The Dragon Omega

The Voice In The fire

CHAPTER 2

Lyra woke with a gasp.

Her chest rose and fell violently as she stared at the ceiling.

Darkness.

Silence.

No silver flames.

No dragon wings.

No ancient voice.

For several moments, she remained frozen on the floor of her cabin, trying to convince herself that everything that had happened the night before had been nothing more than a dream.

A cruel dream.

A hopeful dream.

The kind that shattered the moment reality returned.

Slowly, she pushed herself upright.

Pain shot through her body.

Every muscle ached.

Yet beneath the pain was something unfamiliar.

Strength.

Warmth.

Energy.

As though moonlight flowed through her veins instead of blood.

Lyra frowned.

That had never happened before.

A strange whisper brushed against her mind.

Little Moon...

She froze.

Her heart nearly stopped.

The voice was faint.

Barely audible.

But it was there.

Real.

Not a dream.

Not her imagination.

"Who's there?" she whispered.

A long silence followed.

Then—

Finally.

Lyra stumbled backwards.

The voice wasn't coming from the room.

It was inside her head.

Fear gripped her chest.

"W-Who are you?"

My name is Selene.

The voice sounded exhausted.

Ancient.

Powerful.

As though it had been asleep for a very long time.

I am your wolf.

The world tilted.

Lyra stared blankly ahead.

"No."

Yes.

"No."

Her voice broke.

Tears burned her eyes.

"No."

For eighteen years she had been mocked.

Humiliated.

Treated like she was defective.

Every wolf in the pack had believed she was wolfless.

Broken.

Worthless.

And now this voice expected her to believe otherwise?

"You can't be."

I have always been here.

Tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Then why didn't you speak to me?"

The question escaped before she could stop it.

A heavy sadness filled the bond.

Because I was sealed.

Lyra's breath caught.

"What?"

Someone locked away our connection.

The room suddenly felt colder.

Someone was afraid of what you are.

Fear crawled down her spine.

Before she could ask another question, three loud horns blasted through the territory.

The Pack Assembly Horn.

Everyone was being summoned.

Immediately.

Go, Selene said.

Lyra swallowed.

"Go where?"

To the assembly.

"Why?"

The wolf fell silent.

Then finally answered.

Because destiny has arrived.

---

The central grounds were overflowing with wolves.

Pack warriors.

Elders.

Omegas.

Children.

Every member of the Silver Crescent Pack stood gathered before the Alpha Manor.

The atmosphere buzzed with excitement.

And anxiety.

Lyra quietly slipped to the back of the crowd.

No one welcomed her.

No one smiled.

A few wolves moved away as she approached.

As though her presence alone offended them.

She lowered her head.

She should have been used to it by now.

Yet it still hurt.

"Did you hear?"

"The Alpha King is coming."

"No."

"Why would he visit us?"

"I heard he annihilated three rogue packs last winter."

A chill swept through the crowd.

Lyra frowned.

The Alpha King?

Even she knew that name.

Cassian Blackthorn.

The most powerful Alpha in the continent's history.

A ruler feared by enemies and allies alike.

Stories claimed he had conquered an entire kingdom before reaching the age of twenty-five.

Others claimed he possessed such a dominant wolf that weaker Alphas couldn't even meet his gaze.

Why would someone like that visit Silver Crescent?

A sudden tremor shook the earth.

The crowd went silent.

Another tremor followed.

Then another.

Hoofbeats.

Dozens of them.

The massive gates at the entrance of the territory slowly opened.

Black banners appeared first.

Then warriors.

Rows and rows of warriors.

Each dressed in black armour marked with the Blackthorn crest.

The crowd automatically stepped back.

Fear spread through the gathering.

Then he appeared.

Mounted upon a massive black stallion.

Cassian Blackthorn.

Everything about him radiated power.

His dark cloak billowed behind him.

His crimson eyes swept across the crowd.

Cold.

Merciless.

Untouchable.

The kind of man who belonged in legends.

Every wolf lowered their gaze immediately.

Every wolf except Lyra.

For some reason, she couldn't look away.

And for some reason...

Neither could he.

Cassian's eyes stopped on her.

The moment their gazes met, something exploded inside her chest.

A strange pull.

A connection.

Ancient.

Terrifying.

Powerful.

Her breath caught.

The Alpha King's expression hardened.

His wolf suddenly stirred.

For the first time in years.

Cassian felt it instantly.

Impossible.

His wolf never reacted to anyone.

Never.

Yet now it was pacing wildly inside him.

Restless.

Demanding.

Desperate.

Then a scent reached him.

Moonlight.

Wildflowers.

And something else.

Something ancient.

Something impossible.

Something his wolf recognised immediately.

The great beast inside him stopped pacing.

One word echoed through every part of his soul.

Mate.

Shock flashed across Cassian's face.

Across the field, Lyra's knees nearly buckled.

She didn't understand what was happening.

She only knew that the moment the Alpha King looked at her...

Her entire world changed.

And judging by the look in his eyes...

So did his.

END OF CHAPTER 2