Chapter 136
Lyra's POV
The guards at the northern checkpoint of Bloodclaw territory nodded respectfully as I passed. My status as Kassak's trusted agent was firmly established now, no questions asked when I came and went. The weight of that trust sat uncomfortably on my shoulders as I trudged along the well-worn path toward the main compound.
My body ached with fatigue, but it was my mind that felt truly exhausted. The scenes from Moonshade territory kept replaying in my head: the scent of the Alpha's blood as the poison spread through his veins, the feel of his skin beneath my hands during the healing ritual, and most of all—the look in his mate's eyes when she burst through the door and found us. Pure betrayal. Raw pain.
I paused along the path, placing my hand instinctively over my lower abdomen. The life growing there was still so small, barely detectable even to my heightened wolf senses. A flutter of something between terror and hope moved through me. What place would a child have in Kassak's world of revenge and calculated cruelty?
"Focus, Lyra," I whispered to myself, straightening my shoulders. I needed to report to Kassak, to tell him the mission was complete—the seeds of doubt and betrayal successfully planted between the Moonshade Alpha and his mate. But there was one crucial piece of information I still hadn't decided whether to share.
The main compound loomed ahead, a sprawling complex of military-grade buildings surrounded by training grounds where wolves honed their fighting skills day and night. Guards patrolled in precise patterns, their movements reflecting years of disciplined training.
Inside the main building, Rovak directed me toward the strategy room. "He's waiting for you," he said, his tone carefully neutral. Everyone watched their words around Kassak's favorites—today's trusted ally could be tomorrow's example.
I found Kassak standing before a large map of Moonshade territory pinned to the wall. Red markers indicated potential weak points in their defenses, carefully annotated in his precise handwriting. He didn't turn when I entered, but his posture shifted slightly—a predator acknowledging another predator's presence.
"Lyra," he said, his voice carrying that particular warmth he reserved for me. Yet his eyes remained cold when he finally turned, assessing me like a weapon he'd sent out and was now inspecting for damage. "Tell me everything."
I lowered my eyes respectfully. "The mission was successful. I administered the antidote as instructed, making sure to position myself... intimately... when his mate would be most likely to witness it."
"And did she?" His lips curved into a smile that never reached his eyes.
"Yes. She returned unexpectedly early—probably sensing her mate was in danger." I kept my voice steady, professional. "She saw exactly what you wanted her to see: me straddling him, wearing her nightgown, both of us half-dressed."
Kassak's smile widened. "And her reaction?"
"Explosive. Pure rage and heartbreak. She believes her mate betrayed her while she was suffering." I swallowed hard, forcing down the guilt. "She accused him of being with me while you were torturing Victor and... killing her child."
"Perfect." Kassak moved closer, running a finger along my jawline in approval. "And Blackwood? Did he deny it?"
"He was confused from the poison and the healing ritual. His disorientation made his denials seem like lies." I hesitated. "He couldn't remember what had happened between us, which only made him look more guilty."
Kassak laughed, a sound of genuine pleasure that chilled me to the bone. "You've done well, Lyra. Very well."
He turned back to the map, tracing the outline of Moonshade's main compound with his finger. "Do you know why I didn't simply kill Ethan Blackwood when I had the chance?" he asked, almost conversationally.
"To prolong his suffering," I answered automatically.
"No. Because death would be too merciful." His voice dropped lower. "I want his mate to willingly sever their bond in pain and betrayal. I want him to feel his soul being ripped apart."
I forced myself to remain still, though my wolf stirred uneasily within me.
"Do you remember how we made her believe her child was dead?" He continued, his tone almost dreamy. "How we let her watch as I tortured Victor? It was all to break her spirit completely."
He pulled an ancient leather-bound book from the shelf and opened it to a marked page. "The severing of a mate bond—especially for an Alpha—causes pain beyond imagination. Many go insane from it. Their wolves tear them apart from the inside." His finger traced the yellowed illustrations depicting a wolf writhing in agony. "Isn't it beautiful?"
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
"And the child—" Kassak's eyes gleamed. "I didn't kill him, of course. What waste that would be."
My head snapped up in surprise. "You didn't?"
"The boy is being raised in the eastern compound. One day, when he's grown, I'll send him to kill his own father. Poetic, don't you think?" He closed the book with a soft thud. "Ethan Blackwood will die at the hands of the son he believes is dead."
For the first time since joining Kassak, I felt my loyalty waver. I had witnessed death, had caused it myself, but this level of psychological torture seemed... excessive. Unnecessary. I remembered the searing agony when my own mate died at the hands of hunters seven years ago. The bond severing had nearly killed me—three days of convulsions, my wolf howling in madness inside my skull.
"You disapprove," Kassak said, his voice suddenly sharp. Not a question.
I carefully controlled my expression. "I believe in giving even enemies an honorable death."
"Honor." He spat the word like it tasted foul. "Honor didn't save my family when the Moonshade wolves slaughtered them. Did my mother die with honor when they tore out her throat?"
I lowered my gaze. "No, Alpha."
He studied me, his anger cooling back to calculation. "Is there anything else to report? Anything you observed that might be useful?"
This was the moment. The crucial piece of information I'd discovered just before leaving Moonshade territory—a conversation overheard between the human doctor and the Alpha's sister. The Alpha and his mate never completed their bond. The mating bite was never given.
Without a completed bond, Kassak's entire revenge strategy would fail. You can't sever what was never fully formed.
I looked into Kassak's expectant eyes and made my decision.
"No, Alpha. Everything went according to plan." The lie felt strangely easy. "The mate has completely lost faith in him. She believes he betrayed her in her darkest hour."
Was I sparing them out of some newfound moral objection to unnecessary cruelty? Or was I simply tired of death and pain?
I didn't know. But the decision was made.
Kassak's expression softened, and he reached for me, his hands gentler now. "You've pleased me, Lyra. You deserve a reward."
His lips found mine, and I responded as expected—with passion and submission. He practically dragged me to his private quarters, slamming the door behind us.
His fingers deftly untied my shirt, revealing my breasts, which he immediately seized with calloused hands. The roughness of his palms against my sensitive skin sent shivers down my spine, my nipples hardening instantly at his touch.