“You will do no such thing!”

My voice thundered through the room as I slammed the door open, heart racing, vision tinted red. Kael’s head snapped up, golden eyes wide with shock. Varian, on the other hand, didn’t flinch. He just leaned back, a wicked grin spreading across his face—as if he'd been waiting for me all along.

“Lyra—” Kael began.

“Don’t speak.” My voice trembled, not from fear, but from fury. “Tell me I didn’t just hear what I think I did. Tell me you weren’t about to hand over our daughter!”

He didn’t deny it. That silence hurt worse than a blade.

“She’s just a girl,” I whispered, the betrayal slicing deeper with every second. “Our girl.”

“The Blood Moon Pack is too strong,” he muttered, avoiding my gaze. “They’ve got us cornered. We refuse them, they’ll burn everything we’ve built. We’ve just settled here, Lyra. We can’t afford war.”

“So you’d rather give them Caia?” My voice cracked, but the fire didn’t dim. “Did you even try to fight for her? For us?”

Kael opened his mouth, but Varian cut in with a sigh.

“This is getting exhausting. Either your Alpha honors the deal—or we settle things my way.”

I spun to face him. “You’ll get nothing from me. I'd rather die than let you take my daughter.”

He grinned wider. “That can be arranged.”

---

Moments earlier, I’d been outside that door, heart pounding, body pressed to the wall, straining to hear the voices inside. Tension had already been brewing in our lands—too many uneasy run-ins with neighboring packs, too many strange scents at the borders. And now, this.

I had followed my instincts to Kael’s quarters under the silver gaze of the moon, only to stop cold when I heard voices—his, and another I instantly recognized.

Varian.

The last Alpha I’d ever trust.

“You know the price, Kael,” he had said. “I’m offering you a choice. The boy… or your daughter.”

Caia’s name nearly sent me through the door right then. I had pressed my hand against my mouth, praying I misheard.

But then Kael’s voice came, low and unsure.

“If I give you Caia… is that it? No more demands?”

“You have my word,” Varian replied coolly. “I’m nothing if not reasonable.”

And then… the moment my heart shattered.

“I choose Caia.”

---

Now, back in that room, I stood between them and the unthinkable.

But before I could speak again, Kael grabbed my arm.

“You can’t stop this.”

“Let go of me,” I hissed.

His grip tightened. “You’re not thinking clearly. If we resist, we die. Caia dies. This is the only way.”

“There’s always another way!” I tried to pull free. “We could run, we could fight—”

He didn't answer. Instead, his hand moved swiftly, striking the back of my neck with precision.

Pain flared white-hot. My knees buckled.

“No—” I choked out, breath shallow.

Darkness swallowed the room as I collapsed. My final thought was of Caia’s terrified scream echoing through the halls… and the betrayal that had already sealed our fates.

When I opened my eyes, an aching hollowness struck me immediately—Caia was no longer there.

I didn't stop to think. My feet hit the ground before my mind caught up, my wolf rising within me like a storm unleashed. Every instinct I had screamed for blood. I was ready to tear down the walls of the Blood Moon Pack, to obliterate anyone who dared touch my daughter.

But Kael stood in my way.

Without hesitation, I struck him. The sound of the slap echoed between us, my trembling hand falling back to my side. My vision was clouded by tears as I stared at him with a fury only a mother could know.

"You let them take her," I hissed, my voice cracking with disbelief. "How dare you do that to your own flesh and blood?"

He barely reacted. A slow breath left his lungs as he rubbed the stinging side of his face.

"Lyra, please. Just hear me out—"

"'Hear you out?'" I interrupted, my tone rising with anguish. "You traded our child away in silence, and now you want me to listen?"

His eyes lowered. "I did it for the good of the pack. We’re at risk."

My hands clenched. "So that makes it right? What about the offer they made for Celeste's kid?"

His expression hardened. "You’re suggesting I should have handed him over instead? He’s only a child too, Lyra."

