chapter 2 A mate unworthy
816 Words
Chapter 2: A Mate Unworthy
The whispers followed Lyra wherever she went.
She could feel them crawling over her skin as she hurried away from the festival grounds, her hands trembling against the folds of her dress.
"Did you see Alpha Kael's face?"
"The Moon Goddess must have been mistaken."
"How can an orphan servant become Luna?"
Every word pierced her heart.
She stopped beside the pack's sacred river, its calm waters reflecting the moonlight. The cool breeze did little to steady the storm raging inside her.
Her wolf stirred.
He's our mate.
Lyra closed her eyes.
"I know."
Then why didn't he come to us?
She had no answer.
Footsteps crunched behind her.
"Lyra!"
She turned to see Maya running toward her, breathless.
"There you are! Everyone is looking for you."
"Looking for me?" Lyra asked softly.
Maya nodded. "The Alpha has called a meeting in the Great Hall."
Lyra's heart skipped.
Maybe...
Maybe he only needed time to process everything.
Maybe he intended to claim her before the elders.
Her hope returned, fragile but alive.
"Come," Maya urged, squeezing her hand. "Whatever happens, you're not alone."
Together they walked toward the towering stone hall at the center of the Blackwood Pack.
Torches lined the entrance, casting long shadows across the ground.
Inside, nearly every pack member had gathered.
The elders stood in a semicircle.
Warriors lined the walls.
Servants whispered among themselves.
At the far end of the hall sat Alpha Kael on the carved Alpha's throne.
His expression was unreadable.
When Lyra entered, every conversation died instantly.
She felt hundreds of eyes settle on her.
Kael rose slowly.
His gray eyes locked onto hers.
"The Moon Goddess has revealed my fated mate."
A murmur spread through the room.
Lyra held her breath.
Kael continued.
"Many of you witnessed the bond."
His Beta, Damon, shifted uneasily beside him.
One of the elders stepped forward.
"Alpha, according to our laws, the Moon Goddess's choice is sacred."
"I know the law," Kael replied coldly.
The room fell silent again.
Lyra's pulse raced.
He walked down the steps until only a few feet separated them.
For the first time, she saw the conflict hidden in his eyes.
His wolf wanted her.
The man standing before her clearly did not.
"Lyra Ashwood," he said.
She swallowed.
"Yes... Alpha."
"You've served this pack faithfully."
She nodded.
"You are kind."
Another nod.
"You've done nothing wrong."
Confusion filled her.
"Then..."
Kael looked away for a brief moment before facing the crowd once more.
"My Luna must be more than kind."
His voice echoed through the hall.
"My Luna must be a warrior."
He took another step back.
"She must be able to lead beside me."
Another step.
"She must be strong enough to protect this pack."
Lyra's stomach twisted.
She knew where this was going.
"You are none of those things."
The words struck harder than any blade.
Tears gathered in her eyes.
"I can learn," she whispered.
"I'll train."
"I'll become stronger."
"I'll do whatever it takes."
For the first time, emotion flickered across Kael's face.
Regret.
But it vanished just as quickly.
"The position of Luna cannot be earned through effort alone."
His voice became colder.
"It requires someone worthy."
A woman near the front smiled smugly.
Lyra recognized her immediately.
Selene.
The captain of the female warriors.
Beautiful.
Powerful.
Confident.
Everything Lyra wasn't.
Selene folded her arms, clearly pleased.
One elder slammed his staff against the floor.
"Alpha! Rejecting a fated mate brings consequences."
"I am aware."
"It weakens both wolves."
"I know."
"It may anger the Moon Goddess."
Kael didn't flinch.
"If protecting my pack requires that sacrifice... then I will bear it."
A painful silence settled over the hall.
Lyra felt her wolf crying inside her mind.
Why doesn't he want us?
She could no longer hold back her tears.
"Alpha..."
Her voice cracked.
"Please... look at me."
He did.
For one brief moment, she saw the desire hidden beneath his control.
His wolf was fighting.
Desperate.
But Kael's pride was stronger.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly.
Then he spoke the words every werewolf feared.
"I, Kael Blackwood, Alpha of the Blackwood Pack..."
The air itself seemed to freeze.
"...reject Lyra Ashwood as my fated mate."
A blinding pain exploded through Lyra's chest.
She screamed as the invisible bond between their souls cracked.
Her knees hit the stone floor.
The hall erupted in shocked cries.
Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
Inside her mind, her wolf howled in agony.
Mate...
Kael staggered backward, clutching his own chest as pain flashed across his face.
For a heartbeat, it looked as though he might take the words back.
Instead, he turned away.
Without another glance.
Without another word.
Lyra lay broken on the cold stone floor, her heart shattered before the entire pack.
And somewhere high above, hidden behind dark clouds, the full moon disappeared.
- Writer
