Chapter 9: She Became the Threat
1075 Words
By nightfall, everyone knew something was wrong.
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Not the truth.
But enough.
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Lyra could feel it in the way the pack moved around her.
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Too careful.
Too aware.
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No one touched her.
No one stepped too close.
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But they watched.
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Always watching.
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“She went to the Alpha’s place.”
“She came out alive.”
“That’s not normal.”
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Lyra ignored them.
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She kept walking.
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Head straight.
Steps steady.
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Like nothing had changed.
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Even though everything had.
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She reached her cabin and pushed the door open.
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It didn’t move.
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Lyra paused.
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Tried again.
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Locked.
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That hadn’t happened before.
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She stepped back slightly.
Eyes narrowing.
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“Looking for this?”
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The voice came from the side.
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Lyra turned.
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Selene stood a few feet away.
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Holding the key.
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Of course she was.
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Lyra didn’t speak.
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Selene walked closer.
Slow.
Controlled.
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“You’re becoming a problem,” she said.
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Lyra leaned against the wall beside the door.
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“So I’ve heard.”
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Selene stopped in front of her.
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“That wasn’t a compliment.”
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“I didn’t take it as one.”
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A pause.
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Selene studied her.
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“You should have left,” she said.
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Lyra tilted her head slightly.
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“You should stop telling me what to do.”
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That wiped the softness from Selene’s expression.
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“You don’t understand what’s happening.”
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“Then explain.”
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Selene didn’t.
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Instead, she stepped closer.
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“You rejected him,” she said quietly.
“That should have ended everything.”
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Lyra said nothing.
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“But it didn’t,” Selene continued.
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Her grip tightened slightly around the key.
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“And now you’re connected to him in a way that shouldn’t exist.”
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Lyra’s eyes sharpened.
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“So you do know.”
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Selene smiled faintly.
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“I know enough.”
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Silence stretched.
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Then—
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“What do you want?” Lyra asked.
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Selene’s smile didn’t reach her eyes.
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“For you to disappear.”
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Direct.
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Honest.
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Lyra let out a small breath.
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“That’s not going to happen.”
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Selene nodded once.
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“I expected that.”
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A beat.
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“That’s why I didn’t come alone.”
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The shift was immediate.
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Lyra felt it before she saw it.
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Movement.
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Behind her.
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Too late.
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A hand grabbed her from the back.
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Another caught her arm.
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Lyra reacted instantly.
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Twisted.
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Kicked back.
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But there were more.
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Three.
Maybe four.
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Too many.
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They forced her forward.
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Her back hit the wall.
Hard.
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Selene didn’t move.
Just watched.
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“I tried to be reasonable,” she said.
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Lyra struggled.
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“Let go.”
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No one listened.
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“You’re destabilizing things,” Selene continued.
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Lyra’s breathing sharpened.
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“Then fix it without me.”
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Selene’s eyes darkened slightly.
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“That’s what I’m doing.”
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The grip on Lyra tightened.
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Pain shot through her arm.
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She clenched her jaw.
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“You don’t belong here anymore.”
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Lyra laughed once.
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“Then why am I still here?”
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That question lingered.
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Selene didn’t answer.
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Instead—
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“Do it.”
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The command was quiet.
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But clear.
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One of them raised his hand.
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Lyra tensed.
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Ready.
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The strike came down—
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Then—
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It stopped.
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Mid-air.
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The wolf froze.
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So did the others.
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The air shifted.
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Heavy.
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Familiar.
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Alpha Kael.
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“Move.”
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No one argued.
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They let her go instantly.
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Stepped back.
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Selene didn’t.
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She turned slowly.
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Met his gaze.
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“You’re interfering again,” she said.
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Kael didn’t look at her.
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His eyes were on Lyra.
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Assessing.
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Checking.
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“You’re done here,” he said.
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Selene’s expression tightened.
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“This doesn’t concern you anymore.”
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“It does now.”
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Silence.
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The tension shifted.
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Not hidden anymore.
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Selene stepped forward.
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“You’re making a mistake.”
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Kael finally looked at her.
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“Leave.”
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It wasn’t a request.
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Selene held his gaze for a second longer.
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Then smiled.
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Soft.
Cold.
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“This isn’t over.”
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Then she turned.
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Walked away.
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The others followed.
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Leaving Lyra and Kael alone.
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Silence settled again.
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Lyra pushed herself off the wall.
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Her arm hurt.
Her breathing still uneven.
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But she stayed standing.
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Kael stepped closer.
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“You keep putting yourself in these situations.”
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Lyra looked at him.
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“They keep creating them.”
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“That doesn’t change the outcome.”
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“Seems like it does.”
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A pause.
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The pull hit again.
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Both of them felt it.
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Stronger.
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Closer.
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Lyra didn’t move.
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Neither did he.
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For a second—
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It almost held.
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Then—
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It broke.
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Gone.
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Kael’s expression hardened.
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“This is getting worse.”
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Lyra nodded slightly.
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“I noticed.”
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Another pause.
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Then—
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“You’re coming with me,” he said.
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Lyra frowned.
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“No.”
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That answer came too fast.
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Too firm.
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Kael’s gaze sharpened.
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“That wasn’t optional.”
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Lyra held his stare.
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“It is for me.”
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Silence.
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Tension.
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Then—
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Kael stepped back.
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“Fine.”
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A beat.
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“But next time—”
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He stopped.
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Like he already knew.
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There would be a next time.
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Lyra didn’t respond.
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She just watched him leave.
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Then turned.
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Looked at her door.
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Still locked.
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She didn’t bother asking for the key.
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Instead—
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She walked away.
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Because staying here—
Was starting to feel more dangerous than leaving.
- Writer
