Chapter 45 045
LYKA
Aiden and Amanda stared at me like I had suddenly grown another head.
Their eyes were filled with disbelief… and anger.
Amanda heaved a sharp breath, trying to calm herself, but I could see the rage trembling beneath her skin. Truthfully, my own body was vibrating with fury too. My claws were still partially extended, and my wolf paced restlessly inside me.
“You can’t go,” I said firmly, planting myself in front of them and blocking their path. My stance lowered into a defensive position, ready to attack if they so much as made a reckless move. A low growl rumbled out of my chest before I could stop it. “I won’t let you run off and get yourselves killed.”
Aiden’s jaw tightened.
“What do you expect us to do then?” he shot back, his voice sharp and burning. “Act like we’re grateful? Act like we’re happy being treated like peasants under the rule of the people who destroyed our lives?”
His words struck deep.
I inhaled slowly, forcing my emotions down.
“No,” I replied. “I’m asking you to act smart.”
Amanda’s eyes flickered toward me.
“I’m asking you to wait,” I continued, locking eyes with both of them. “Wait until it’s the right time to strike.”
Aiden let out a bitter laugh. “And when exactly is that?”
I swallowed hard.
I was the one most affected by this revelation. Not only had I learned who possibly massacred my pack… I had learned that the man might be my mate.
My mate.
Isn’t that cruel?
Isn’t that the kind of twisted fate only the Moon Goddess would design for her own amusement?
The man who held me in his arms… the man who touched me… the man whose scent still lingered on my skin…
Was the same man I might have to kill.
“Until when?” Aiden pressed. “How long are we supposed to wait?”
I raised my chin and met his gaze steadily.
“Until you’re strong enough,” I answered. “Strong enough to take them down without dying in the process. When you’re certain you can win....that’s when you strike.”
My voice darkened.
My resolve hardened.
I wasn’t forgiving Derrick.
Not now. Not ever.
But I needed time.
Time to grow stronger.
Time to confirm the truth.
Time to prepare for war.
Because if he truly was responsible…
Then I would not fail.
Have you ever felt like your life was a tightly woven net....each thread tightening around you no matter how hard you struggled?
That was exactly how I felt.
Ever since returning from the lakeside last night, I hadn’t slept a single wink. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw fire. I heard screams. I smelled blood and ash.
And behind it all…
I saw him.
“How can this be true?” I rasped, my throat dry and hoarse from exhaustion. My reflection in the mirror looked pale, haunted. “How can Derrick be the cause of my misery?”
The words felt foreign in my mouth.
“This has to be a nightmare,” I whispered.
But it wasn’t.
It was reality.
A cruel, suffocating reality.
I pushed myself off the bed and staggered toward the mirror again. My movements felt heavy, like I was walking underwater. Slowly, I lifted my hair away from my neck.
Bare.
Unmarked.
I stared at it for a long time.
“Maybe this is for the best,” I murmured bitterly. “Because I wouldn’t want to drive a dagger into my mate’s chest… but right now, he is nothing to me.”
Nothing.
“And he will pay,” I added softly. “He will pay for every tear. Every scream. Every life lost.”
I tied my hair into a tight bun, sealing my emotions away with it, and began walking toward the restroom.
Knock.
I froze.
Another knock followed.
I walked to the door and opened it, only to find a maid standing outside. She bowed respectfully.
“The Alpha requests your presence,” she said.
A humorless chuckle escaped my lips.
Oh?
Now he wants to see me?
Perfect.
Let’s see how well he lies to my face.
“You asked for me, Alpha?” I said as I stepped into his study.
The room smelled faintly of cedarwood and ink. My gaze immediately fell on something unusual....a small dining table set neatly in the corner of the study.
That hadn’t been there before.
“You’re here,” Derrick said, turning around slowly.
His eyes landed on me, searching.
Waiting.
I braced myself, expecting Elysia....my wolf....to react with excitement like before.
But she was silent.
Cold.
Hurt.
“Is there something you need me to do?” I asked evenly.
His brows creased slightly as he approached me.
The closer he came, the harder it became to breathe.
Memories assaulted me.
The fire.
The accusations.
The man’s words at the lake.
My hands itched.
Itched to wrap around his throat.
‘Get yourself together, LYKA,’ I scolded internally. ‘You cannot attack him here. Not in his territory. Not without preparation.’
I inhaled deeply, forcing my claws to remain hidden.
“Why are you so distant this morning?” he asked, studying my face carefully. “Did someone upset you?”
I let out a soft breath of disbelief.
“Did you really have to ask that?” I replied quietly, stepping back to create distance. Being near him scrambled my thoughts in ways I hated.
He sighed.
“I invited you because I wanted to have breakfast together,” he said. “That’s all.”
“That won’t be necessary,” I cut in quickly. “I’m not hungry.”
I turned to leave.
But suddenly....
His hand wrapped around my wrist.
The moment his skin touched mine, a spark shot through my body like lightning.
“What are you doing?” I demanded, attempting to pull away.
He tightened his hold slightly....not forcefully, but firmly.
“I know you’re angry,” he said softly. “And I know you don’t want to see me. But I have my reasons. I just can’t explain everything yet....”
“I already know your reasons,” I interrupted sharply. “I witnessed one yesterday. And I learned another last night. So spare me the explanation.”
I jerked my hand free this time.
His jaw tightened.
“What do you want from me?” he asked suddenly. “I’ll give you anything to make up for my mistake....anything except making you my Luna.”
I froze.
My eyes snapped to his.
“Except being your Luna?” I repeated slowly.
What was he hiding?
Why was that the one thing he refused?
But then I remembered.
I didn’t care anymore.
Not about Luna.
Not about status.
Not about him.
Revenge tasted stronger than all of that.
“I don’t want anything from you,” I said calmly, offering him a faint smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “I just want to be left alone. Is that clear?”
His expression flickered with something unreadable.
“Since we understand each other,” I added lightly, “I’ll take my leave.”
I turned.
But before I could reach the door....
A voice cut through the room.
Cold.
Amused.
“What did he do to you for you to become this cold?”
My entire body stiffened.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly.
Slowly, I turned around.
And my breath caught.
It was him.
The man cloaked in darkness.
The one who kept appearing without warning.
“You…” I whispered, my eyes narrowing. “It’s you, isn’t it?”
Dark energy swirled faintly around him, thick and suffocating.
His lips curled into a slow smile.
“Did you miss me?” he asked casually.
My heart began pounding violently.
Fear crawled up my spine like icy fingers.
What was he?
Why did he keep appearing wherever Derrick and I were?
What did he want from us?
And why did it feel like he knew everything?
The air between the three of us grew tense....charged with something dangerous and unseen.
For the first time since hearing about the massacre…
My fear shifted.