Mine
1799 Words
The snowstorm worsened overnight.
By morning, Silver Fang territory had disappeared beneath thick white frost, the forests swallowed by icy wind and endless falling snow. Most wolves remained inside the estate, tension lingering heavily through the halls after the council confrontation.
No one smiled.
No one relaxed.
The entire pack felt like a ticking bomb.
And somehow, Lyra had become the center of it.
She sat quietly beside the attic window in her room, wrapped in a thick blanket while pale morning light spilled across her silver-white hair. Below, wolves moved through the courtyard preparing patrols despite the storm.
Life continued.
Even while her world had completely changed.
Her fingers traced nervously along the edge of the blanket as the mating bond pulsed faintly in her chest.
Kael was awake.
She could feel it.
The strange awareness still startled her every time.
Not thoughts exactly.
Emotions.
Energy.
Presence.
The bond connected them like an invisible thread she couldn’t escape.
Part of her loved it already.
That terrified her.
A soft knock sounded against her door.
Before she could answer, Damien stepped inside carrying a tray of food.
Lyra blinked in surprise.
“You brought breakfast?”
Damien looked offended immediately.
“Don’t sound so shocked.”
“You’ve threatened me three times this week.”
“Yes, and look how much we’ve grown.”
Despite herself, she smiled faintly.
Damien carefully placed the tray down beside her small table.
“You didn’t come downstairs.”
Lyra looked away.
“I wasn’t hungry.”
“That’s a lie.”
“It’s easier this way.”
Damien leaned against the wall, studying her quietly for a moment.
“You know they’re staring because they’re curious too.”
She laughed softly without humor.
“They hate me.”
“Some do.”
Honest.
Blunt.
Very Damien.
“And the others?” she asked quietly.
“They don’t know what to think.”
Lyra pulled the blanket tighter around herself.
“That doesn’t make me feel better.”
“It wasn’t supposed to.”
Another small smile nearly appeared on her lips.
Damien noticed.
“You smile more around Kael.”
Heat immediately flooded her face.
“I do not.”
“You do.”
She looked horrified.
Damien grinned smugly.
“It’s actually disgusting.”
Before she could respond, another powerful feeling surged suddenly through the bond.
Warmth.
Possession.
Need.
Lyra’s breath caught softly.
Damien noticed instantly.
“Oh gods,” he muttered. “He’s coming.”
“What?”
Heavy footsteps echoed outside seconds later.
Then the door opened.
Kael entered the room.
And everything inside Lyra instantly calmed.
The realization hit her so hard she almost hated it.
Kael’s silver eyes landed on her immediately, scanning quickly as though reassuring himself she was unharmed.
His dark hair was still damp from snow, black shirt sleeves rolled slightly up his forearms, revealing scars and tattoos beneath.
Too beautiful.
Too dangerous.
Too much.
Mine.
The bond wrapped warmly around her chest.
Damien gagged dramatically.
“I need compensation for witnessing this.”
Neither listened to him.
Kael crossed the room slowly until he stood directly in front of Lyra.
“You didn’t eat.”
Traitor.
Apparently the bond exposed everything.
Lyra glanced toward the tray awkwardly.
“I wasn’t hungry.”
Kael lifted one eyebrow slightly.
She sighed softly.
“Maybe a little.”
His expression softened faintly.
Then, before she realized what he intended—
He sat beside her on the bed.
The entire mattress dipped beneath his weight instantly.
Lyra became painfully aware of how massive he was compared to her tiny frame. One of his thighs alone looked nearly as wide as both hers together.
Heat crept up her neck immediately.
Kael picked up a cup of tea from the tray and handed it toward her.
“Drink.”
She accepted it carefully.
Their fingers brushed.
The bond sparked warmly again.
Across the room, Damien looked exhausted already.
“I miss violence,” he muttered.
Kael ignored him completely.
His attention remained entirely fixed on Lyra.
“You slept badly.”
“You can feel that too?”
“Yes.”
Her stomach flipped nervously.
“That seems unfair.”
A faint smirk touched his mouth.
“You’ll survive.”
The quiet teasing startled her.
She still wasn’t used to seeing this side of him.
The side nobody else seemed allowed to see.
Gentle.
Patient.
Soft only for her.
It felt dangerous in a completely different way.
Damien straightened suddenly as another warrior appeared outside the open doorway.
“Beta.”
Damien turned serious immediately.
“What happened?”
“The elders are demanding another audience tonight.”
Kael’s entire expression darkened.
“No.”
The warrior hesitated.
“They’re insisting.”
“I said no.”
The warrior wisely disappeared after that.
Silence settled across the room.
Lyra stared down into her tea quietly.
“They won’t stop.”
Kael leaned back slightly against the wall behind the bed.
“I know.”
“You can’t fight them forever.”
His silver gaze shifted toward her slowly.
“Watch me.”
Emotion tightened painfully in her chest again.
How could he say things like that so easily?
Like protecting her wasn’t costing him anything.
Like she was worth war.
Damien crossed his arms.
