Chapter 6 Once Bitten
"Ahhh,” she gasped as the pain in her head intensified for a split second and then she heard nothing.
It was just the dark forest and the sound of nightly creatures.
Lyra stood frozen in the woods, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as if she could hold her trembling body steady.
Her eyes scanned the forest but she found nothing. There was no one. Cassian was gone and the voice in her head had disappeared.
“I am Lyra,” she murmured.
The body was Irene Cross but her mind, her soul, her spirit, it all belonged to her past life.
“I am Lyra Kael,” she murmured again, shocked to be alive.
How was this possible? How did she become reborn?
Her breath came in shallow bursts and that voice was still echoing inside her skull.
“Little half-breed, you carry my mark whether you accept it or not…”
Her knees buckled slightly. She pressed a hand to her chest as if she could stop her heart from slamming itself against her ribs.
She didn’t know how long she had been standing there, minutes? Hours? All she knew was that her whole body shook with the aftertaste of fear, confusion, and something far darker that she refused to name.
Cassian’s presence reminded her of her own death. What on earth could be more scary?
“Irene!”
She gasped as the voices sounded in the night.
She whipped around, panicked.
It wasn't her name, at least not anymore. She knew who she was now. But still, she knew they were looking for her.
She was mute as she heard branches snapping under heavy boots. She could almost smell the werewolves coming through the forest.
Perhaps it was the fact that she was now a halfbreed, but she could smell the werewolves and it wasn't pleasant.
Some part of her was repulsed at the smell and some part of her found it familiar. It was confusing and strange.
“Irene! Where the hell are you?”
“There’s no way she’s still around the pack. Half-breeds can’t contain their own anger.”
“She’s probably wandered off back to whatever hell she crawled out of.”
She could hear the cruel laughter after that. She knew those voices, they were all IronFangs members. Ryker’s men. Wolves who had never bothered to hide their disgust for her. Wolves who made sure she felt it every single day.
When she was Ryker's mate, they didn't respect her. They saw her as nothing but a clingy weak wolf whom Ryker did a favor by marrying.
“I don’t even know why the alpha insists on finding the stray.”
“She’s not worth the trouble.”
“She should’ve stayed dead on the road.”
Lyra stepped back, thinking of running off, but her heel caught on a root. Her breath hitched and before she could steady herself, her foot slipped entirely. She crashed backward, hitting the forest floor with a loud, unforgiving thud.
The sound of rustling leaves echoed and she froze, eyes wide.
“Wait! Did you hear that?”
“Something’s over there!”
“Move!”
Branches tore apart as the men burst through the trees. Lyra gasped for air, chest heaving violently, trying to crawl backward. Her palms scraped over rocks and leaves.
“There she is.”
“Damn, she looks like she’s about to faint.”
“Get up, half-breed.”
One reached for her.
She flinched so hard her whole body jerked away.
The men exchanged glances, annoyed and impatient.
“Look, the alpha gave us orders,” one snapped. “He wants you brought back. That’s what we’re doing.”
Before she could speak, two of them grabbed her roughly under the arms and hauled her to her feet. Lyra cried out as pain shot through her ribs.
“Stop, let me go!”
“Quit whining and move,” another growled, practically dragging her forward.
As they forced her through the forest, stumbling over roots and rocks, she tried to keep her balance, but her legs felt like water.
Then the forest slowly thinned out and she saw the night explode with the roar of motorcycles.
At the edge of the forest, Ryker sat astride his massive black bike, its engine growling loud enough to shake the ground.
His jacket billowed in the wind, his hair wild and a deep frown on his face.
The moment he saw her, he slammed the throttle and surged toward them.
“What the hell happened to her?” he barked, his voice booming over the engine as he skidded to a stop.
The men stepped back instantly with fear and respect.
Ryker tore off his gloves and reached for her hands. “Lyra, look at me. I’ve been searching for you all night. These forests are crawling with bloodsuckers. Do you have any idea how dangerous—”
She swallowed hard.
She did know.
She remembered Cassian’s eyes as he promised her torture and the blood king stepping from the shadows like a nightmare carved into flesh.
But she could never say that. If they found out who had sired her and what was required, she might not survive the night.
Ryker frowned. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Her throat tightened. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She felt small under his stare, fragile in a way she hated.
“Come on,” he said gently, squeezing her hand. “Let’s go
home.”
Lyra jerked her hand away.
“The IronFang is no longer my home, Ryker. You decided that when you rejected me.”