I let out a cold, disbelieving laugh that cracked in my throat. "But so is Caia. She's barely out of infancy. Or is it just easier to let go of my child because the other one belongs to her?"

He didn’t answer. He didn’t need to.

Celeste.

She had always been the shadow between us. Kael’s childhood companion, his supposed mate-to-be—until she vanished from all our lives for five years and returned with a child no one could claim.

I was the one who picked up Kael’s broken pieces when she left. I believed he’d put her behind him.

But clearly, I was wrong.

"It’s not what you think," he muttered.

"Then explain it," I said through clenched teeth. "Tell me why you didn’t protect our daughter. Tell me why you didn’t offer her son, whose father remains a mystery."

Kael’s eyes snapped up, anger flickering in them. "You don’t speak about him like that."

My voice came out flat, drained of emotion. "You're unbelievable."

The fury simmering inside me solidified into something cold and dangerous.

"I'm going to bring Caia back."

His face twisted in alarm. "Don’t be foolish, Lyra. We have peace here. We’ve finally established a home. Don’t ruin that because of your emotions."

I stared him down, my voice frigid. "What good is a home if my child’s not in it?"

I walked away, not once looking back.

I knew where to go.

The weaponsmith lived on the outskirts, an old wolf whose hands had seen war. He didn’t ask why I came, only studied my face with knowing eyes.

“I need a sword,” I told him.

He gave one nod. “Come back at nightfall. It’ll be ready.”

I turned around and made my way through the woods, heading back toward the den to gather what I needed. I cut through the path near Celeste’s dwelling. That’s when I heard it.

Sounds drifted through the half-closed window—soft, rhythmic, unmistakable. My body tensed. I recognized the noises, the breathless moans that couldn’t be mistaken for anything else.

I stood frozen.

Then came the voices.

“It’s alright, everything will work out,” Celeste said, her tone syrupy and confident.

“I hope you’re right,” Kael replied.

The air left my lungs.

“My brother’s unstable,” Celeste went on, “but this mess isn’t his fault.”

“I know,” Kael answered quietly.

Celeste cooed sympathetically. “Poor Lyra. It must be devastating, losing her little girl.”

“She’ll understand,” Kael said, as if none of this mattered. “She won’t act out. She never does.”

“She always had a dramatic streak,” Celeste said with a laugh that made my stomach churn. “You saw her earlier.”

“She’s just emotional,” he replied. “She’ll move on.”

Move on?

My entire body burned with rage, my wolf clawing at my insides. How dare he? How dare they sit there and speak so casually, as if I would simply roll over and forget?

Then Celeste’s voice turned quiet, almost tender. “It’s alright. We still have our son. I’ll raise him to be just like you.”

Son.

The word hit like a dagger. Something inside me shattered.

Celeste’s child… wasn’t just hers.

He was Kael’s too.

All the pieces snapped into place—his protectiveness, his refusal to include the boy in any bargain, his constant defense. He hadn’t spared Caia to protect Celeste’s son.

He had spared his son.

He hadn’t just betrayed me tonight. He had been betraying me for years.

Kael came back the next morning, his face carefully composed, as if yesterday’s storm hadn’t happened. He extended an invitation to join the evening’s pack celebration, assuring me that surrounding myself with others would help dull the ache in my chest.

Later, beneath the flickering light of a towering bonfire, I stood still, my gaze lost in the flames. These same flames had once lit up Caia’s joyful eyes as she danced around the fire, her laughter echoing through the clearing. Now, the only thing they illuminated was the emptiness in my arms.

Laughter rang through the night air, mingling with the scent of roasted meat and sweet wine. Voices rose in conversation, but none of them dared address me. Their eyes found me only for a second before quickly turning away. They knew what it meant when a mother was forced to live without her child.

All except her.

