A Randezvous With The Alpha

"Move faster!" The command echoed across the training grounds. Lyra Ashwood tightened her grip around the heavy bucket of water suspended from a wooden pole across her shoulders. Her trembling legs threatened to give way beneath the weight, yet she forced herself to take another step. Another. Then another. Cold mud swallowed her worn-out boots while sweat trickled down the side of her face despite the freezing weather. At twenty-two, she should have been standing among the young wolves sharpening their combat skills. Instead... She was carrying water. Cleaning stables. Scrubbing blood from the arena after every sparring session. Preparing meals she was never invited to eat. To the Mooncrest Pack, Lyra wasn't a daughter. She wasn't a warrior. She wasn't even worthy of being called a wolf. She was simply... the wolfless girl. A disgrace. A curse. A mistake the Moon Goddess should never have allowed to be born. "Pathetic." The voice dripped with contempt. Lyra slowly raised her head. Selene Ashwood stood several feet away, dressed in a pristine white training outfit embroidered with silver threads that shimmered beneath the morning sun. Her long raven hair flowed behind her as several young warriors gathered around her with admiration burning in their eyes. Beautiful. Talented. The strongest female of her generation. Everything Lyra had never been allowed to become. "My boots are filthy," Selene said, folding her arms. "Since you're already crawling around in the mud, clean them." Laughter erupted from the surrounding wolves. Lyra lowered her gaze. Not because she was afraid. Because she had learned years ago that silence healed faster than arguing. She carefully set the bucket down. Knelt. Reached for the expensive leather boots. Just as her fingers brushed the surface— Splash! A bucket of filthy water poured over her head. Gasps quickly turned into mocking laughter. Her clothes clung to her body. Cold water dripped from her hair onto the muddy ground beneath her feet. Selene smiled sweetly. "Oh dear." "I slipped." More laughter. Lyra remained perfectly still. Not a single tear escaped. She had cried enough for one lifetime. "Still waiting?" Selene tilted her head. "Clean them." Without a word, Lyra picked up a rag and began wiping the spotless boots. Someone behind her muttered, "Imagine being twenty-two without awakening a wolf." "What a waste of blood." "The Moon Goddess rejected her." "No wonder Alpha Magnus keeps her hidden." "I would've exiled her years ago." Each sentence struck harder than the freezing water. Yet Lyra's expression never changed. Because pain had become ordinary. She no longer remembered what living without it felt like. --- The Alpha Manor towered over the rest of the pack like an ancient fortress carved from stone. Inside, warmth filled the grand dining hall. Freshly baked bread. Roasted meat. Sweet berries. Golden honey. The aroma alone made Lyra's empty stomach tighten. She quietly placed another serving platter onto the table. Before she could step away— "Stop." The deep voice belonged to Alpha Magnus. Her father. Though "father" was merely a title. He hadn't looked at her like a daughter in years. Magnus examined her soaked clothes with visible disgust. "You look miserable." His words weren't concern. They were criticism. "The visiting Alphas arrive tomorrow." "I won't have them thinking Mooncrest keeps beggars inside the Alpha Manor." Lyra lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry." "Sorry?" Lady Helena laughed softly from beside him. The elegant Luna lifted her teacup with graceful fingers. "Your apologies have never been useful." "They certainly haven't awakened your wolf." Another ripple of laughter circled the table. Even the servants struggled to hide their smiles. Only Lyra remained silent. Magnus finally spoke again. "Tomorrow every Alpha from the Northern Territories will attend the Grand Alpha Gathering." "You will remain invisible." "No talking." "No wandering." "And under no circumstances will anyone discover you're my daughter." Each word landed like another stone upon her chest. She nodded once. "Yes, Alpha." Not... Father. Alpha. Because fathers protected their daughters. Magnus merely tolerated hers. "Leave." Lyra bowed slightly before walking away. No one asked whether she had eaten. No one noticed she hadn't touched food since yesterday morning. No one cared. --- Night settled over Mooncrest like a velvet curtain. The pack celebrated outside. Music drifted through the air. Children laughed. Warriors drank around enormous bonfires. Tomorrow would mark the Grand Alpha Gathering—a ceremony held only once every five years, when the most powerful Alphas assembled to discuss alliances, borders, and the future of their packs. For most wolves, it was a festival. For Lyra... It was another reminder that she didn't belong. She slipped quietly beyond the village and followed a narrow path leading into the ancient forest. The towering trees welcomed her with silence. This place had always felt different. Peaceful. Alive. As though the forest itself knew her name. She stopped beside a crystal-clear lake reflecting the silver moon. "This is where you always hide." The voice was soft. Ancient. Feminine. Lyra spun around. No one. Only the whispering wind dancing through the branches. She frowned. "...Who's there?" Silence answered. Then— A single silver feather drifted from the darkness. It landed gently in the palm of her hand. The instant her skin touched it— A blinding pulse of light exploded beneath the lake. The ground trembled. The water rippled violently without a breeze. And for the briefest heartbeat... A pair of enormous golden eyes opened beneath the surface. Watching her. Waiting. Then everything vanished. The lake became still once more. Lyra staggered backward, her heart pounding wildly against her ribs. "What... was that?" She looked down. The silver feather had disappeared. As if it had never existed. Behind her, deep within the shadows of the forest... Something enormous exhaled. And two glowing eyes slowly opened.