The Pack Finds Out
1389 Words
The news spread through Silver Fang Pack like wildfire.
By nightfall, everyone knew.
The alpha had found his mate.
And somehow, impossibly…
It was the runt.
Lyra sat curled on the small bed inside her attic room, knees pulled tightly against her chest while muffled voices echoed through the estate below.
Angry voices.
Shocked voices.
Disgusted voices.
Every sound made her stomach twist harder.
Outside her tiny window, snow continued falling heavily across the mountains. The moonlight painted silver patterns across the floorboards, but tonight even the familiar quiet couldn’t calm her racing thoughts.
Mate.
The word still felt unreal.
She pressed trembling fingers against her chest where the bond pulsed faintly beneath her skin.
Even now she could feel him.
Not clearly.
Just emotions.
Powerful emotions.
Protectiveness.
Possession.
Frustration.
And underneath it all…
Her.
It terrified her how much comfort that brought.
A loud knock suddenly echoed through the room.
Lyra startled violently.
“L-Lyra?”
Damien.
She hesitated before slowly standing and opening the door.
The beta filled most of the doorway instantly.
Tall. Broad. Intimidating.
But unlike usual, there was no mockery in his golden eyes tonight.
Only exhaustion.
“Alpha wants to see you.”
Fear flashed through her immediately.
Damien sighed softly, rubbing a hand down his face.
“He’s not angry.”
“That’s not what scares me.”
Something flickered across Damien’s expression at her quiet honesty.
For a moment, he simply studied her.
Then his gaze dropped slightly to where her hands trembled near her sides.
“You really didn’t know?”
Lyra shook her head quickly.
“No.”
Damien muttered something under his breath.
Probably a curse.
Because everyone knew what this meant.
The entire hierarchy of the pack had just shattered.
“Come on,” he finally said. “Before Kael tears apart another room.”
Lyra blinked nervously. “Another room?”
Damien smirked faintly.
“The council meeting didn’t go well.”
Her stomach dropped.
Of course it didn’t.
The walk through the estate felt unbearable.
Pack members openly stared as Damien escorted her through the halls. Conversations stopped wherever they passed.
Some wolves looked shocked.
Others disgusted.
A few looked furious.
Lyra kept her head lowered the entire time.
Whispers followed her anyway.
“That’s her?”
“She’s tiny.”
“The alpha can’t be serious.”
“A runt becoming luna?”
“It’s disgusting.”
Each word cut deeper than the last.
Damien’s jaw tightened visibly.
“Keep talking,” he growled toward a group of warriors.
Instant silence followed.
Lyra glanced at him in surprise.
He noticed.
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like I’m being nice.”
A small smile almost pulled at her lips despite everything.
Damien looked mildly horrified by it.
“Oh no,” he muttered dramatically. “She smiles. Kael’s definitely doomed.”
Before Lyra could respond, they reached the alpha floor.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Stronger wolves guarded the hallway while tension rolled through the air heavily.
Damien stopped outside large black double doors.
Then he looked down at her carefully.
“He’s been waiting six years for his mate.”
Lyra’s chest tightened painfully.
“He should’ve gotten someone better.”
Damien stared at her for a long moment.
Then, surprisingly—
“You should stop saying that.”
Before she could answer, he pushed open the doors.
Kael stood near the massive windows overlooking the snowy forest below.
The moment Lyra entered, his head snapped toward her.
And the bond exploded warm inside her chest.
Mine.
The possessive feeling nearly stole her breath.
Kael crossed the room instantly.
Lyra barely had time to think before his hands settled carefully on her arms, silver eyes scanning her face intensely.
“Did anyone hurt you?”
The question startled her.
“What?”
His expression darkened dangerously.
“In the halls.”
Lyra realized immediately what he meant.
The whispers.
The stares.
She shook her head quickly. “No.”
Kael looked unconvinced.
Damien closed the doors behind them. “The elders are demanding another meeting tomorrow.”
Kael didn’t look away from Lyra once.
“They can demand whatever they want.”
