Chapter 103 Be cautious
~ Lyra's POV ~
Listening to their exchange from inside the car sent a storm of questions crashing through my mind. Each sentence that left his mouth seemed to unravel something I thought I understood about myself. When he declared with absolute certainty that Kaitlyn was not his daughter, something inside me shifted. There was no hesitation in his voice. He had dismissed her without even blinking.
And when he said he knew what I looked like, my chest tightened painfully.
I had to blink back sudden moisture gathering in my eyes. The idea that someone out there had known my face all these years while remaining a stranger to me was overwhelming. I didn't know whether to feel angry, relieved, or heartbroken.
But everything inside me froze when he mentioned my scent. That was the part I could not process.
He said he knew my scent. I had no scent, not until I arrived at Ironfang, not until my powers began surfacing.
So what was he talking about? How could he possibly claim to recognize something that had not existed? How could he know what I smelled like? The questions collided violently in my head.
“You almost had me, Alpha Dylan. Almost. Until you mentioned knowing her scent. You may return to whoever sent you and inform them that you have failed this mission,” Kael said firmly.
But Alpha Dylan did not move.
“Every werewolf is born with a scent, Alpha Kael,” he replied steadily. “Lyra was no exception. I was present when she was born. I was present when the suppression ritual was performed. To you and to everyone else, she has no scent. That is not the case with me. I have known her scent from the very first day.”
The words struck me harder than I expected.
“I believe I have been patient and explained long enough,” he continued calmly. “I would like to see my daughter now.”
There was a brief pause before Kael turned and began walking toward the car.
Kaitlyn mirrored his movement. They did not speak aloud, and I assumed they communicated through mind link.
“Let them in,” Kael ordered once he reached my side of the vehicle.
The guards, who had been preventing the visitors from proceeding further, stepped aside immediately. At the same moment, Kael opened the car door and our eyes met.
“What do you think?” he asked quietly.
“I don't know what to think,” I admitted honestly.
“Come on,” he said, extending his hand toward me. “He wants to see you and speak with you. Let us hear him out.”
I placed my hand in his and stepped out. The moment my feet touched the ground, his grip tightened around my fingers. It was subtle but firm, letting me know he was not letting me go anytime soon.
When I finally stood face to face with Alpha Dylan, I noticed something different.
A soft smile rested on his lips. It was the first smile I had seen from him that did not look calculated.
“Princess,” he said.
The word sounded strange coming from him, yet warmth spread through me before I could stop it.
“Good evening,” I replied because I didn't know what else to say.
“How are you?” he asked, his voice calm and steady in a way that unsettled me because it felt genuine.
“I’m fine,” I answered. His eyes dropped briefly to my hand still intertwined with Kael’s before returning to my face. “Are you really my father?” I asked, needing to see the truth in his eyes when he responded.
His smile did not falter. “Yes, my princess. I am your father,” he said. Before I could form another question, he continued as though he had anticipated the storm brewing inside me. “I know you have many questions,” he said gently. “And I promise you that I have answers. However, I cannot give them to you right now. I made a promise that I would never miss a month without seeing you. This visit fulfills that promise for this month.”
“I don't understand,” I confessed, my voice barely steady.
“I know,” he said gently, as though he could see the confusion warring inside me. “And I don't expect you to understand anything right now. I promise that on my next visit, I will tell you everything. For now, I only need to be certain that you are well.”
His voice carried a quiet urgency beneath its calm surface. I nodded slowly.
“I am doing fine,” I answered.
“Are you being mistreated in any way?” he asked.
The moment the question left his lips, his eyes shifted to Kael as though he expected the answer to come from him instead of me.
“No,” I said firmly before Kael could speak. “I am not being maltreated. They treat me well. They make sure I lack nothing.”
His shoulders seemed to ease slightly.
“I’m glad to hear that,” he replied, looking at me again before turning back to Kael. “Thank you, Alpha Kael, for taking care of my daughter. I owe you.”
“The pleasure is mine, Alpha Dylan,” Kael responded evenly. “I was going to ask why you became a rogue. But knowing who your daughter is and what she represents, I no longer require an explanation.”
“You are a rogue?” I asked, completely shocked.
“I am,” he answered without hesitation. “And I would choose it again and again if it meant I could have the honor of being your father.”
He reached up and untied the locket that rested around his neck. The chain slid free slowly, almost ceremoniously.
“I promised myself that I would give you this on the day I was finally allowed to speak to you,” he said, extending it toward me. “It contains a family photograph taken when you were born.”
I hesitated, staring at the locket resting in his palm. Then I reached out and accepted it. My fingers trembled slightly as I opened it.
The photograph inside stole the air from my lungs.
Joy and sorrow collided violently in my chest. For the first time in my life, I was looking at my mother’s face. I saw myself in her immediately. The silver hair. The softness of her features. The familiarity that felt both comforting and devastating.
“My mother,” I whispered, my voice cracking under the weight of emotions I could no longer contain. “Is she still alive?”
Silence followed.
I lifted my eyes to his and saw the answer before he spoke. He shook his head slowly.
“She passed away a few days after you were born.”
I swallowed hard and nodded. The ache in my chest deepened as I closed the locket carefully, willing myself not to fall apart in front of everyone.
“I have to leave now,” he said softly. “But I will see you again.”
He turned without another word, but halted before he could take another step. He pivoted back toward us, but this time his gaze settled fully on Kael. Whatever warmth had been there moments ago shifted into something more serious.
“I had intended to stay out of this,” he began. “However, after seeing how well you have cared for my daughter, I believe I owe you this.”
He glanced around briefly at everyone present before focusing on Kael again.
“Two things,” he said.
“First, Ironfang may be the most powerful Pack in existence right now, but I can assure you that there are individuals within your inner circle working tirelessly to bring you down. You must be cautious. Watch your back. And if circumstances take a dark turn, do everything within your power to protect my daughter.”
The air grew thicker.
“Second,” he continued, “you likely noticed one of my men whispering to me earlier. You carry the residue of a powerful charm. It is a potent concoction originating from Shadow Pack. It requires no magic to prepare. Whoever used it on you was fully aware that you are immune to magic.”
My grip tightened around the locket.
“If you have acted against your will,” he said carefully, “or if there are events you don't remember that others insist occurred, and you find yourself questioning your sanity, then this is your answer. Someone close to you used that concoction to manipulate you.”
A chill ran down my spine.
“The unfortunate part,” he added, “is that you cannot identify the culprit yourself, and it could be anybody.”
He extended his hand, pointing toward one of the men standing behind him.
“The only person capable of uncovering the truth is him. And he can only do so by meeting with every member of your Pack. We don't have the luxury of time for that now.”
His eyes hardened slightly.
“So I advise you, Alpha Kael, to be extremely cautious.”