RISE OF THE WARRIOR LUNA

CHAPTER 4

LIES AND SILVER

Lyra POV

The safe house was a war zone, with broken glass and splintered wood, and my dumb ass holding a glowing bone dagger that burnt like a bad tattoo. Selene stood in the doorway, her platinum ponytail gleaming, amber eyes glinting as she dangled a vial of silver liquid. “Drink, Lyra, or Tessa dies,” she purred, her cult tattoo a twisted claw stark on her wrist.

My bondweaving power raged, gold light flooding the cabin, fraying every wolf’s loyalty around me. The shadow wolf, that creepy entity from Mom’s ritual, loomed in the corner, its smoky eyes hungry. My nose bled, my arm stung from Rune’s blade, and my head screamed like I’d been sucker-punched. Freaking awesome night.

Tessa was pinned to the wall, Rune’s knife through her crusty leather jacket, her hazel eyes blazing gold. “Don’t do it, Lyra!” she yelled, thrashing. Finn Marek, the rogue alpha who’d just called himself my cousin, wrestled an Ironfang wolf, his pine-and-leather scent sharp. Kael's cedar-and-steel heat closed in, his gray eyes locked on me as he shoved past his Shadowfang pack.

Jasper's whiskey stink lingered outside, his Silverclaw wolves snarling. Rune’s unhinged laugh echoed, his bloody hoodie a blur as he twirled another blade. Four alphas, one cursed dagger, and Selene’s vial. I was so screwed.

“Lyra, drop the dagger!” Kael growled, his voice hitting me like a shot of bourbon. My wolf whined, that mate bond burning, and I hated how his scent made my skin tingle. True mate or not, he was hunting me, same as the others.

“Back off!” I snapped, gripping the dagger tighter. Its hum made the shadow wolf step closer, its growl shaking my bones. My bondweaving had woken it, and Selene’s cult wanted to use me or kill me to control it. The vial glinted, silver swirling like poison. Drink it, and what? Die? Lose my power? Save Tessa? My head spun, blood dripping onto my chin.

Finn’s hazel eyes met mine, desperate. “Lyra, I’m family, trust me!” He’d said cousin, but something was off about his scent, his too-quick claim. I’d known him as a kid, but family? Bullshit.

“Liar,” I hissed, my bondweaving flaring. Gold light hit Finn, and his rogue pack froze, their loyalty to him wavering. His face twisted, not in pain but in guilt, and a twist slammed me: “I’m not your cousin,” he admitted, dodging a claw. I said it to get close. Your mom saved my pack once. I owe her.

Owe her? My jaw dropped, and the dagger’s glow pulsed, the shadow wolf snarling. Finn wasn’t family; he’d lied to worm into my trust, probably for my bondweaving. Rage boiled, but Tessa’s grunt snapped me back. Rune was yanking his knife free, ready to slit her throat.

“Choose, Lyra!” Selene taunted, shaking the vial. “Tessa’s blood or yours.”

My wolf howled, and I glanced at Kael. His silver-glowing eyes softened, and he stepped forward, ignoring his pack’s growls. “Lyra, don’t drink it,” he said, voice raw. “You’re my mate", I feel it. I won’t let her hurt you.

My heart stopped. Mate? Kael Draven, Shadowfang’s broody alpha, was my true mate? The bond burnt hotter, his cedar scent wrapped me, and my wolf wanted to roll over for him. Screw that. “You’re just saying that to snag my power!” I yelled, but my voice cracked. His eyes said he meant it, and it messed me up.

Jasper’s roar cut through, his blond head shoving into the cabin. “She’s mine!” he bellowed, clawing out, Selene smirking at his side. Her cult tattoo gleamed, and I realized she was playing him, too, puppeting Silverclaw for her own game.

Rune lunged, blade aimed at me, but Finn tackled him, both crashing onto a table. “I lied, Lyra, but I’m on your side!” Finn grunted, blood on his face. His rogues turned on Rune’s pack, chaos erupting. Another twist hit: Finn’s pack weren’t just rogues; they were ex-Ironfang, banished by Rune, and Finn wanted my bondweaving to rebuild them, not destroy them. He’d lied, but he wasn’t caught.

I had seconds. Tessa’s eyes screamed “fight”, but Selene’s vial was my only shot. My bondweaving surged, gold light blinding, and I pushed it into the dagger, hoping to break the entity’s hold. A howl from the shadow wolf pierced the air, lunging at Selene. She growled heavily, throwing the vial, but I quickly dove to catch it before it shattered on the floor.

The silver burnt my hand, and the shadow’s claws grazed my back, pain searing.

“Lyra!” Kael roared, tackling the shadow wolf, his claws useless against its smoke. Tessa broke free, knife-slashing an Ironfang wolf. Finn’s rogues held off Jasper’s pack, but Selene recovered, her amber eyes wild.

“Drink it!” she snarled, lunging for me. I rolled, my boot slipping on the glass smoothly, and Lyra clutched the vial. The shadow wolf vanished, but its voice roared: Choose, or all fall. My bondweaving was fraying every bond in the room: Kael’s pack, Finn’s rogues, Jasper’s wolves. They were turning on each other, claws flying.

I stared at the vial, Tessa’s blood on the floor, Kael’s mate claiming to be ringing in my ears. Finn’s lie stung, but his rogues were fighting for me. Jasper’s betrayal burnt, and Selene’s cult wanted me caged. I uncorked the vial, silver glinting, and raised it to my lips. “For Tessa,” I whispered, ready to drink.

A final twist crashed: the dagger in my other hand flared, and my bondweaving lashed out, hitting Selene. Her cult tattoo glowed, then burnt, and she screamed, collapsing, her loyalty to the cult snapping. The shadow wolf reappeared, its eyes on me, and Kael’s howl shook the cabin. “Lyra, no!”

I froze, vial at my lips, Selene writhing, the shadow closing in. My power was out of control, and I’d just broken a cult leader’s bond. What the hell was I?