“The bigger issue is the Blood Moon gathering.”
Lyra stiffened immediately.
Kael noticed.
“You’re still going.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
She turned toward him fully now.
“Kael—”
“I’m not hiding you.”
“That’s not what this is.”
“It sounds exactly like that.”
Frustration flickered through her.
“You don’t understand how humiliating this will be for you.”
Kael’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Why do you assume I’m ashamed of you?”
Her breath caught.
Because that was the problem, wasn’t it?
He wasn’t ashamed.
Not even a little.
And she didn’t know how to understand that.
“You should be,” she whispered.
The room went still.
Kael stared at her for several long seconds.
Then suddenly—
He moved.
Fast.
One moment he sat beside her.
The next, Lyra found herself pulled directly into his lap.
A startled sound escaped her instantly.
“Kael!”
Damien choked somewhere in the background.
“Oh, for f**k’s sake.”
Kael ignored him completely.
His large hands settled firmly around Lyra’s waist while silver eyes locked intensely onto hers.
“You need to stop saying that.”
Lyra’s pulse raced violently now.
Being this close to him made it impossible to think clearly.
He was warm.
Solid.
Overwhelming.
Her tiny frame fit frighteningly perfectly against his massive body.
“You’re proving my point,” she whispered breathlessly.
“How?”
“You look ridiculous holding me like this.”
Something dangerous flashed behind his eyes.
“No,” he said quietly. “You look like you belong there.”
The words shattered straight through her defenses.
Kael’s hand slid slowly up her back, large enough to nearly cover it completely.
“Do you know what I see when I look at you?”
Lyra couldn’t answer.
His gaze softened slightly.
“I see someone who survived cruelty without becoming cruel herself.”
Emotion burned behind her eyes instantly.
“I see someone gentle in a pack that worships violence.”
The bond pulsed harder.
“And I see my mate.”
The last words came rougher.
Possessive.
Absolute.
Mine.
Lyra’s wolf stirred restlessly beneath her skin.
She should move.
She should create distance.
Instead, without realizing it—
Her hand lightly gripped the front of his shirt.
Kael’s breathing immediately deepened.
The room suddenly felt too warm.
Too quiet.
Damien slowly backed toward the door.
“Nope. Absolutely not staying for this.”
Neither even noticed him leave.
Kael’s eyes dropped briefly to Lyra’s mouth.
The movement sent panic fluttering through her chest.
Not fear.
Something worse.
Wanting.
He noticed that too.
Of course he did.
The mating bond practically hummed between them now.
Kael’s voice lowered.
“Tell me to stop.”
Lyra opened her mouth.
No words came out.
Because the terrifying truth was—
She didn’t want him to stop.
Not even a little.
Kael’s thumb brushed gently along her waist.
“Lyra.”
The way he said her name nearly ruined her.
Soft.
Reverent.
Like something precious.
Her heart hammered painfully harder.
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” she admitted quietly.
A faint smile touched his mouth.
“Neither do I.”
That surprised her enough to look up fully.
“You don’t?”
“I’ve never had a mate before.”
The dry sarcasm nearly made her laugh despite her nerves.
Kael leaned his forehead lightly against hers.
The size difference between them felt almost unreal like this.
His entire body surrounded her completely.
Protective.
Possessive.
Safe.
And that last feeling scared her most of all.
Because nowhere had ever felt safe before him.
The bond wrapped tighter around them both.
Then suddenly—
Pain shot violently through Kael.
Lyra gasped as the feeling slammed through the bond hard enough to steal her breath.
Kael stiffened instantly.
His eyes darkened with fury.
“What happened?” she whispered.
He stood abruptly, setting her carefully back onto the bed before turning toward the window.
Rage poured off him now.
Cold and lethal.
Lyra felt it through the bond immediately.
Someone had provoked him.
Badly.
A knock sounded sharply at the door before Damien rushed back inside.
His expression was grim.
“The elders moved faster than we thought.”
Kael’s voice became deadly calm.
“What did they do?”
Damien hesitated briefly.
Then:
“They contacted the Crimson Claw Pack.”
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Lyra frowned softly.
“What does that mean?”
Neither male answered immediately.
Which terrified her.
Finally Damien exhaled slowly.
“It means the elders are looking for outside support.”
Realization hit hard.
“They’re trying to remove him.”
Kael turned from the window slowly.
Silver eyes glowing faintly now.
“They’re trying to force me to reject you.”
Fear twisted violently through her chest.
Because suddenly this wasn’t just internal politics anymore.
Other packs were getting involved.
Powerful packs.
Dangerous packs.
And if enough alphas sided against Kael…
Even he might not be able to protect them both forever.
Kael looked at Lyra then.
Really looked at her.
And despite the storm growing around them—
His expression softened again.
Only for her.
“I won’t let them take you from me.”
The quiet promise wrapped around her heart like chains.
Beautiful.
Terrifying chains.
And for the first time since the bond formed…
Lyra realized she would burn the world down too before willingly losing him.
- Writer
