A letter

The next morning, Lyra woke up feeling better, but the memories of last night hit her like a bolt of lightning.

She pushed herself up hastily, recalling every detail. Her heat cycle had started abruptly, without any prior warning. That was one of the things she hated most about not having a wolf—she lacked the instincts and control that came with it.

The mere thought of throwing herself at Casian made her cheeks burn with embarrassment. However, her mortification was quickly interrupted by Penny, who walked in carrying a tray with herbal tea.

"My lady, you are awake!" Penny's cheerful voice momentarily made Lyra forget the discomfort in her body. Her eyes fell on the tray in Penny's hands, triggering another memory—after Casian had helped her lie down, Penny had brought the same tea, which had eased her heat to some extent, allowing her to relax.

"Here, drink this on an empty stomach so you don't feel any discomfort," Penny said, handing her the cup. Without hesitation, Lyra quickly finished it.

She knew she had messed up—badly. She had clung to Casian, kissed him… The thought alone made her want to curl into herself and disappear. But what scared her more was how she was going to face him.

Lyra grabbed her book and scribbled something on it.

"Where is Casian?"

Penny glanced at the book before answering, "The Alpha is out for business and won't be returning until late at night."

A wave of relief washed over Lyra, and she let out a deep sigh.

"You don't want to meet him, my lady?" Penny asked, her voice laced with curiosity. Lyra froze for a second before quickly shaking her head.

Penny didn't press further and continued tidying the chamber. Lyra, however, found herself lost in thought. She couldn't escape this place, so what was she supposed to do now? Sitting inside her room with nothing to do only made her feel more useless.

She had no friends. She never had. Her parents had never allowed her to step outside their home, ashamed of her existence. She had been nothing more than a maid in their house, doing everything they demanded in exchange for food and shelter.

Thinking about it now, it made sense why she felt so worthless. At least back there, she had work to keep her occupied. Here, she had nothing.

She considered going for a stroll in the garden but immediately dismissed the idea when memories of the previous night resurfaced. She feared running into the same man who had tried to kill her.

Then, a thought struck her. She turned toward Penny, who was busy tidying up the room, and waved her over.

Penny obeyed without question, but when Lyra patted the bed beside her, she hesitated.

Lyra frowned at her reluctance but then grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her to sit beside her. Penny, still shocked, watched as Lyra quickly scribbled something in her book and turned it toward her.

"Is there a rogue living in this house? I saw one the night I was brought here—he attacked me."

Lyra looked at Penny with expectant eyes, but Penny only furrowed her brows in confusion.

Then, after a brief pause, Penny spoke.

"Are you talking about Delta Rowan?"

Lyra's brows knitted together. 'Delta Rowan?'

Then, she remembered—the Alpha had called the man by that name. Her eyes widened, and she quickly nodded in agreement.

"But why would he attack you? He is one of the Alpha's closest friends, and there's no way he would do anything to hurt him," Penny said, her words causing Lyra to frown.

As she pondered Penny's response, an unsettling feeling stirred within her. But she chose not to press further.

Maybe Rowan disliked her, just like the others did. Perhaps the idea of their Alpha bringing a mute, wolfless girl into his fortress had upset him. The thought made her stomach twist.

Once again, insecurity took hold of Lyra, urging her to withdraw, to disappear without another word.

The entire day passed with her confined to her room. She was well taken care of—meals and medication delivered per Casian's orders—but as night fell, a deep loneliness settled over her.

She couldn't understand why the feeling lingered, why it gnawed at her so persistently. Penny kept her company from time to time, yet the ache of solitude refused to fade.

And, no matter how much she tried to ignore it, Casian's absence bothered her.

It had only been two days since they met, yet she already felt the weight of his presence—even when he wasn't there.

Was it because he was her mate? Or was it something else entirely?

Whatever the reason, she couldn't let herself get caught up in emotions that would only lead to heartbreak. She knew how much Casian had loved his previous mate.

She couldn't even begin to imagine the pain he had endured losing her. But yesterday, when he spoke, when his voice wavered with raw vulnerability, she had seen it—the grief that still haunted him.

Lyra had no memories of her own mother. She had died right after giving birth to her. But there was one thing she left behind, one cherished piece of her that Lyra held close to her heart.

A letter.

Slowly, Lyra pulled out the fragile piece of paper, the words written by the mother she never knew.

In it, her mother had written how grateful she was to have been her mother, how she wanted nothing but the best for her.

Lyra traced the delicate ink with her fingers, holding onto the only proof that, even for a brief moment, she had been loved.

Time passed, and Lyra had no idea she had drifted off to sleep until the sound of the door creaking open startled her awake.

Her brows furrowed slightly when she saw Casian making his way toward her, but she dared not open her eyes, choosing instead to continue pretending.

She didn't know why she did it—perhaps because facing him after what had happened the previous night was something she wasn't ready for.

She kept her thoughts to herself, trying not to betray any sign of wakefulness. But the moment Casian lay down beside her and buried his face in the crook of her neck, her entire body went rigid.