Lyra spent most of her afternoon walking around town, trying to clear her head. Emotions bounced around inside her. Anger over who her mate was. Frustration at being trapped in this pack longer than she wanted. Guilt over not being able to take Donovan away. And maybe disappointment. That she couldn’t even allow herself to feel happy about having a mate.
Finding your fated mate was supposed to be joyous. It was the connection of two souls. Mates made each other stronger.
Most girls would kill to have an alpha as their mate. It was the dream of so many young she–wolves. But for Lyra, it was a nightmare.
“How are things going with the alpha?”
The voice caught Lyra’s attention as two young women burst out of a nearby juice shop, smoothies in hand.
“Good,” said the girl with long brown hair. “I just saw him this morning, actually. We’re supposed to get dinner together.”
Lyra’s stomach plummeted, and Juno let out a low whimper. She found herself walking a few steps behind them on the sidewalk. She knew she shouldn’t be eavesdropping, but she couldn’t help herself.
“Goddess, Kylie,” the blonde gushed, “you’re so lucky, getting the alpha as a mate. I can’t wait until you’re Luna.”
“I know,” the brunette, Kylie, sighed. “He asked me to come over to his parents‘ house on Sunday. He said his mother wants to start preparing me to be Luna. And…” She giggled. “And he even kissed me this morning.”
Lyra felt heat crawl up her face. A violent urge to throat–punch this girl surged through her. Common sense told her this was Callan’s little sister, the mate the elders had chosen for Jake, but it didn’t stop the possessive jealousy roaring to life inside her.
“Oh Goddess!” squealed the blonde. “What was it like?”
“It was…” Kylie waved a hand in the air like she might pluck the right word from it. “Magical,” she finished.
Lyra’s mind flashed back to the kiss she’d shared with Jake. Magical was exactly the word she would have used too, the way it had set her entire body alight.
“So when do you think you guys will be officially mated?”
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Chapter 14
Kylie shrugged. “In June, I hope.”
“Are you worried he’ll find his fated mate before then?”
Lyra followed them around a corner, barely paying attention to where she was going.
“No,” Kylie replied. “Jake seems convinced it won’t happen.”
“This is so great for you, Kylie,” the blonde said. “You deserve something good, more than anyone I know.”
Lyra stopped, letting the girls continue down the sidewalk. When had Kylie seen Jake this morning? Before or after Lyra had seen him? She and Donovan had been there by nine. Had Jake gone straight from finding out she was his mate to kissing someone else? Had he laughed about it with Kylie, maybe told her how pathetic Lyra was to think he’d ever want her? Had he denied even finding his mate?
Heat flushed through her as she turned, heading back toward the house.
She moved quickly, barely registering the streets or the familiar buildings. Her ears were ringing, her heart pounding with fury and something dangerously close to heartbreak.
How could he kiss someone else the same morning he found his mate?
How could he tell her she was the one, that he’d make the pack accept her, and then go running back to the girl the elders had picked? Was that the future he wanted? Was Lyra just a detour?
By the time she reached the house, her hands were shaking. Juno kept switching between growling and whimpering.
“It shouldn’t matter,” Lyra muttered as she opened the door. “I know it doesn’t matter.”
Except it did.
It mattered more than it should. And that fact pissed her off more than anything.
Lyle went out that evening to help a pack member with a broken pipe. He had left dinner warming on the stove and asked Lyra to make sure Donovan ate. But Donovan, still upset about what had happened that morning, refused to leave his room and only shouted at Lyra to leave him alone when she knocked.
Dinner was a gluey, overcooked cheesy mac with a suspicious crunch Lyra was pretty sure wasn’t supposed to be there. How Lyle and Donovan had survived on this kind of cooking
< Chapter 14
was beyond her. She would definitely have to take over the kitchen until she left.
+25 Points
After dumping most of her meal in the trash, she was about to head to her room when there was a sharp knock on the door.
Lyra froze as Juno perked up. She already knew who it was. She could smell him.
Jake stood on the porch, hair slightly windblown, hands shoved in his pockets. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him.
“Can we talk?” he asked, voice low.
Lyra motioned for him to come in, then stepped back, arms folded tightly over her chest.
He stood just inside the door, his eyes searching her face. “Are you upset with me?”
“What makes you think I’m upset?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I can feel it.” He raised an eyebrow of his own. “Mate bond, remember? We can feel each other’s emotions.”
She did remember, but the idea of Jake having a window into the storm in her head unnerved
her.
“You kissed her.” The words came out sharp and bitter.
Jake blinked. “What?”
“Kylie,” she said, enunciating the name clearly. “You kissed her this morning. I overheard her talking about it in town.”
He ran a hand down his face, shoulders tensing. “That wasn’t… Lyra, it wasn’t what it sounded like.”
“So you didn’t kiss her?”
“I did.” He sighed and clasped his hands on top of his head.
Juno snarled.
“So you found your mate and still decided your chosen mate was the better option? Is that what you came here to tell me?” She wasn’t even aware she was yelling.
“No.” Jake scoffed and pushed past her into the living room. He covered his face with his hands, groaning. “I saw her before you came into the office. There was a patrol issue, and she came to talk to me about it. And I just… it wasn’t like…”
서
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< Chapter 14
“You kissed her,” Lyra said flatly.
50 +29 Ports
“I didn’t know I had a mate at that point,” he snapped, throwing his arms out. “I’ve spent the past week getting to know Kylie, getting ready to bond with her. I had no idea it would be you. You can’t hold me accountable for something that happened before I knew.”
She frowned. As much as she hated it, he had a point.
“Did you go out to dinner with her today?” she asked more quietly.
He shook his head. “I was planning to, but I canceled. I needed time to think, and I don’t want to lead her on. She’s been through a lot.”
Lyra remembered what her father had said about Kylie’s mate dying. A wave of shame swept through her for being so angry at someone who had already lost so much. It wasn’t Kylie’s fault Jake had a fated mate. She was just doing what the elders expected of her.
“Are you going to tell her?”
Jake sank onto the couch, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “Eventually, yes. But I think we need to talk first. I need to tell the elders, too.”
She frowned, unsure how she felt about that.
“I told my father,” Jake said, watching her carefully.
She blinked. “What did he say?”
Jake sighed, looking away. “I asked him about what he did to Donovan. I told him I wouldn’t be the kind of Alpha who lets his pack throw away people they don’t understand. I told him I didn’t want to be like him.”
She swallowed hard, her walls cracking just a little.
“What did he say?” she whispered, sitting down in the armchair.
“He said the elders are going to push back. That you were right. People won’t want to accept you.”
Even though Lyra had known it deep down, hearing it out loud was like a punch to the gut. Some part of her was still that little girl, desperate to belong.
The door opened, and they both looked up to see Lyle coming in. He froze just inside the living room, his gaze flicking between Jake and Lyra.
“Alpha,” he said finally, giving Jake a curt nod.
Chapter 14
Jake stood. “Evening, Mr. Hart.”
Lyle frowned, the muscle in his jaw ticking. “Alpha, could we have a word outside?”
A flicker of discomfort crossed Jake’s face, but he hid it quickly. “Of course
“Dad,” Lyra began, standing.
Jake reached for her hand, and sparks shot up her arm. “It’s fine,” he said quietly, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze before following her father outside.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