“Magnus threatened separation laws.”
That got Kael’s attention.
The room turned cold instantly.
Lyra frowned softly. “What are separation laws?”
Neither male answered immediately.
Which scared her more.
Finally Damien sighed.
“Ancient laws. Rarely used.”
“How rare?”
Kael’s jaw clenched.
“Not since my grandfather.”
Lyra swallowed hard.
“And what do they do?”
Damien hesitated.
Kael answered instead.
“They can challenge the mating.”
Her face lost color instantly.
“No.”
“They won’t succeed,” Kael said immediately.
But for the first time since meeting him…
She heard uncertainty beneath his calm voice.
Fear crawled through her chest.
“You said you didn’t need permission.”
“I don’t.”
“Then why are they allowed to interfere?”
Kael’s silver eyes darkened.
“Because the elders still believe they control the future of the pack.”
Silence settled heavily.
Lyra slowly stepped away from him.
“This is my fault.”
Kael’s expression hardened immediately.
“No.”
“If I wasn’t—”
“Finish that sentence,” he said softly.
Dangerously softly.
Lyra fell silent.
Kael stepped closer again.
“You are not a mistake.”
Her eyes burned unexpectedly.
Nobody had ever said those words to her before.
Not once in eighteen years.
The bond pulsed warmly between them.
Kael’s large hand lifted slowly, brushing lightly against her cheek.
“You need sleep,” he murmured.
She leaned unconsciously into the touch before realizing what she was doing.
Embarrassment flooded her face instantly.
Kael noticed.
And smiled.
Actually smiled.
The transformation stunned her.
It softened his sharp features completely.
Dangerous.
Beautiful.
Lyra stared openly for a second too long.
Damien groaned loudly from across the room.
“Oh gods. They already have the mate stare.”
Both ignored him completely.
Kael’s thumb brushed gently beneath Lyra’s eye.
“You’re exhausted.”
“So are you.”
His expression softened faintly again.
“No one tells me that.”
“Well… someone should.”
Damien looked personally offended.
“I hate this already.”
To Lyra’s surprise, a quiet laugh escaped Kael.
The deep sound wrapped warmly around her chest.
And for one impossible moment…
Everything felt normal.
Until the doors burst open.
“Alpha!”
A warrior stormed inside before freezing at the sight of Lyra standing beside Kael.
Fear flashed across his face immediately.
“My apologies—”
“What?” Kael snapped.
“The elders are gathering in the main hall.”
Damien cursed quietly.
Kael’s posture hardened instantly.
“They move fast.”
The warrior hesitated nervously.
“Elder Magnus is demanding the runt appear before the council.”
Silence.
Dangerous silence.
Kael’s hand tightened slightly around Lyra’s waist.
“No.”
“The elders claim it’s tradition.”
“I don’t care.”
The warrior looked terrified now.
Lyra felt fear curling tighter in her stomach.
“This is bad,” she whispered.
Kael looked down at her immediately.
“I won’t let them touch you.”
“But they’ll keep pushing.”
“Yes,” he said quietly.
The honesty surprised her.
“They won’t stop.”
Because to the elders, she represented weakness infecting the alpha bloodline itself.
And everyone knew it.
Kael looked toward Damien.
“Prepare guards.”
Damien nodded once before leaving immediately.
The room fell quiet again.
Lyra’s heart pounded painfully.
“You shouldn’t fight your entire pack because of me.”
Kael turned toward her slowly.
“You still don’t understand.”
She frowned softly.
“When a wolf finds their mate…” His gaze locked onto hers intensely. “There is nothing I wouldn’t destroy to keep them.”
The raw truth in his voice stole her breath completely.
Then, before she could respond—
A sudden sharp pain ripped through the bond.
Lyra gasped.
Kael stiffened instantly.
The pain vanished almost immediately, but dread remained.
“What was that?” she whispered.
Kael’s expression turned dark.
“The elders.”
Fear crawled down her spine.
Because suddenly…
It felt like war had begun.
- Writer
