The Monster Who Never Was

Chapter 4

Lyra's POV

Neither Mia nor I spoke as we walked back toward the servant quarters.

The laughter we shared earlier had disappeared, replaced by an uncomfortable silence.

The words we overheard kept repeating in my mind.

"A girl from our pack is going to be sent to him as a sacrifice."

I didn't know who that girl was.

But my heart ached for her.

No matter how many times I tried to convince myself that it wasn't my concern, I couldn't ignore the fear in that woman's voice.

The way she said it...

"The poor girl won't have a future."

"Lyra?"

Mia's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

I looked at her.

"What?"

She studied my expression for a moment before sighing.

"You're thinking about what they said, aren't you?"

I looked away.

"Who wouldn't?"

Mia crossed her arms.

"I don't understand why everyone is acting like the Lycan King is some kind of nightmare."

I raised an eyebrow.

"You heard what they said."

"I know," she replied. "But most of those stories are just rumours."

She lowered her voice.

"Still... even if only half of them are true, I don't think anyone would want to stand before him."

I remained silent.

Everyone had heard stories about King Kaizer Nightfall.

Some said he was born without emotions.

Some said his wolf was so powerful that weaker wolves couldn't even stand near him.

Others claimed he had destroyed enemies without mercy and earned the name everyone feared.

The Death Angel.

A shiver ran through me.

I didn't know what was true and what was exaggerated.

But when so many people told the same stories...

It was difficult not to believe them.

"Do you think someone will really be chosen?" Mia asked softly.

I looked toward the dark sky.

"I don't know."

A cold breeze passed through the courtyard.

"But I hope whoever it is... she survives."

Neither of us noticed the shadow standing near the pack house entrance.

Neither of us knew that before the next moon rose...

The name of that girl would be decided.

The day passed, but the rumours—and the terrifying image of the beast everyone kept talking about—never left my mind.

I buried myself in work, helping the kitchen staff prepare breakfast as though keeping my hands busy would quiet my thoughts.

"Lyra!"

A guard's harsh voice cut through the kitchen.

I immediately stopped chopping the vegetables and looked up.

"Yes, sir?" I replied respectfully.

"The Alpha wants to see you in his office."

My heart skipped a beat.

For the first time in my life... my father had remembered I existed.

A strange feeling settled in my chest.

Did I do something wrong? I wondered.

One of the senior maids glanced at me with concern.

"Did you?"

I slowly shook my head.

"I... I don't remember doing anything."

The head chef wiped her hands on her apron and looked at me.

"Don't stand there wasting time. Go and find out what's going on."

I nodded, quickly untied my apron, hung it on its hook, and left the kitchen, my heart pounding harder with every step toward the Alpha's office.

After I stepped inside, the heavy wooden doors closed behind me with a loud thud.

I lowered my head respectfully.

"You called for me, Alpha?"

Silence.

Slowly, I lifted my eyes.

My father sat behind his large wooden desk, his expression as cold and unreadable as ever.

For the briefest moment, a foolish hope bloomed inside me.

Maybe...

Maybe today he would look at me as his daughter instead of a burden.

Maybe today he would speak to me as a father.

That tiny hope died the moment he opened his mouth.

"Sit."

His voice was calm, carrying the unquestionable authority of an Alpha.

Without a word, I obeyed and sat in the chair across from him.

He didn't speak.

He simply stared at me.

The silence stretched so long that it became suffocating.

Finally, Alpha Lucien leaned forward.

"You are leaving the pack tonight. Be ready."

I blinked in confusion.

Leaving?

My heart skipped a beat.

"I... don't understand," I whispered. "Where am I going?"

A strange feeling settled in my chest.

Fear.

Confusion.

Dread.

Something was terribly wrong.

He didn't hesitate.

"You're leaving for the Lycan Kingdom. Pack your belongings and be ready.""

For a second, I forgot how to breathe.

"What...?" I whispered.

Then louder.

"What did you just say?"

The room spun around me.

The Lycan Kingdom?

Why?

No...

It couldn't be.

My trembling hands gripped the arms of the chair.

They were sending me away.

To be sacrificed.

Was that it?

Was I the girl chosen for the cursed Lycan King?

I searched my father's face for even the smallest sign of hesitation.

A trace of guilt.

Regret.

Anything.

There was nothing.

Only cold indifference.

All these years, I had believed that despite blaming me for my mother's death... somewhere deep inside, he still cared.

That was why he had never cast me out.

That was why I was still here.

How foolish I had been.

The last fragile piece of hope I had carried in my heart shattered into countless pieces.

In the end...

I wasn't his daughter.

I was nothing more than someone he could sacrifice.

Before I could stop myself, a single word escaped my lips.

"No."

It was the first time in my life I had ever refused him.

The first time I had found the courage to stand against the Alpha.

Against my father.

For a heartbeat, the room fell silent.

I looked at him, hoping—just once—that he would hear the fear in my voice.

That he would remember I was his daughter.

But his expression didn't change.

Not even a flicker.

"You weren't asking me..." I whispered, my voice trembling. "You were ordering me."

His cold eyes met mine.

"This isn't a discussion, Lyra."

My heart clenched.

"You will leave tonight."

His words were as sharp as a blade.

"You have no choice."

In that moment, I finally understood.

To everyone else, I was the Alpha's daughter.

But to Alpha Lucien...

I was nothing more than a sacrifice.

I couldn't sit there any longer.

The walls of the office felt as though they were closing in around me.

My chest tightened, making every breath painful.

Without waiting for his permission, I pushed the chair back and rose to my feet. My legs trembled so badly I wasn't sure they would carry me.

Tears burned behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall in front of him.

Not him.

Not the man who had just thrown me away without a second thought.

"I understand, Alpha," I said, forcing the words past the lump in my throat.

I didn't call him Father.

Not this time.

Not anymore.

I turned and walked toward the door.

Each step felt heavier than the last, as though I were leaving behind the last piece of the life I had known.

Just as my hand reached for the doorknob, his voice stopped me.

"You leave at sunset. Don't be late."

No concern.

No goodbye.

No apology.

Only another order.

As I stood there, confused, the office door suddenly opened.

"Aveline?"

My aunt stepped inside, looking surprised to see me.

"Lucien, what's going on?" she asked before her eyes landed on me. "Why is Lyra here?"

Father remained silent for a moment before answering.

"I've made my decision."

His words made my stomach tighten.

Aunt Aveline frowned.

"What decision?"

"The Lycan Kingdom is searching for the King's destined mate."

"I know that," she replied. "What does that have to do with Lyra?"

Father's voice remained emotionless.

"I'm sending her."

Aveline's eyes widened in apparent shock.

"What?" she exclaimed. "Lucien, have you lost your mind?"

She stepped in front of me as if shielding me from him.

"She's just a girl. She doesn't even have a wolf. Do you have any idea what people say about the Lycan King? They call him a monster."

She turned to me, gently gripping my shoulders.

"No... I won't let you send her there."

For a heartbeat, I stared at her in disbelief.

No one had ever stood up for me against my father.

A tiny spark of warmth flickered inside my chest.