Chapter Two: The Devil's Son Returns
657 Words
The clearing emptied one wolf at a time.
Their whispers followed Lyra like knives.
"She was rejected."
"The future Luna became a nobody."
"I almost feel sorry for her."
Almost.
No one offered a hand to help her.
Lyra remained on her knees, her palms pressed into the cold earth as tears blurred her vision. The pain of the broken mate bond pulsed through every part of her body. It felt as though someone had ripped her heart from her chest and left the wound open.
Her wolf whimpered.
"It hurts..."
"I know," Lyra whispered.
She didn't know how long she stayed there before heavy footsteps echoed through the clearing.
Slow.
Steady.
Powerful.
The air suddenly felt heavier.
Every remaining wolf instinctively lowered their heads.
A dark figure emerged from the shadows beneath the trees.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and dressed in a long black coat despite the warm night. A silver scar ran from his temple to his jaw, making him look even more intimidating.
His crimson-tinted silver eyes swept across the clearing before settling on Lyra.
She froze.
Lucien Blackwood.
The Alpha's firstborn.
The son everyone believed had disappeared five years ago.
Some said he had died.
Others whispered that he had become a monster.
Children were warned never to speak his name after sunset.
"The Devil's Son," they called him.
As he walked past the crowd, warriors stepped aside without being told.
Even Alpha Rowan's face tightened.
"You've finally returned," the old Alpha said.
Lucien didn't answer.
His attention never left Lyra.
For a strange moment, his expression softened.
Almost as if seeing her in pain hurt him too.
Then it vanished.
Kael folded his arms.
"You've come home at an interesting time."
Lucien finally looked at his younger brother.
"So I've noticed."
His deep voice was calm, but it carried enough authority to silence everyone nearby.
Kael smirked.
"If you're here to congratulate me, save it."
"I rejected my mate."
Lucien's eyes darkened.
"You rejected the Moon Goddess's gift."
"I rejected weakness."
The words hung in the air.
Lucien glanced back at Lyra, who struggled to stand.
She swayed.
Before she could fall again, a strong hand caught her elbow.
The touch sent a strange warmth through her body.
Not enough to ease the pain...
But enough to make her wolf suddenly fall silent.
Lucien noticed it too.
His eyes narrowed.
For the briefest second, something dark flickered beneath his skin before disappearing.
No one else seemed to notice.
"You should rest," he said quietly.
Lyra pulled away, embarrassed.
"I don't need your pity."
His lips curved into the faintest smile.
"I wasn't offering pity."
Before she could ask what he meant, a cold female voice cut through the silence.
"Still trying to save broken things, Lucien?"
Selene.
She walked towards them with Kael beside her, their fingers intertwined.
"There are plenty of rogues outside our borders," Selene continued. "Perhaps you'd prefer their company."
Lucien faced her.
The smile disappeared.
"I suggest you choose your next words carefully."
An invisible wave of power burst from him.
The ground trembled.
Several warriors stumbled backwards.
Even Kael instinctively took a step back before catching himself.
The pressure vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
No one spoke.
No ordinary Alpha possessed an aura like that.
Alpha Rowan stared at his eldest son with growing concern.
"What... have you become?"
Lucien met his father's gaze without answering.
Instead, he turned back to Lyra.
"Go home."
She opened her mouth to protest.
"You've suffered enough for one night."
Something in his voice made her obey.
As Lyra walked away, she couldn't shake the feeling that Lucien was watching her.
High above, hidden by the full moon's light, a pair of glowing crimson eyes opened in the darkness.
A deep, inhuman voice echoed through the night.
"The true bond has begun to awaken."
Lucien's hands clenched into fists.
"No," he whispered to himself.
"It can't be happening yet."
- Writer
