Chapter 85 Freedom At the Cost of Silver
Lyra froze.
Her claws were wrapped around Tracy’s throat, her wolf towering over the trembling woman, but she didn’t tighten her grip once she heard that word.
Pregnant.
Tracy sobbed beneath her hold, tears streaking down her face. “Please,” she cried, voice breaking. “Please don’t kill me. I’m pregnant. I swear it. I wouldn’t lie about that.”
Lyra’s chest heaved as she stared down at her, wondering if it was true.
Slowly and carefully, she loosened her grip, just enough so Tracy could breathe without choking.
“Say that again,” Lyra growled, her voice low and shaking. “You’re pregnant?”
Tracy nodded frantically. “Yes. I am. I swear on my life. On my child’s life.”
Lyra stepped back half a pace but didn’t fully release her. Her claws still hovered like they were ready to strike. “Then why,” she demanded, “are you helping Samson?”
Tracy sucked in a sobbing breath. “Because I don’t want my child to grow up without a father.”
Lyra stiffened.
“You think I don’t know what Ryker would do to him if he caught him?” Tracy went on desperately. “He’d kill him. There would be no trial, no mercy, nothing! Samson knows too much. He’s already crossed too many lines.”
“So,” Lyra snarled, her eyes glowing, “you were ready to kill me just to save him?”
Tracy shook her head wildly. “No! No, I didn’t want to kill you. I swear. I didn’t mean to poison you like that. I was told it wouldn’t kill you. Samson said it would just scare you. The poison was just meant to weaken you.”
Lyra laughed coldly. “Scare me?”
“Yes!” Tracy cried. “He said if we frightened you enough, you’d leave, that Ryker would be forced to step down because the pack would blame him for bringing danger into IronFangs.”
Lyra’s lips curled back, her voice vibrating with fury. “You’re a fool.”
Tracy flinched.
“He’s lying to you,” Lyra said harshly. “Samson doesn’t want Ryker to step down. He wants him dead. He wants me dead. He wants to take over this pack, confront the brothers, and crown himself Alpha.”
Tracy stared at her, horror slowly dawning. “No, no, that’s not true. He promised me that he wouldn’t—”
“He already tried to kill me,” Lyra snapped. “And he stabbed Rex. Does that sound like a man who will stop halfway because of some silly promise he made to his baby mama?”
Tracy looked stunned, and her knees buckled. “I didn’t know. He told me we’d all be safe once this was over.”
Lyra exhaled sharply, forcing herself to stay calm. “Listen to me,” she said. “If you want to protect your child, you need to help me stop him.”
Tracy looked up at her, eyes red and terrified. “How?”
“Tell me where he is,” Lyra said. “And then you’ll come with me. You’ll confess everything to Ryker and let him know you were coerced into this. You’ll tell us every lie, every plan, and every name involved.”
Tracy swallowed hard. “I’ll do it. I swear. I’ll tell him everything. Just, please, don’t let him kill me.”
“I won’t,” Lyra said firmly. “But you have to trust me. This is the only way to fix this.”
Tracy nodded quickly. “I’ll do everything you want.”
But just then, there was a loud sound of footsteps coming into the tunnel.
Before Lyra could react, Tracy suddenly screamed.
“Help me!” she cried, her voice piercing the air. “Samson! She’s trying to kill me!”
Lyra froze.
“What?” she hissed, releasing Tracy in shock as the woman poked her eyes.
“You said you’d surrender!” Lyra hissed.
But Tracy stared back at her. “Never!”
At once, she heard the loud bang of a gunshot.
The bullet slammed into the stone wall beside them with a deafening clang, sparks flying.
The scent hit her instantly, and she knew what it was. The burning, metallic, unmistakable smell of silver.
Lyra’s eyes widened as she spun hurriedly and ran.
“There’s no way out for you, bitch!” Samson roared from behind her. “You die today!”
Then, as he chased her, another shot rang out.
Lyra dodged instinctively, the bullet grazing past her ear. She sprinted down the tunnel, her feet pounding against the cold stone floor, heart racing as more shots followed.
She turned sharply, skidding around a corner just as she heard another bullet wheeze past her ears.
“Run all you want!” Samson shouted. “You won’t make it out! I’ll get rid of you, you parasite!”
Lyra ducked another bullet and lunged forward, flattening herself as she reached the end of the tunnel, trying to squeeze through the tight passage.
But Samson caught up, and that’s when she felt pain explode through her shoulder.
She screamed as the bullet tore into her flesh, and the force was so powerful that it knocked her sideways.
She slammed into the wall, vision blurring, blood soaking into her flimsy clothes as the silver burned its way through her system.
But she didn’t stop.
With a desperate growl of pain, she pushed herself up and bolted, bursting out of the tunnel and into the open air.
Cold night wind hit her face as she ran across the backyard, her legs wobbling.
In the distance, she could see the house loom ahead, lights glowing faintly in the darkness.
“Almost there,” she panted, struggling to move her feet, which were almost immobile now.
Her vision swam as the silver slowly spread, poisoning her blood and draining what was left of her strength.
She stumbled onto the porch, gasping, claws scraping against wood as she tried to stay upright.
“Help!” she called out, but her voice was barely audible.
Raising her fist, she reached for the door, but her fingertips didn’t touch it before her hands became paralyzed and she panted helplessly.
Just when she turned ahead and saw Samson coming boldly toward her, she said her last prayers and inhaled deeply.
But just then, by a miracle, the door burst open.
“My goodness, Lyra!”
The deep voice came from behind her, and she turned just enough to see Ryker rushing toward her from the house.
And then everything went black.