Chapter 2: Failure of escape

The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife as Alpha Asher and Lucian faced each other. I stood frozen, barely daring to breathe, acutely aware of my position between the two powerful wolves.

"I'll ask you one more time, Lucian," Asher growled, his eyes flashing dangerously. "What are you doing here?"

Lucian's stance was relaxed, almost casual, but I could sense the coiled power beneath his calm exterior. "Believe it or not, brother, I'm here to help."

Asher's laugh was harsh and bitter. "Help? Like you helped our father?"

I flinched at the venom in Asher's voice, but Lucian didn't even blink. "I know you don't want to hear this, Asher, but we don't have time for your grudges. The rogue werewolves are on the move."

A flicker of something – concern? – passed over Asher's face before his expression hardened again. "And why should I believe anything you say?"

"Because," Lucian said, his voice low and intense, "if you don't, our pack – your pack – will be in danger."

Elder Anya, who had been watching the exchange with wide eyes, stepped forward. "Perhaps we should discuss this somewhere more private," she suggested, her gaze darting meaningfully to me.

I lowered my eyes, trying to make myself as small and unnoticeable as possible. But to my surprise, Lucian shook his head. "No. Lyra stays."

"What?" Asher and I spoke in unison, both equally shocked.

Lucian's eyes met mine, and I felt that same jolt of... something... that I'd experienced when he touched my cheek. "She's involved in this whether she knows it or not."

Asher's face darkened with fury. "You have no right to make decisions about my pack members, Lucian. You gave up that right when you betrayed us."

"I didn't betray anyone!" Lucian's calm facade cracked for the first time, his eyes blazing with a mix of anger and pain. "If you would just listen to me-"

"I've heard enough of your lies," Asher cut him off. He turned to Elder Anya. "Escort him out. If he resists, call the guards."

Anya hesitated, conflict clear on her face. "Asher, perhaps we should hear him out. If there's a threat to the pack-"

"The only threat to this pack is him," Asher snarled, pointing at Lucian. "Get. Him. Out."

For a moment, I thought Lucian might argue further. But then he sighed, the fight seeming to drain out of him. "Fine. I've said what I came to say. But remember this, brother – when the rogues come, and they will come, you'll wish you had listened to me."

He turned to leave, but not before his eyes found mine one last time. "Stay safe, Lyra," he said softly, and then he was gone, Elder Anya hurrying after him.

Asher stood there for a long moment, his body rigid with tension. Then, abruptly, he turned to me. "What did he say to you?" he demanded.

I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. "N-nothing, Alpha. He just asked my name."

Asher's eyes narrowed, and for a terrifying moment, I thought he might accuse me of lying. But then he shook his head, as if dismissing me from his thoughts entirely. "Get back to work," he snapped. "And if you breathe a word of what you heard here to anyone, you'll wish Cora's punishment was all you had to worry about."

With that, he stalked off, leaving me alone in the hallway, my mind reeling from everything that had just happened.

The next few days passed in a blur of increased work and heightened tension. The entire pack was buzzing with preparations for the upcoming Luna selection ceremony, but underneath the excitement ran an undercurrent of unease. Whispers of Lucian's return and mentions of rogue werewolves filled the corridors, though they always fell silent when I approached.

If possible, my treatment at the hands of the pack worsened. Cora and her friends seemed determined to make up for their moment of weakness in front of Lucian, and they took every opportunity to remind me of my place.

"Scrub harder, slave," Cora sneered, deliberately knocking over the bucket of soapy water I had been using to clean the main hall. "We can't have the place looking shabby for Alpha Asher's big day, can we?"

I bit back a sigh as I watched the water spread across the floor I had just finished cleaning. "No, Cora," I muttered, reaching for the mop.

"You know," Eliza chimed in, her voice sickly sweet, "I heard Alpha Asher talking about you the other day, Lyra."

Despite myself, I felt a flicker of curiosity. "What?"

Cora's laugh was cruel. "Oh yes, he was discussing what to do with you after you turn eighteen. Apparently, he's considering letting you stay on as a permanent servant. Isn't that generous of him?"

The words hit me like a physical blow. My eighteenth birthday was just two days away now. I had been counting down the hours, dreaming of the moment I could finally leave this place behind. The thought that Asher might force me to stay...

"You're lying," I said, hating how small and uncertain my voice sounded.

"Am I?" Cora raised an eyebrow. "I suppose you'll find out soon enough, won't you? Now get back to work. This floor isn't going to clean itself."

As they sauntered away, giggling, I felt the weight of despair settling over me once more. What if they were telling the truth? What if I was never going to be free?

The day before my eighteenth birthday – and the day of the Luna selection ceremony – dawned bright and clear. The pack house was a flurry of activity as final preparations were made. I had been up since before dawn, helping in the kitchens and setting up the great hall.

As I was arranging flowers on one of the side tables, I overheard a heated conversation from the adjoining room. Curiosity got the better of me, and I crept closer to listen.

"...can't just ignore his warning, Asher," Elder Anya was saying, her voice strained with worry.

"I can, and I will," Asher replied firmly. "Lucian lost the right to be heard in this pack a long time ago."

"But what if he's right about the rogues?" Anya pressed. "We've all heard the rumors. Packs to the north have reported increased attacks. What if-"

"Enough!" Asher's voice cracked like a whip. "I will not let Lucian's lies disrupt this pack any further. Today is about choosing a Luna, about securing our future. That is what we need to focus on."

There was a long pause before Anya spoke again, her voice soft but determined. "And what about Lyra?"

My heart skipped a beat at the mention of my name.

"What about her?" Asher asked, a note of irritation in his voice.

"She turns eighteen tomorrow. By pack law, she has the right to leave if she chooses."

Another pause, longer this time. When Asher spoke again, his voice was cold. "Pack law also states that the Alpha has final say in all matters concerning the pack's security. Lyra knows too much about what happened with Lucian. For now, she stays."

I stumbled back from the door, my mind reeling. They were going to keep me here. My dreams of freedom, so close I could almost taste them, were crumbling to dust around me.

"Lyra!" Beta Kieran's sharp voice cut through my panic. "Stop lazing around and get back to work. The ceremony starts tomorrow, and this place is nowhere near ready."

I nodded mutely, my body moving on autopilot as I returned to my tasks. But inside, my mind was racing. I couldn't stay here. I wouldn't. Somehow, some way, I had to escape.

As I lay in bed that night, the eve of my eighteenth birthday, I made a final, desperate decision. I had to leave. Tonight. Whatever dangers waited for me outside the pack, they couldn't be worse than staying here.

I waited until the dead of night, when the pack house was as quiet as it ever got. With trembling hands, I gathered what few possessions I had – a change of clothes, a small knife I had managed to secret away, and a handful of dried food I had been saving for days.

As I crept through the dark corridors, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure someone would hear it, I sent up a silent prayer to whoever might be listening.

Please, let me get away. Please, let me find safety.

I had almost made it to the back entrance when a voice froze me in my tracks.

"Going somewhere, Lyra?"

I turned slowly, my blood turned to ice in my veins. There, emerging from the shadows like a nightmare given form, was Alpha Asher.

His eyes gleamed in the darkness, a predatory smile playing on his lips. "Did you really think it would be that easy?"