Chapter 17 THE BOSS
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
LYRA
I broke down in tears as I watched Hailey burn. I truly thought I was done for, but the twins came just in time to save me.
I rushed to Damien, hugging him like my life depended on it. I couldn’t explain how grateful I was that they arrived when they did.
“Thank you so much.” Tears fell freely from my eyes.
Damian came closer, holding me, and I’d never felt safer than I did being wrapped in my mates’ arms.
I knew then that I should give them a real chance. They might be the salvation I’d been hoping for.
Damien took my hands and stared into my eyes. “I’m so sorry we didn’t believe you at first. We’ll make it up to you no matter what,” he promised sincerely.
What he didn’t know was that they already had. They’d made it up to me when they saved my life. I had no grudge against them anymore.
They led me back to the house, leaving Hailey’s burning body behind.
I thought everything would finally be fine. Hailey was dead; she would stop haunting and stalking me. I was safe now.
Or so I thought.
Because when I went back into my room, there was a letter waiting for me.
I approached it slowly, skeptical. Hailey was dead, so who was still sending me letters? It was obvious she wasn't the real boss.
“What’s that on your bed?” Damian asked. He had come into the room with me while Damien went to handle other matters, finding out who the huge man was and how he got into the pack.
He also wanted to know more about Hailey’s activities in the pack. She might have sold vital information to enemies.
“Nothing, just some silly letters I write,” I lied through gritted teeth, my eyes never leaving the paper.
Slowly, I walked over, my body trembling. Who could have left this if Hailey was dead? Did she leave it before trying to kill me?
But when I opened the letter, there was a picture of the scene that had unfolded minutes ago. Beneath it were the words:
“She was useless anyway. Your time is up.”
Damian came closer to look at the picture, but I quickly hid it. Then I thought better of it. After everything that happened with Hailey, keeping secrets could cost my life.
“I have to tell you something, Damian. But I need Damien here too. Could you call him over?”
He paused, studying my face, then nodded and left to get his brother.
The silence that followed made my skin crawl. The hairs on my neck stood up, and a shiver ran down my spine. I looked around, realizing I might not be alone.
Hurriedly, I got up to run after Damian, but someone beat me to it.
The same hooded figure that had been tormenting me stood at the door, dagger in hand.
“Your time is up,” he said.
I shook my head, scrambling backward on the bed, searching for anything to defend myself. Anything at all.
In my panic, the man approached. “Your time is up,” he repeated like a mantra, raising the knife higher.
The closer he got, the louder I screamed. Just as he was about to stab me, the door burst open and Damien rushed in.
His eyes were wild with panic, his gun raised. “Where is he?” he shouted.
I looked around, but no one was there. Not even a shadow. He had vanished, just like before. That was impossible. He had been right in front of me seconds ago.
“Are you okay? Who was that?” Damian rushed to my side, pulling my trembling body into his arms.
I couldn’t speak. My mind spun. Unless the man was some kind of vampire or witch, there was no way he could vanish.
“You’re shaken, Lyra. What happened?” Worry filled his eyes, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell him what I’d just seen.
It just didn’t seem possible.
Could I truly be hallucinating? Had I lost my mind?
As much as I wanted to tell them, I feared they might think I’d lost my mind. So I forced a weak smile. “Nothing. I’m fine. Still a little shaken by the Hailey drama.”
They exchanged a look, that silent twin communication I’d come to hate.
“Someone was here,” Damien said quietly.
I shook my head, even though deep down, I knew I wasn’t hallucinating. “No one was.”
Damien checked every corner of the room before coming back. “The coast is clear. No one’s here,” he said.
“I told you, no one was.” I laughed nervously, trying to hide my fear.
“We heard a voice, Lyra. A male voice. Tell us the truth.”
I breathed out in relief…they heard it too. That meant I wasn’t crazy.
It was time to tell them everything.
I pulled out all the letters I’d been receiving from under my pillow and handed them over. Damien read them one by one.
All the threats, the missions, the poison… everything was out in the open.
“What is this? You’ve been getting threats and didn’t tell us?”
“I was scared. I didn’t want anything to happen to my child.”
He sighed, not pressing further. “Who was the man here earlier?”
I hesitated. “This might sound impossible, but it was the same person I met in the room. The one who tried to kill me with a dagger. He’s real. And he vanished again. I don’t know what kind of creature he is, but he disappeared.”
They didn’t look shocked. If anything, realization dawned on their faces.
“We believe you,” Damien said finally. “You’ll sleep in one of our rooms from now on. It’s non-negotiable.”