Chapter 91
LYRA’S POV
I clutched the note in my trembling hands tighter as my gaze swept over the ascending floor numbers in the elevator as I headed to the Luna Chambers. My hands shook at the sides, and my heartbeat increased some more at the thought of what I was about to do.
Freedom.
Was it really? I thought again.
I thought about Ryker and our mate bond. We were still tied, bound by the moon goddess.
Doubt was beginning to creep in, but I steeled my resolve. I couldn’t back down now. Besides, there was nothing for me here. Not when Ryker was expecting his heir, not when Vera was Luna, not when we had a bond that was forged by trauma, aside from the cruel fate the moon goddess spun around us.
I pushed forward as there was no time to waste. No time to hesitate.
Nessa’s voice echoed in my mind—“Don’t trust Vera. She’s not what she seems.”
But I shoved the warning aside. Ryker had made his choice. He had marked Vera.
He had slept with her.
He had told me it was just a contract. That he would never go that far—but he had. And now Vera carried his mark—evidence of their bond as mates. And I, his true mate, had nothing but empty promises and a life of isolation with a mate bond that still tethered us together.
A cruel thread of love and pain.
I wanted to scream, to tear this bond from my soul. But I was powerless, and Liora had only just awakened, and even then, she was weak—too weak to shift, too weak to fight, yet.
“We’re not ready,” Liora whispered faintly as though sensing my thought.
“I know,” I murmured, my steps quickening, thankful there were no guards in sight. “But I can’t stay here.”
As soon as I pushed open the door to the Luna Chambers, the room greeted me with soft hues—blush pinks and ivory, the scent of lavender and something else, something sweeter, thicker. I didn’t pay it much attention because not only were my legs shaking from the sheer fright of the possibilities of not making it out, but from the possibility of actually making it out of here.
The room was just as I remembered it.
Unable to stay put, I kept pacing, my ears straining to listen for sounds—footsteps—anything.
With the note still clutched in my hand. I hurriedly tucked the paper under the hem of my dress. However, as soon as I raised my head after the slight bent posture I took from tucking the note, my vision blurred and my knees buckled. Without warning, I collapsed onto the edge of the bed, pressing my fingers to her temple.
What’s going on?
Why am I suddenly so weak?
Liora, are you there? I called out, but Liora was too weak to respond. She was trying her best to pass some of her strength to my human flesh.
“Please,” I whispered, “Please let him come quickly.”
Then the door creaked open.
Relief flooded my chest—until I saw him.
Excitement followed by anxiety came flowing all at once. But I was glad he was finally here. But there was a problem, I suddenly couldn’t move from the bed.
My legs had gone numb, same for had my arms. I could only watch in horror as I took in the appearance of the man Vera had sent.
His face looked flushed, and he appeared to be struggling with his wolf. I kept seeing flashes of his wolf’s eyes and his at intervals, and he appeared to be intoxicated.
Was he drunk?
How drunk was he?
We werewolves hardly got drunk. Except—
My eyes widened in horror as I watched him stagger towards the bed. His nostrils flaring, his eyes already darkened, and his chest rising and falling with shallow, ragged breaths. There was a hunger in his gaze—A hunger I knew all too well. The kind that didn’t end well, except shared by mates or lovers.
“You’re in the wrong room,” I managed to say.
But he wasn’t listening. Whatever he drank must have taken over his mind because he only kept moving closer, his movements slow and deliberate.
His eyes roamed over my body, and something primal flickered in them, making my heart skip a beat.
“Go back,” I managed to say. My eyes were blurry as the aura of the room made me feel weaker.
What was in the air?
And it clicked…
My eyes shot open at my reality.
There was a drug in the air. And Vera had intentionally brought me here.
A low growl emanated from his throat, a sound that made my blood run cold, and I heard his words. Although faint. “Vera…” he murmured, voice thick with lust.
“What?” My eyes widened. “I am not Vera. Who are you?” My panic was evident as he yanked my dress away from my body.
“Argh!” I screamed blue murder, tears spilling down my face as I watched in horror.
The werewolf had gone into rut, and I was lying helpless in his den as easy prey.
“Please,” I begged, screaming as I watched him helplessly settle in between my legs. “You’re not thinking clearly.”
He loomed over me now, his body taut with need, his mind clouded by the wine and the scent. “You smell so good,” he growled.
My heart pounded heavily. My voice was hoarse from screaming as I tried to summon Liora, but her wolf was too weak. My limbs felt like lead, and my vision blurred again.
“Don’t do this,” I whispered, too weak to scream. “Please.”
But it was too late…
His hands already gripped the bedpost on both sides, caging me in.