LYRA'S REDEMPTION

Chapter 001 A Misfit in My Own Skin Lyra's POV With my boots crunching on the frozen ground, the chilly, biting morning air stung at my skin as I hobbled across the deep woods. Early hours before the sun rose, while the Silver Moon Pack was still asleep, I adored it. It was my sole opportunity to be by myself, free from the silent assessments and stinging eyes that tormented me all night. Breath evident in the frigid air as I stopped at the brink of a little clearing. I knelt by a brook and let the frigid water numb my senses by dipping my fingers in. It was my own custom, a means of reminding myself that I was still here, still real, regardless of the pack's wishes for otherwise behavior. "Lyra." Through the silence, my mother's voice sliced. Turning to find her standing a few steps away, I saw her face soft yet tired. Mira, always my comfort in a society treating me like an outcast. Only she considered me as more than just an omega, more than a weight. Her strength, too, had limits, and I could see the strain worn on her eyes. "Mother," I replied, rising fast and brushing the frigid water from my hands. She moved in front of me, staring worriedly at my shaking form. "You're up early again," she murmured gently, her voice somewhat worried. " Lyra, the mornings are turning cooler. You should not be out here by yourself. I pushed a smile and shrugged. "I'm good, Mother. I enjoy the stillness. Still, we both understood it went beyond the silence. It was the only place I felt free not to have to defend my very life. Mira stretched out to sweep a stray lock of hair from my face. Her touch was kind, yet every time I saw her eyes, I felt heartbreak. "You should not have to hide out here. You are the daughter of Celsus. You ought to be taken under regard. "Should be," I said with bitterness. Rather, I'm not. Because I am an omega and that is all they will ever see." Her hug came right away and was comfortable, encircling me like a shield from the outer world. " Lyra, you are not nothing. Your name is my daughter. To me, you are all. I let myself slink toward her warmth and experience safety for a time. But it was ephemeral, and the resentment resurfaced shortly. Whispering, my voice breaking, "I'm so tired of being treated like this." "I'm tired of acting, it doesn't hurt." She said, "I know, sweet girl," gripping me closer. Still, you have to be strong. They do not define who you are. You define your own. I felt like I should believe her. I wanted to be strong, to transcend the jeers and taunting. But I felt as though every day was a fight and I was losing ground. The familiar sounds of morning— commands being barked, warriors getting ready for the day—filled the air as we turned back toward the domain of the pack. I sharpened myself, ready for the inevitable looks and whispers. The hubbub stopped as we entered the clearing and everyone turned to look at us. My heart closed and I felt my mother's hold on my arm tighten, a silent comfort knowing she was at my side. Her presence, though, was unable to protect me from the anger that surged off the others. "Well, look who decided to show up," Cain said, breaking the quiet. Strongest warrior in the pack, he never missed a chance to remind me of my position. His sarcastic voice and the following laughter stung me familiarly from the chest. Keeping my eyes forward, I attempted to ignore him, but every step felt more weight as the murmurs got louder. Whispering beneath her breath, my mother drew me closer and said, "Don't let them get to you, Lyra. You are more robust than they would know. Though much I wanted to believe her, the continual assault of contempt eroded my will. I was attempting to keep my head high and act as though their insults had little effect. Every sneer, every nasty laugh, though, served as a reminder that I was alone in this. Arriving at the training area, my father, Alpha Caelus, was supervising the morning drills. His eyes flew over the fighters, pausing just to land on me. His eyes had no tenderness, no recognition of the daughter he hardly knew as his own. I was simply another error and disappointment. One final time, my mother clasped my arm and let go, her eyes full of unsaid regrets. She turned to go, but before she could get a stride, she gasped suddenly and painfully. Clutching her chest, she staggered forward, and I hurried to her side as panic tore across me. "Mom!" Holding her as she dropped to the ground, I started to cry. Her face was pallid, shock widening eyes. Her pulse slowed under my fingertips, each beat less than the last. Tears distorting my view, I whispered, "Stay with me," cradling her in my arms. Please, do not abandon me. She stretched out and one last time her quivering hand brushed my cheek. She said, "Be... strong... Lyra," barely audible. You... are not... alone. She vanished exactly like that as well. Her eyes darkened, and I knelt in the ground with her dead body in my arms. Though none of them rushed to assist, the pack gathered around and watched in astonished quiet. Not one among them gave a damn. Alone was me. really, completely alone. As fury and loss churned inside me and crashed over me in unrelenting waves, the world around me was blurring. My mother was gone—the one person who had ever loved me without conditions. She had always believed in me. And inside me something shattered in that instant. Not one thing left to lose. What hurt more, the void left behind by my mother or Orion's words? Stumbling back, I tried to stop crying. Mirroring the frigidity within me, the sharp wind bit at my flesh. " WHY are you Here, Orion?" My voice breaking under my loss, I asked. "To show?" To observe my failure"