Rina’s brows pulled together. “Then what was she?
Lyra’s fingers tightened around the strap of her bag Her eyes swept the room. Most of them
looked wary. Jake stood beside her, rigid and unreadable.
“She had… abilities,” Lyra said slowly. “She could see things that others couldn’t. Sense things. Feel them.” She glanced down at her hands. “Sometimes she saw colors around people. Emotions. Energy.”
“Magic?” Parker raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like witchcraft.”
“No,” Lyra said firmly, lifting her chin. “It wasn’t witchcraft.”
“Then what was it?” Rina asked, more curious than suspicious.
Lyra hesitated, choosing her words carefully. “She was something rare. Something people didn’t
understand. She was a Ver-”
“That’s enough.” Christian stood abruptly.
Jake turned, his eyes narrowing. “Excuse me?”
Christian’s voice sharpened. “This isn’t the time or place for her to start telling stories. She’s already done enough by going to a witch. We don’t need more talk about mysterious powers.”
“You just don’t want her to tell everyone what you already knew!” Jake snapped.
“Wait. What?” Alistair blinked. “Christian, did you know that Mary Hart wasn’t human?”
Christian stared at his son, unmoving.
“He did,” Jake said bitterly. “He and Drew knew. And he forbade Lyle from ever speaking about it.
That’s why Lyra went to a witch. Because no one in this pack who knew the truth would tell her.”
“Is that true?” Alistair stood, turning toward Christian.
“You should’ve just left it alone,” Christian snarled, eyes locking on Lyra. “I sacrificed everything for this pack. I gave up more than any of you ever knew, and then you came back.” He shook his head. “And of course the Goddess would curse me for what I did by making you his mate. That’s her
punishment. Giving my son someone like you.”
Jake stepped in front of Lyra, shielding her with his body. “Don’t speak to her like that.”
Christian took several steps forward. “Shut your mouth, pup. Everything I’ve done has been to protect you. To protect the legacy of this pack. And you’re too blind and lovesick to see the danger
you’re letting in.”
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Jake swung. His fist connected with a sickening crack against Christian’s jaw.
“Jake!” Lyra gasped.
Christian staggered back, clutching his face. The room erupted, chairs scraping, voices shouting. Jake lunged again, ramming his shoulder into Christian’s chest and knocking them both to the
floor.
Lyra stood frozen, heart pounding as a red mist rolled off Jake. It was so thick, it nearly obscured
him. He straddled Christian’s waist, fists raining down.
Drew and Callan grabbed Jake, struggling to pull him off, but he thrashed violently, spitting curses.
“Jacob,” Lyra said quietly, stepping forward. Parker moved to block her, but she pressed on. A warmth rose in her chest, uncoiling like sunlight, and when she opened her mouth, it poured out.
“Jacob,” she breathed again, and the warmth passed with his name.
The red mist dimmed.
Jake stopped struggling. He let Drew and Callan pull him back and blinked as though surfacing from deep water. His eyes found hers.
Lyra blinked too. She hadn’t tried to calm him. She hadn’t focused. It had just…. happened.
Dylan knelt beside Christian, helping him sit up. Blood streaked his face, his lip split, nose likely broken, and bruises already darkening his cheek.
“You’ve lost control,” Christian spat.
“No,” Jake said quietly, shrugging off Callan and Drew. “I did what I should have done a long time
ago.”
“Enough.” Rina’s voice sliced through the noise. “We have a serious situation, and flinging blame or fists like schoolchildren isn’t going to help.” She gave Jake a sharp look, then turned to Lyra.
“You didn’t get to finish what you were saying, but this isn’t the time. Emotions are too high.”
“We’ll reconvene tomorrow at ten,” Alistair added, handing Christian a handkerchief. “In our usual space. I expect everyone” – he looked at Jake – “to be in control and ready to talk.”
People began to file out. Christian didn’t look at Jake as he stormed past, still blotting his face. Drew brushed past Lyra with a glare. Dylan gave her a small, apologetic smile. Russ squeezed her shoulder gently.
Callan paused at the door, glancing between them. Are you two going to be okay?”
“We’ll be fine,” Lyra said before Jake could answer.
Callan studied her a moment longer, then nodded and left.
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Chapter 52
“He doesn’t trust me with you,” Jake muttered once the door shut. “My best friend is afraid I’m
going to hurt you.”
She looked at him. “You just beat the s**t out of your father.”
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Claim
He scoffed, wiping blood off his knuckles. “Because you ran to him with the journals that night. You didn’t trust me enough to help you hide them. Just like you didn’t trust me enough to tell me
about the witch.”
She felt his hurt ripple through the mate bond like a pulse.
“It’s not about trust, Lyra said softly, taking a step toward him. “I do trust you.”
“You have a strange way of showing it,” he muttered without looking at her.
“I didn’t go to Callan with the journals. I went to Megan. My best friend, who just happens to be mated to your best friend. Callan was just there.” She sighed. “And I wanted to tell you about the witch, but I promised I wouldn’t.”
“Who did you promise?” His gaze snapped up, hard now..
“I… I can’t tell you, Jake.”
He pressed his lips together. “Mates aren’t supposed to have secrets. We’re supposed to share everything. I’ve been trying so hard this week to show you how much you mean to me. How much I want you to stay. And the first chance you get, you go behind my back.”
“I didn’t think about it like that.”
“You didn’t think about it at all,” he shouted suddenly, making her flinch. “You weren’t thinking about
me at all.”
“That’s not true!” she yelled back. “The only reason did this was because of what I heard your dad and Drew say. About how I’m a rotten limb that needs to be cut off, even if it hurts. They’re never going to accept me, Jake. I just wanted answers. So we could figure this out. So we could…”
She stopped, chest heaving, eyes burning. She turned away, fighting back tears.
“So we could what, Lyra?” His voice had lost its anger. Now it just sounded tired.
“So we could maybe stay together,” she whispered, still not facing him. She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to choke back the sob rising in her throat. “But it doesn’t matter, does it? No one here will ever accept me as your mate. They never did. I was marked as a child. The girl with the scarred–up face. The outcast. The freak. The half–breed.”
“Lyra…”
She heard him take a step toward her.
But she couldn’t let him talk her down again. Couldn’t pretend it didn’t hurt.
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She had learned what she was today.
And it was worse than she’d imagined.
Lyra darted out the door before Jake could stop he
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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.