Celeste moved easily through the crowd, her every step graceful, her posture light with confidence. Kaiden walked beside her, clutching her hand, unaware of the storm beneath the surface. She stopped before me, eyes gleaming with rehearsed sorrow.

"It must be awfully quiet in your den without little Caia around," she said, her tone falsely sweet, laced with insincerity. "I can’t even begin to understand the pain you must feel… having your daughter taken like that. I do hope she's adjusting well with the Blood Moon Pack."

My fists clenched at my sides, nails digging so hard into my palms I nearly drew blood. My wolf was restless, pacing beneath my skin, snarling for release. But I kept still, holding myself together by threads.

Seeing that I hadn’t responded, she straightened, then clapped her hands to draw attention.

“Everyone, may I have a moment?” Her voice rang clear and sugary. “Let’s honor our Luna tonight! Because of her incredible sacrifice, we now stand safe and protected. Her daughter’s absence was not in vain—it was the act of a true leader, of a mother who placed the pack before herself.”

Applause erupted around the fire. Cheers rose from mouths that had once avoided my gaze. The same people who hadn’t dared comfort me now lifted their hands in praise as if I were some holy martyr.

And Kael? He stayed rooted beside her. Not a single word in my defense. He didn’t stop her—only nodded, silently validating her performance.

Then Celeste shifted slightly, angling herself toward him. Her voice softened, reverent.

“Our Alpha’s wisdom is unmatched,” she said, eyes warm and far too familiar as they settled on Kael. “With him leading us, I have no doubt my child will grow strong and noble, just like his father—who treats all of us like family.”

Kael’s lips curled into a smile. He reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder. That simple gesture lit a fire inside me. I let out a sharp, bitter sound that sliced through the celebration.

“How lovely,” I said, my tone sharp as shattered glass. “If you believe in sacrifice so deeply, Celeste, then perhaps it’s your turn. Why not send your son to the Blood Moon Pack next? Wouldn’t that be the ultimate show of motherly love?”

Her face faltered. The mask cracked. She tried to compose herself, but her voice trembled.

“Lyra… are you angry with me?” she asked softly. “I only meant to admire your strength. The way you've managed to keep going after… everything.”

I tilted my head slightly, my lips curving into a smile that never reached my eyes.

“Well, if you want to admire me properly, maybe you should go through the same agony. Maybe then, you'd understand what it's like.”

“That’s enough, Lyra,” Kael said suddenly, his voice tense with warning.

He wasn’t standing next to me. He wasn’t defending us. He was protecting her.

“She’s been through more than you think,” he added, as if trying to excuse her. “Let’s not be harsh.”

I stared at him, stunned at the audacity.

“Oh, so I haven’t been through enough?” I asked, my voice rising with fury. “Who was the one who had her child taken away, Kael? Who’s the one mourning while you pretend this is normal?”

He didn’t answer. He didn’t even meet my eyes. And Celeste? She smiled again. She reached forward, brushing my arm gently—mockingly.

“You’ve always been so resilient,” she whispered. “I truly hope you come to see why Kael made the choices he did.”

That was it.

My wolf growled audibly, every nerve in my body screaming. I stared at both of them. Kael saw the fire in my eyes, saw the storm rising—but when he tried to step closer, I stepped back.

He paused mid-step.

I looked him straight in the eye, my voice low, steady, final.

“You made your choice, Kael. And now, I’ve made mine.”

I would leave. I would find my daughter. And I would not stop—not for him, not for her, not for any of them.

Kael’s hand twitched, reaching out as if he’d finally realized the gravity of what was slipping away. But before he could reach me, Celeste seized his wrist gently, as if claiming him again. Kaiden wrapped his small arms around Kael’s leg, grounding him, keeping him there.

He did not follow.

He did not fight for me.

And as I walked away, each step felt heavier than the last—but I didn’t stop. Behind me, Kael watched in silence, something deep within him breaking at last.

I would make sure that pain haunted him for the rest of his life.