Chapter 7
Orion's POV
The roar of cheers from outside interrupted James mid-sentence. He turned his head, letting out a low whistle as he set down his coffee cup, his face breaking into a smile of genuine appreciation rather than the calculated business demeanor he usually wore.
"I've never seen a girl ride like that," he said, leaning forward with his gaze fixed on the window. "That kind of raw vitality—it's rare."
I shifted my attention toward the window, expecting just another rider celebrating a victory, the kind of scene I'd witnessed countless times before, already preparing some polite, perfunctory comment. But the moment my eyes landed on her, something in my chest seized violently.
She was pulling off her helmet, dark hair spilling down around her shoulders, and even from this distance, I could see the wild freedom in her movements.
Mate.
The word detonated in my mind, my wolf recognizing her with an immediacy that bypassed all logic, and before I could even process the thought, I heard my own voice.
"Yes," I said quietly, unable to tear my gaze away. "Beautiful."
James turned to stare at me, undisguised surprise written across his face. "Did you just—Orion, I've known you for years, and I've never heard you describe a woman that way. Not once." His tone carried a blend of amusement and curiosity.
I forced myself to pull my eyes from the window, from her, and refocus on the contracts spread across the table. "We should finalize the merger terms," I said, my voice maintaining its usual composure even as the wolf in my head tore savagely at my control, urging me to go to her, to mark the vulnerable curve of her throat and claim her as mine entirely. "The board meets next week."
James studied me for another moment, clearly debating whether to press further. Finally, he let it go, settling back with a knowing smile.
We returned to business, but my thoughts remained completely disrupted by that brief exchange of glances. This was highly unusual.
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Lyra's POV
The instant my eyes met Orion's, I reflexively looked away, every plan I'd carefully constructed collapsing in that single moment. I wasn't ready to face him—not yet, not when I was wearing the club's leather jacket instead of the kind of polished, appropriate attire someone of his status would expect.
I turned quickly, mumbling a hasty goodbye to Rowan, then rode home with my heart hammering wildly in my chest. When I walked through the door, the apartment was empty. I opened my laptop and pulled up the security camera footage, scrolling back through the past few days.
I found a brief clip: Kael walking into the storage room with something in his hand, his movements furtive and careful. I rewound it, watching again, and caught the moment he opened a safe I'd never known existed, hidden behind boxes in the back corner. The angle wasn't perfect, but I could make out the sequence his fingers pressed on the keypad: 0-7-1-8.
Mira's birthday.
Once I was certain he wouldn't be back, I slipped into the storage room, using my phone's flashlight to cut through the darkness. I entered the code and heard the lock click open.
Inside was a leather-bound journal and a thick stack of receipts bound with a rubber band. I pulled out the journal first, flipping it open, and cold dread flooded my veins as I read Kael's handwriting documenting the dates, dosages, and effects of the Nightfall he'd been giving me. The stack of receipts showed purchases of Nightfall spanning our entire relationship—dozens of transactions, evidence of poisoning that no werewolf Elder Council could ignore.
With trembling hands, I photographed every page, then carefully returned everything exactly as I'd found it. By the time I left the storage room, tears were streaming down my face, but my resolve had hardened into something unbreakable.
The next morning, I received an invitation to Sera's engagement party. I should have quietly slipped away from Red Fang territory. But Sera was the only person who had shown me kindness during my three years of deafness, who had stayed by my side when everyone else mocked me.
I owed her a proper goodbye.
---
The venue for Sera's engagement party was one of those converted warehouses the pack used for formal gatherings, exposed brick walls softened with flowers and draping fabric. I wore an old dress I'd brought from Silver Moon—simple and dated, but it was the best I had at the moment.
I walked in to find Kael and Mira already there, standing side by side near the bar, both wearing matching bracelets. Delicate silver chains that caught the light as they moved, the intimacy of it making my stomach turn.
Kael saw me and froze, his eyes widening slightly before he looked down at his wrist, trying to subtly push the bracelet up under his sleeve. But it was obvious—he knew I'd seen it.
He crossed the room quickly, his voice low and urgent. "The bracelets are standard issue for Council members at pack events. Mira just happened to get one too. Don't read into it."
I looked at him with the practiced neutrality I'd perfected over the past week and simply nodded. I saw something flicker across his face—confusion, perhaps, or concern that I was no longer playing the role he'd written for me.
Mira still stood by the bar, wearing a dress I recognized immediately—one I'd seen months ago while browsing online, its price tag memorable for how expensive it had been. I was almost certain Kael had bought it for her.
The other women in the pack clustered around her, complimenting the dress, and when they glanced at me, taking in my outdated dress and worn shoes, I heard their tone shift.
"Showing up to a friend's engagement party dressed like that—that's something," one of them said, her voice just loud enough to reach me clearly.
"Well, she's a rogue," another added with false sympathy. "Can't expect her to have anything decent."
Before I could decide how to respond, Sera appeared at my side, her hand warm as it grasped mine. "I'm so nervous I can barely breathe," she said deliberately, steering me away from the gossiping women. "My hands are actually sweating. Tell me, when are you and Kael having your mating ceremony? I want to be there to call you Luna properly."
"Today is about you," I said, squeezing her hand and forcing a smile. "Don't worry about me. Go get changed into your ceremonial dress."
After Sera left to change, I retreated to a corner and picked up a drink. When she emerged in her ceremonial gown, I raised my glass to her, silently wishing her the happiness I might never have.
Soon she was swept up in the cheerful crowd of pack members, and I excused myself to the restroom, my mind already working on how I could leave soon without appearing rude.
But as I pushed open the door to step out, I heard Mira's voice. I froze, my hand still on the door, completely still.