THE WORTHLESS MATE OF THE ALPHA

Chapter 5

The days at Bloodmoon Pack settled into a normal routine. Lyra trained with Marta each morning, growing stronger.

Her wolf stirred more eagerly now, no longer weak and distant. She could feel it waiting, patient but hungry for freedom.

But something else had changed too. She noticed the way the pack looked at her differently. Not with pity or disgust. With curiosity. And sometimes, with hostility.

"Who is she?" she heard a voice one afternoon.

She turned. A tall woman stood nearby, arms crossed. Her eyes were cold. Her face was beautiful in a sharp, cruel way.

"Your Alpha's mate?" The woman laughed. "You don't look like much."

Lyra said nothing. She had learned silence.

The woman stepped closer. "I'm Sera. I've been waiting for Ronan for years. Then you show up, broken and worthless, and suddenly he's interested." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Don't get comfortable. You won't last here."

She walked away.

Lyra stood frozen. Her heart pounded. She had expected hostility from Silver Creek. But here? From someone who didn't even know her?

Marta appeared beside her. "Ignore her. Sera has wanted the Alpha for years. She sees you as competition."

Lyra shook her head. "I'm not competition. He doesn't want me."

"That's not what I see."

Lyra didn't understand. But she didn't ask.

Then, a week later, Marta came to her room with news.

"The Alpha is leading a hunt tonight. He wants you to come."

Lyra stared at her. "Me? Why?"

Marta shrugged. "He didn't say. But you'll need warm clothes. It's cold in the forest."

Lyra's stomach tightened. A hunt. With Ronan. With the pack. She didn't want to go. She wanted to hide.

But she was tired of hiding.

She dressed in the clothes Marta gave her. Warm. Thick. Nothing like the thin rags she had worn at Silver Creek. She walked to the gathering point where the warriors waited.

Ronan stood at the front. His silver eyes found her immediately. He said nothing. Just watched her approach.

Sera was there too. Her smile was sharp. "The broken wolf is joining us. How sweet."

Lyra looked away. She didn't respond.

They shifted into their wolves. Lyra hesitated. She had only shifted twice. She didn't know if she could hold it.

Trust yourself, she thought. Trust your wolf.

She closed her eyes and reached for her wolf. The change came easier this time. Smoother. She stood on four legs, her fur silver in the moonlight.

Ronan's wolf watched her. His golden eyes lingered on her. Then he turned and ran into the forest.

Lyra followed.

~The hunt was wild as Lyra ran through the trees, her paws pounding against the earth. The wind rushed past her. She felt so alive and free. Her wolf howled with joy.

She had never felt anything like this.

But she also felt eyes on her. Watching. Waiting. She turned and saw Sera's wolf. Her eyes were cold. Calculated.

Lyra's heart raced. She didn't trust Sera. She knew what jealousy looked like. She had seen it in Silver Creek.

Sera disappeared into the trees. Lyra tried to ignore the feeling of dread.

Then she heard a scream.

She ran toward the sound. Sera was on the ground, whimpering. A large wolf stood over her, ready to attack.

"Help me!" Sera cried. "Please!"

Lyra didn't hesitate. She lunged at the wolf, trying to drive it away. But the wolf turned and attacked her instead.

She fought. Claws. Teeth. Pain. She was smaller, weaker. She couldn't hold him off.

Then she heard a roar. Ronan's wolf crashed through the trees. He slammed into the attacking wolf, sending him flying. The wolf yelped and ran.

Lyra collapsed onto the ground, gasping. She shifted back. Her body ached. Blood dripped from a gash on her arm.

Ronan shifted too. He knelt beside her, his silver eyes scanning her injuries.

"You're hurt," he said.

"It's nothing." She tried to stand. Her legs gave way.

Ronan caught her. His arms wrapped around her. She fell against his chest, her body pressed against his.

She looked up. Their eyes met.

The world stopped.

She saw something in his silver eyes. Something she hadn't seen before. Not coldness. Not suspicion. Concern. And something deeper. Something that made her heart race.

For a long moment, neither of them moved. She could feel his breath on her face. His hands on her back. His warmth surrounding her.

Her wolf stirred. Not with fear. With recognition.

Mate.

The word echoed in her mind. She didn't fight it this time.

"Ronan," she whispered.

He didn't answer. His eyes dropped to her lips. Then back to her eyes. Something flickered in his expression. Something raw and unreadable.

Then he pulled away. He stood up, his face hardening.

"We need to get you back," he said. "You're bleeding."

He helped her to her feet. His touch was careful. Such gentleness. Not like before.

Lyra's heart was still pounding. Her body was still hurt really bad. But she didn't feel the pain.

She felt something else. Something she had never felt before. Hope.

She glanced over her shoulder. Sera stood in the shadows. Her eyes were cold. Furious. She had done this. She had set Lyra up. But Lyra said nothing.

Because at that moment, she didn't care.

The walk back to the pack was quiet. Ronan stayed close to her, his hand hovering near her back. He didn't touch her. But he was ready to catch her if she fell.

When they reached the pack grounds, Marta rushed forward.

"What happened?"

"She was attacked," Ronan said. His voice was tight. "Get her cleaned up."

Marta led Lyra away. But Lyra looked back. Ronan was watching her. His silver eyes followed her until she disappeared inside.

After getting cleaned up, she lay in bed but couldn't sleep.

Her arm throbbed, same with her body. But she couldn't stop thinking about the hunt. The way he had caught her. The way he had held her. The way his eyes had softened.

Ronan.

She whispered his name into the darkness. She didn't know what it meant. She didn't know if he felt the same.

But for the first time, she allowed herself to hope. And hope, she realized, was the most dangerous thing of all.