleep in his bed too.”
His grin stretched wider. “Tonight. I’ll be waiting.”
But this time, I didn’t see his lips move.
A different sound broke the tension. A man approaching.
I turned toward the sound.
I didn’t recognize him at first glance. But something about the way he moved… the weight of his presence… made my throat tighten.
He wasn’t just anyone.
Tall, with shoulders like carved stone, silver eyes like cold steel. His jawline was sharp, and his gaze intense.
“Who is he? I hope you haven’t messed with him,” Maeve’s voice echoed again in my mind.
I couldn’t reply.
I was frozen.
That face… I’d seen it somewhere.
But where?
My heart thudded in my chest, faster than it had in days.
Have I met him before?
- Penulis
