CHAPTER 3
1001 Words
**CHAPTER 3**
**The Fallout**
**Meanwhile, back at Storm-fang Pack...**
**KAEL**
She was gone.
I stood in my office, staring out the window at the rain-soaked courtyard below.
The spot where Lyra had stood just hours ago was now empty.
Get out of my territory, I had roared at her.
My own words echoed in my mind.
I'd said that, I had asked her to leave.
And she did.
I turned away from the window and sat down at my desk, rubbing my eyes.
My head pounded. My thoughts felt scattered, like pieces of a puzzle that didn't fit together.
What happened last night?
I remembered the ceremony being canceled. I remembered going to my room, frustrated and angry.
And then...
Fragments.
Mira's voice, she came into the room and brought me a glass of wine.
I felt drowsy after having the drink.
And then waking up with her beside me.
I saw Lyra standing in the doorway.
The look on her face.
I looked away facing the ground, avoiding eye contact.
Was I wrong?
I couldn't remember what had happened, my head felt heavy.
Was I wrong?
The question sat heavy in my chest.
But I had to push it aside.
What was done?
I had a pack to lead.
A loud knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.
"Come in."
Darius entered, his expression looked serious. He closed the door behind him.
"We have a problem," he said without emotion.
I sat back in my chair. "What kind of problem?"
"The news has spread." Darius crossed his arms. "About Lyra leaving and about the ceremony being canceled."
"And?"
"The Hale Pack is furious." He pulled out a letter from his jacket and placed it on my desk. "This arrived an hour ago."
I picked up the letter and opened it.
It was from Alpha Gregor Hale. Lyra's uncle.
The words were cold, furious and direct.
*You were supposed to mate with my niece. You were supposed to strengthen our alliance between our packs. Instead, you humiliated her publicly and sent her away.
*The alliance is broken.
*If any harm comes to Lyra, Storm-fang will have to answer for it.*
I kept the letter down slowly, my expression tight.
"They're blaming us," Darius said quietly.
"They're blaming me," I corrected.
"What do you want to do?" I stared at the letter for a while.
The alliance was broken.
Everything we had worked on for the months of negotiations, the agreements, the promises all gone.
Because of one night.
Because of one decision.
*My decision.*
"Alpha?" Darius called.
I looked up at him. "Send a formal response. Tell them the alliance terms were not met. Lyra's departure was..." I stopped myself.
Was it my fault or her choice?
I didn't even know anymore.
"Just... handle it. Keep it careful but firm."
Darius hesitated, then nodded. "Understood."
He turned to leave.
"Darius."
He stopped, looking back at me.
"What are they saying?" I asked. "The pack. What's the talk?"
Darius's expression was calm. "Some are confused. They don't understand what happened. Others..." He paused for a while. Others are saying Lyra wasn't strong enough to be Luna. That she couldn't handle the pressure and left.
I had sent her away myself. I told her to leave.
"I know that, Alpha. But that's not the story spreading."
Hit my hands hard against the desk
"Who's spreading it?"
Darius looked at me directly. "Your mother. And Mira."
Of course.
"Leave it," I said after a moment. Let them talk. We have bigger problems to solve
Darius nodded and left.
I sat alone in my office, staring at the letter from the Hale Pack.
The alliance was broken.
Their reputation would suffer if they needed us more than we needed them.
But still...
Lyra's face flashed in my mind.
The way she'd looked at me in the rain.
Broken and destroyed
Tell me this isn't real.
I'd told her to leave.
And she did.
Was that the right call?
Another knock.
"What?" I said harshly.
My mother, Rowena, entered, her expression calm and composed. She sat down facing me.
"I heard about the letter from the Hale Pack," she said.
Word travels fast.
"It always does." She folded her hands in her lap. "This is unfortunate, but not unexpected."
I looked at her in a demanding way. You knew they'd break the alliance?
"Of course," she raised her head. "Lyra's behavior last night was unacceptable. Making a scene like that. She embarrassed both packs."
"I asked her to leave," I said firmly.
"And you were right to." Rowena's voice was firm. "She clearly wasn't strong enough to be your Luna. Better to find out now than later."
I said nothing.
"The Hale Pack is weak, Kael. They needed this alliance to survive. Without it, they'll crumble. But Storm-fang?" She smiled mischievously. We remain strong. You made the right choice.
Did I?
The question slipped out before I could stop it.
Rowena's eyes sharpened. "Of course you did. You're the Alpha. You put the pack first. That's what leaders do."
I looked away.
"Kael." Her voice softened. You can't question yourself. What's done is done. Move forward. Focus on strengthening the pack. And when the time is right, you'll find a proper Luna. Someone strong, that's worthy of it
"Like Mira?
My mother smiled. "Mira is from a strong bloodline. She's loyal, she's here. And she cares for you."
I didn't respond.
Rowena stood up. "Stop thinking about this, Kael. Lyra made her choice when she left. Now you make yours."
She left.
I sat there in silence, her words echoing in my mind.
But Lyra didn't choose to leave.
I sent her away, I bowed my head down for a while.
Was I wrong?
The question wouldn't go away.
But it didn't matter anymore.
The alliance was broken and Lyra was gone.
And I had a pack to lead.
I turned back to work on my desk and forced myself not to think about it much.
- Writer
