Reborn To Reclaim The Alpha Crown

Lyra's POV 

The sun was shining on the outside of the Royal War Academy's administration building and the air was different in the morning than it was on any other day of this year. I stood on the stone steps, my official clearance papers pressed against my chest, for the first time in a long while, I allowed myself to breathe without the weight of exhaustion pulling at my shoulders.

I was done.

I had been trained for three years, running with the sunrise and sparring with wolves that were twice my size, not a single one of whom cared of  they were dealing with a woman.  I'm the youngest girl to ever complete the most elite military school in the empire. Not the youngest woman to try but the youngest to ever complete it 

I considered all the nights I've fallen asleep with bruised knuckles, broken bones, bleeding organs  and a body calling out for sleep. I thought of all the teachers who thought I'd give it up in the first month. But I had noticed it in their eyes, when I was performing drills, and they were waiting for me to fail, no one said it to my face, but they did wish that for  me.

I never gave them that moment.

Today, I would return to Silvercrest. Today, on my 19th birthday, I would finally become  the Alpha that I was born to be.

As I walked down the path towards the dormitories, my boots crunched through the gravel, and my phone rang out. I knew the caller before I even glanced at the screen.

"Uncle Regulus," I replied, smiling as I did.

"There she is , "His voice was warm and proud, "There she is. The maiden who made history."

I laughed softly, "I don't know about history. I only wanted to survive."

"Survive?" he sneered jocularly. "There was a good bet on how long you'd last, I think, half the council placed a bet on your first month." 

"You're joking."

"I wish that I was," he said. "But here you are, I always told them that my niece would come out of that academy and make all of them look like fools."

Heat radiated through my chest at his words. Be had always been the person who never doubted my ability to lead a pack, even when the rest of the empire sneered at the idea of a woman leading a pack, let alone one as powerful as Silvercrest.

I whispered "Thank you, Uncle. Thank you for  believing in me when no one else believed."

"Always," he said. "Now, the coronation preparations are finished, Lyra, everyone is waiting for you, your people are waiting for their Alpha, come home soon."

I told him that I would be there soon, and his light laughter faded from my ears.

I arrived at my dorm room to find the door open, and Kael standing by my packed suitcase, his tall, slender frame leaning casually against the doorframe. The moment I walked in, his black hair was still dripping wet from the shower, and his gray eyes looked up at me.

"Congratulations," he said, his voice, that quiet warmth, that he reserved for me. " Little Miss alpha."

I said "Thank you", I put my papers on the desk. "You already packed?" 

"I can't have my alpha packing bags now can I?" he teased, picking up one of the larger bags without a problem.

"You know, most knights just guard their alphas. But you... you treat me as though I am something else," I followed along with him out in the hallway. 

"Most charges are not the future Alpha of Silvercrest," he replied evenly. "Security arrangements are complete for today, two escort vehicles ahead of the convoy, one behind, it's longer, but avoids the mountain pass where visibility is poor."

I shook my head, "See, that's what I mean." 

"Would you like me to treat you carelessly? he asked, with a raised eyebrow and a smirk on his lips. 

"I would like you to treat me like a human being," I said. "Not a package to be delivered safely from point A to point B".

"Protecting you is my duty, Lyra ," he said he said, in a soft, unguarded way, reminded me that there was more to it than duty. "I need to protect the owner of my heart."

I didn't press any more. I just allow myself to enjoy the ease between us, the comfort of a year of trusting someone with all my heart, that the rest of the world couldn't grasp just how far that trust went.

In less time than an hour we were off the campus and by the time we had reached Silvercrest Palace the journey was over. Rolling hills became silver-veined mountains that marked our territory. Finally when we reached the palace, the gates opened and we saw rows of staff on either side of the gates.

As soon as I got out of the car, the maids waved and congratulated me. I saw several of the older servants, those that had brought me up after my parents had died, pressing handkerchiefs to their eyes, as they could not keep their tears back.

One of them whispered as I walked by, "Look how far you've come" and I reached out my hand and squeezed her hand.

