THE BOY THEY MADE ME

The Death Of Lyra

Lyra's POV

The sound of scissors was the first thing I heard—sharp and careless, cutting away the only thing that still felt like me.

"What's your name?"

My real name was Lyra. But I didn't dare say it. That name belonged to a girl who thought she had a future. A girl who wasn't standing half-naked in a cold room, being stripped of her identity like old clothes.

Now, I had to become someone else.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as my long silver hair fell to the ground in large chunks. That was the only beauty I inherited from my mother—well, so I was told.

"Didn't Mother just ask you a question?" Selene, my cousin, snapped. She stood beside her mother, all draped in royal fur as if she was attending a coronation, and not watching me lose everything.

"I... I—My name is Lucian Sage, Son of Sage, Bloodmoon Pack." I forced the words out, each cutting its way through my throat.

A smirk curled on Selene's lips as she watched the frightened maid apply color to my hair.

"You should do something about your voice, Lyr—"

A sharp nudge hit her brother's ribs. He was the real Lucian. Their precious, useless brother and son. "Ouch, Mum," he winced, clutching his side. "That hurts."

He was a weakling. Everyone knew it. A disgrace to all wolves. Yet somehow, I was the one sent to the academy in his place.

They raised me after my parents died. They always reminded me of that. Part of me still felt like I owed them something… even if they never loved me back.

"She..." Lucian's mother paused, swallowing her mistake. "He is Lucian. Don't ruin things."

She turned to me. "Lucian, you know how much this family has sacrificed for you, right? We took you in when no one would. Fed you. Clothed you..."

For a heartbeat, I was lost as to whether she was speaking to me or her son, but the attributes were all aligned to me... My eyes fell lazily on her, looking for sympathy in her eyes for me, but the only thing I found was sympathy and love for her children.

I wondered if she even remembered anything about me aside from my actual name... Or the fact that I served them like a maid for years. Her words were familiar—the same script she used when she forced me to reject my mate because Selene wanted him. And now, again, her son.

"My husband is dead, Lyr," her voice interrupted my thoughts. "He's all I have left. I can't afford to lose—"

She was still speaking when the trumpets blasted outside, drowning her words.

"There's no need to feel sorry for him, Mother," Selene said briskly, grabbing a list. "He is Lucian, and he's just fulfilling his duties to his Pack for his family's honor. The trumpets have blown—we have no time."

Selene lifted her chin and began reading the rules.

"Remember: You are never to get undressed in front of the wolves. Never mistake your name. Your boobs are to be suppressed at all times, even while bathing. Never act feminine. DON'T. BLEED." She paused, eyeing me sharply. "And most importantly—if you get caught, do not involve us."

She went over the list again and again, that I could now say it by heart. This was the same list I was been made to memorize the very day it was announced that each family in all regions of the Pack was to present a he-wolf in training for the upcoming war against the Silver Wolves Pack.

And I?

I was their perfect bait.

‘If Lucian goes, he dies.

If you don't take his place you will be responsible for his death.’ Selene's mother sang until I finally gave in.

"If you are lucky," she said, staring out at the chariots gathering outside, "and all this ends well... you may return to your real identity. No more chores, no more servitude."

I accepted. That was my little hope of escaping my miserable life.

"Wow, you look just like me," Lucian commented, circling me. "Just deepen your voice. Make it sexy and—"

"Shut up." His mother shoved him aside. "Get prepared to leave. You're staying with Grandma Lucy, until the war ends."

A frown settled on his face that almost made me laugh. I mean, he wasn't the one trading his entire life for another. Was he?

My body sagged under the heavy armor I was made to wear. Staring at myself in the mirror, I couldn't see Lyra. My once-flowing silver hair was now a ginger pixie cut, with two slanted cuts carved into my right eyebrow—something to make me look tougher. Something to make me look like him—the real Lucian.

I exhaled deeply, picking up the sword that dragged me down. It was heavy. Heavier than my will to live, but I held it anyway.

"Remember, men don't cry." Selene's words echoed in my head as her mother chanted a spell on me, meant to find my scent amongst the wolves.

***

Outside, a stern-looking guard with scars lining his face asked, "Name?"

"L—Lucian Sage, sir," I answered, trying to mimic a deep voice.

He scrolled through his list and nodded. But his assistant stepped forward, suspicion in his eyes.

"Wait—"

As he walked towards me, I instinctively took steps backward until there was no room for retreat.

He grabbed my left wrist, embedding the blazing red iron, leaving behind a wolf imprint. My knees buckled.

"Men don't cry," I repeated in my head, biting my lower lip until the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. My body trembled as I tried to stay as quiet as possible, screaming down into my throat.

"What a weakling," the guard muttered, walking away.

"But cute," the other added, his voice hoarse.

I didn't respond. I couldn't.

Inside the carriage, I stared at my branded wrist. Tears burned behind my eyes, but I didn't let them fall.

Outside, Selene and her mother stood crying—real tears—hugging each other as if they were the victims.

Pathetic.

The journey stretched—hours, maybe days. My stomach screamed from hunger. The armor tightened around me, making me breathless. I smelled like someone dying slowly. And maybe I was.

'I wish we could just get to the academy.' I murmured.

And the unexpected happened; that was the first time the moon goddess heard my prayers—we were here, finally.

The gates opened. It was no ordinary gate; it had towering steel bars sliding apart like the mouth of a beast, with the Gothic inscription “Welcome To DuskBond Academy”

Inside were about a thousand carriages. Thousands of wolves, and if each carried seven like mine...

Then I wasn't just doomed. I would be buried before the war even started.

Shortly, we alighted and walked in a singular line, in packs, each with a specified colored armor. BloodMoon pack was in red armor; while another pack was in blue, another green, yellow, white, and black. The line was endless, but soon it was my turn to meet the warder.

The warder—an old wolf with rotten teeth and a pipe hanging from his lips—called out names.

"Lucian Sage," he growled.

I stepped forward, and he gave me the same look every other wolf had passed me since I picked up my new identity. He ticked from within the red box regardless, and the word above caught my attention: "Weakest Pack."

My heart dropped. That meant even here... I was at the bottom. I scanned through the list and soon saw that the strongest of the packs were in golden armor... but I couldn't see any wolf with golden armor here.

"Move it," he barked, and I paced quickly, stepping out of line into the academy.

My throat became dry at the wonders that met my eyes. The Academy was the biggest I had ever seen, with towers almost touching the sky. The training grounds were endless, far beyond anything I imagined. And for the first time in my life, the hair on my skin rose—not from disgust, but from excitement.

I sat in a row where all the red-armored wolves were, and I watched as the clock ticked by, the seats slowly filling.

"Welcome," a voice boomed through the hall, rousing me from my slumber.

"Consider yourselves lucky to have the opportunity to serve your Alphas in DuskBond Academy," the voice added.

"A total of seven different packs and six thousand wolves are here. Your armor colors tell where you belong. Your badges and numbers will be given tomorrow," the speaker paused, scanning through our faces.

"Tonight, eat and settle in your various rooms—but understand, your movements will be monitored. Good night."

'Separate rooms... Wow, that's nice,' I rejoiced within me. One thing off my list.

"Lucian."

A very familiar voice filled the air before I caught his scent. Every muscle in my body froze.

Behind me was Prince Karl of the Bloodmoon Pack.

The mate I had rejected because my cousin wanted him.

I turned away quickly, lowering my head.

"Hey, man," he slapped my shoulder lightly. "We need to talk."

My blood ran cold.

I was prepared to abide by the list I had memorized, but not this. How couldn't I have thought Karl was coming?

This was the one thing I didn't plan for.

And it might ruin everything.