Chapter 5
785 Words
Lyra’s POV
The night after Damon’s intrusion was restless. Hindi ako makatulog. Sa bawat pagdilat ko, nakikita ko pa rin ang dugo sa balahibo ni Kael, ang bangis ng kanyang mga mata, at ang apoy na biglang sumiklab mula sa akin. Ano ba talaga ako?
Pero mas mahirap tanggapin ang totoo: ang init ng kanyang halik ay nananatili pa rin sa aking labi.
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Kinabukasan, dumating si Elder Elda sa aking silid. Ang matanda ay payat, maputi ang buhok, ngunit ang kanyang mga mata ay tila may alam na higit pa sa lahat ng nakapaligid. Daladala niya ang isang lumang pergamino, at ang kanyang tinig ay mabigat habang binubuksan ito.
“Lyra,” aniya. “It’s time you know the truth.”
Umupo ako sa gilid ng kama, kinukuyom ang aking mga palad. “The prophecy.”
Tumango siya. “Matagal nang isinulat ng ating mga ninuno. Isang babae na may apoy ng buwan, ipinanganak sa labas ng batas ng pack, ang siyang magdadala ng kapahamakan o kaligtasan. She will be the mate of the strongest Alpha… but also the temptation of the one who walks in shadow.”
Nalaglag ang puso ko. “I’m the reason Kael and Damon are fighting.”
“You are the reason the balance is breaking,” she corrected gently. “Your blood is… different. It calls both light and darkness.”
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Bago pa ako makapagsalita, bumukas ang pinto. Nakatayo roon si Kael, matikas at mabangis, ngunit ang kanyang dibdib ay nababalutan ng bagong tahi na sugat mula sa laban kagabi. His golden eyes landed on me first, then narrowed at Elda.
“That’s enough,” utos niya. “She doesn’t need more fear.”
Pero hindi umalis ang matanda. “She needs truth, Kael. O baka natatakot ka lang na malaman niyang hindi mo siya kayang kontrolin?”
Nagngalit ang panga ni Kael. For a moment, I thought he might throw her out. But instead, he stepped inside, his hand brushing mine possessively.
“She’s mine,” he said, voice low. “And that’s all that matters.”
Elda’s eyes glinted. “For now.” Then she bowed slightly and left, leaving the scroll behind.
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The silence between us was suffocating.
“Mine?” ulit ko, malamig ang boses. “Is that all I am to you, Kael? A possession?”
He didn’t flinch. Instead, he came closer, towering over me, his scent wrapping around me like fire and smoke. “You felt it. Last night. Don’t lie to me, Lyra.”
My chest tightened. “I did. And that terrifies me.”
His hand cupped my cheek, rough and gentle all at once. “It terrifies me too.”
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Hindi ko alam kung paano nangyari, pero muli na naman akong nahulog sa init ng kanyang halik. Mas mabagal ngayon, mas mapanganib, parang sinusubukan naming patunayan na kaya naming labanan ang tadhana. Ngunit habang mas tumatagal, mas lalo lang akong nadadala.
His lips trailed down my jaw, to my neck. My body arched toward him involuntarily, a gasp escaping me.
“Kael…” bulong ko, halos pagsusumamo.
He growled, a low, primal sound that vibrated against my skin. “Say you’re mine.”
“Kael—”
“Say it.” His fangs grazed the spot where a mark would be, the place where an Alpha claims his mate. My wolf howled inside me, begging me to surrender.
But I pushed against his chest, panting. “If I say it… then what happens to me? To us? To Damon?”
His jaw tightened, but he didn’t let me go. “Then we fight. For as long as it takes.”
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Before I could answer, a horn blasted outside—long, sharp, urgent.
Kael cursed, pulling away. He strode to the window, eyes narrowing. From the tower, smoke rose in the distance. Scouts were shouting, warriors arming themselves.
“Damon,” he growled.
My blood turned cold. He was already moving. But before leaving, Kael turned back, eyes blazing with a promise.
“Stay here. Don’t move. If anything happens—shift. Do you understand?”
I swallowed hard and nodded.
Then he was gone.
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Hours felt like days. I paced the chamber, listening to the chaos outside—the clash of steel, the roars of wolves, the cries of warriors. My whole body trembled, torn between obeying Kael and running to him.
When the door finally burst open, it wasn’t Kael who entered.
It was Damon.
Bloodied but grinning, his crimson eyes locked on me like prey.
“Well, well,” he purred. “The moon’s fire all to myself.”
My wolf roared inside me.
This time, I didn’t hold her back.
- Writer