Regulus was waiting by the palace gates in his finest garb, his silver hair catching the light of the late day. He spread his arms and I walked in, no holds barred.

He spoke against my hair, "My girl. Look at you."

I said, "I made it home."

"You did more than that," he said, backing up to look at me. "Now go. Prepare yourself. Tonight, Silvercrest will be getting its Alpha."

I was immediately whisked off to the private bathrooms where warm water and fluffy towels welcomed me. They chattered with excitement as they worked, brushing out my hair and getting me into the ceremonial gown.

One of the attendants fastened the delicate silver clasps on my sleeves, saying, "The first ruling Alpha Queen in generations."

Another of the council members said quietly, "Some of the council members are not happy about it."

"Let them be unhappy," I said, calmly looking into my own eyes. "I'll gain their respect by what I do, not by what they think I should be.

When I got there the Pack Hall was already quite full. The nobles and military commanders were seated in the front rows with elders, with the representatives from the strongest packs of the empire seated in the reserved seats along the sides. People from the Imperial Council lined up by the dais, unmoving.

Regulus was at the centre of the hall, with the ceremonial crown on a velvet cushion beside him. When I came near, he came down from the dais and was no longer the man that he had been for so long.

"For nineteen years, I protected this throne in my niece's name," he announced his voice echoing through the silent hall. "Tonight I will return it to its rightful owner."

He raised the crown and put it softly on my head.

He shouted, "All hail Alpha Lyra Ashthorne. The rightful Alpha  of Silvercrest."

The hall broke into a clap, it seemed like a wave crashing over me.

Once the din had calmed, I approached to speak to my people for the first time as their Alpha.

"Thank you," I began my voice was steady despite the rapid beating of my heart. "I know my ascension has not been without controversy, I know that there are some of you who have wondered if I was the right one here, but I promise you that I will work every day that I am here, to prove that I am."

I looked at Regulus, who was proudly watching me.

"My uncle is my savior," I said. "He was my father, mother, brother and sister.  I am eternally grateful for his sacrifice after he had to protect me and this throne when my parents were taken away from me

I looked back at the people.

"I will rule with justice, I will rule with power, and I will rule with glory, this I will give you. All hail Silvercrest!"

This applause was more intense than the last.

I was greeted as guests came in to congratulate me for the next hour. There were some who complimented me sincerely, saying how I did well at the academy and how I remained so composed during the ceremony. Others were more careful with their words, their compliments inveighed with a subtle distrust that a woman could lead warriors into battle. I smiled through all the comments, making no attempt to allow any frustrations to show.

The crowd started to disperse, and Kael came up to me near the entrance of the palace.

"You're ready to go, Alpha," he said.

"Ride with me now so I'll ride you later?" I asked, already expecting the private, quiet trip to the house as we drove home together.

"I'd love that my darling...but first I have to wait for a security briefing, the Imperial Council and some elders are insisting."

I thought it was odd that this was just the day before he had been making arrangements himself for our secret getaway and now he has suddenly changed his mind, but I didn't ask any questions. Or perhaps it was just the council doing their thing again. 

"Alright," I said, nodding my head. "I'll leave my door open."

I got in the car Kael had set up for me, and let myself sink in the cushions while the car drove away from the palace.

The road was deserted, and as we drove faster, the tall, silver-barked trees merged into each other. I shut my eyes and I felt the strain of the day start to ease from me. It was over. The day had come when I had dreaded and waited for since childhood, the day I was prepared for, was over.

The impact caused me to still be smiling till a sudden force made me open my eyes. 

Two cars crashed into the side of my car and I was thrown against the door. There was a shrieking of metal. Before I could even register what was happening, before the guards in front of me could even turn around, my door was ripped open.

Strong hands took me out of the car  and into the night. I turned my head against the hold, trying to peer through the darkness at the person who had grabbed me, but it was dark and I could not see. 

"It's her." Was all I heard before a blow to the back of my head knocked me out cold.