THE WORTHLESS MATE OF THE ALPHA

Chapter 4

Lyra woke to the unfamiliar softness of a bed. And for several seconds, she didn't move.

She stared at the ceiling, trying to understand where she was. The ceiling was clean. No cracks. No stains. No cobwebs hanging in the corners.

Her breath caught. This wasn't Silver Creek.

She pushed herself upright, but the movement sent pain shooting through her ribs. She winced and clutched her side, breathing through the ache. Her entire body felt weak, as though she'd been beaten all over again.

Then she remembered the forest, Ronan, the blood and the pain that had torn through her body.

Her wolf. Lyra's hand immediately went to her chest. Her fingers searched for the familiar raised mark beneath her skin.

There was nothing. Her breath stopped. The blood seal was gone.

For twelve years, that mark had been a part of her. It had been the reason everyone called her defective. The reason she'd been locked away. The reason she'd been told she was nothing.

But now there was only smooth skin.

She swallowed. Her wolf had awakened.

For the first time in twelve years, she shifted. She still didn't understand how it had happened. She didn't understand why the seal had broken now, or what it meant.

A soft knock came at the door. Lyra immediately stiffened.

The door opened before she could answer, and a tall, broad-shouldered woman stepped inside carrying a tray.

The woman stopped when she saw Lyra sitting upright."You're awake."

Lyra pressed herself farther against the headboard. The woman's expression softened.

"I'm Marta. The Alpha asked me to look after you."

Lyra's eyes narrowed."The Alpha?"

"Ronan."

Her stomach tightened.

She looked around the room again, suddenly aware that she didn't know where she was.

"Where am I?"

"The Bloodmoon Pack."

Lyra's fingers tightened around the blanket wondering if he brought her here. Martha as if realizing it followed with a response.

"He carried you here himself."

She stared at Marta."Why?"

Marta placed the tray on the small table beside the bed. "I don't know what goes on inside the Alpha's head."

Lyra looked away. Ronan had made his feelings toward her perfectly clear. He didn't want her. He'd called her nothing. So why had he carried her here?

She didn't have an answer."How long have I been asleep?"

"Three days."

Three days.Lyra's eyes dropped to the tray. Bread. Meat. Vegetables. A bowl of steaming stew. The smell reached her before she could stop it. Her stomach twisted painfully.

Marta noticed."You should eat."

Lyra hesitated. She'd learned not to trust food. She'd learned not to trust kindness either. But her hunger eventually won. She reached for the bread.

The first bite nearly brought tears to her eyes. It was warm, soft and real. She chewed slowly, almost afraid it would disappear.

Marta said nothing. She simply sat nearby while Lyra ate.

When the plate was almost empty, Lyra realized she had eaten more in one sitting than she'd sometimes been given in several days at Silver Creek.

She lowered her eyes."Thank you."

The words felt strange coming from her mouth.

Marta smiled faintly."You don't have to thank me for feeding you."

Lyra didn't know what to say to that.

After Marta left, Lyra remained in bed for a long time. Eventually, curiosity pulled her toward the window. Her legs trembled when she stood.

She held onto the wall until she could steady herself, then slowly crossed the room.

Outside was a world she'd never seen before. The Bloodmoon Pack was enormous.

Warriors trained in the courtyard while younger wolves moved between the buildings. Children ran across the grass, laughing. People carried baskets, spoke to one another, and went about their daily lives.

Nobody looked afraid. Nobody was being dragged away. Nobody was being punished. Lyra watched them silently.

This was what a pack was supposed to look like. Her fingers drifted to her chest.

The seal was gone. Yet she didn't feel powerful. She didn't feel special. She still felt like the same broken girl who had spent twelve years locked away.

A knock sounded behind her. Lyra turned. Ronan stood in the doorway.

She froze.

Even injured and exhausted, she could feel the strength radiating from him. His silver eyes settled on her, then moved briefly to the hand resting over her chest.

"The seal is broken," he said.

Lyra nodded.

"Your wolf is awake."

"Yes." Her voice was barely audible.

Ronan studied her for several seconds. There was something different in his expression now. Not softness or affection. It was suspicion.

"You'll stay here for now," he said. "You'll have food, clothing and somewhere to sleep. No one will hurt you."

Lyra stared at him. She almost didn't recognize the words. No one will hurt you. It sounded like a promise from another world.

Ronan turned toward the door.

"Wait."

He stopped.

Lyra swallowed."Why did you bring me here?"

He didn't answer immediately.

"You said you didn't want me," she continued. "You said I was nothing. So why?"

Ronan looked back at her."Because you're my mate."

Her heart gave an uncomfortable twist.

"And because," he added, "something about you doesn't make sense."

Before she could ask what he meant, he walked away.

Lyra remained by the window.

Something about her didn't make sense. The words stayed with her long after he was gone.

The days that followed were strangely quiet.

Marta came every morning with food and stayed long enough to make sure Lyra ate. She brought clean clothes and eventually convinced her to leave the room for short periods.

At first, Lyra resisted.

The hallway itself made her nervous. Every unfamiliar sound made her turn.

Every approaching footstep made her body tense. But Bloodmoon Pack was different from Silver Creek.

No one shouted at her or ordered her to kneel. No one looked at her as though she were something disgusting.

Still, Lyra couldn't bring herself to believe that she was safe.

Then one afternoon, she sat with Marta in the courtyard. She kept her hands folded in her lap while wolves moved around them.

Some stared while others whispered.

Lyra lowered her head."They're talking about me."

"They're curious about you," Marta corrected.

Lyra remained silent.

After a moment, she whispered, "They know what I did."

Marta looked at her."What do you think you did?"

Lyra's throat tightened."My parents."

The memories came back in fragments. The blood and the screaming.

Her mother's face. Her father's body. Her wolf. She squeezed her eyes shut."I killed them."

"That's what they told you."

Lyra opened her eyes. Marta's expression had changed."And they lied."

Lyra stared at her."What?"

"I've seen what a wolf looks like after years of being imprisoned and abused. I've seen what they did to you." Marta's voice became quieter. "You were barely alive when the Alpha found you."

Lyra shook her head."But I remember."

"Do you?"

The question silenced her.

Marta leaned forward."Your wolf was sealed for twelve years, Lyra."

Lyra looked down.

"So how could you have done what they accused you of?"

Lyra's brows drew together as Marta continued.

"A wolf that is completely sealed cannot shift. It cannot access its strength. It cannot fully connect with its instincts."

Lyra's heart began to beat faster. She had never questioned it. For twelve years, she'd simply accepted that she was a murderer.

But now If her wolf had been sealed. If she couldn't shift. Then how had she killed her parents?

Lyra's mouth went dry."I don't understand."

"Neither do I," Marta admitted. "But that's why you need to start asking questions."

Lyra stared at her.

For the first time, the story she'd been forced to believe began to crack. And underneath it was something far more frightening.

Possibility.