Chapter 2: Strange Changes

Lyra woke up on her birthday with her hand still tingling from yesterday's cut. The small basement room was dark except for a thin ray of sunlight sneaking through the tiny window. For a moment, she just lay there, thinking about the strange way Erik had looked at her.

"Stop being silly," she whispered to herself. "He wasn't looking at you. He was just surprised to see a clumsy omega making a mess."

She slipped out of bed and pulled on her work dress. Nobody would remember her birthday anyway. Twenty-four wasn't special for wolves. Coming of age happened at twenty-one, and she had passed that milestone with no celebration.

As Lyra climbed the stairs to the main floor, she heard voices in the kitchen.

"Did you smell it yesterday?" Martha was saying. "When the Alpha's son arrived?"

"Hush now," another voice replied. "We don't talk about such things."

Lyra paused, curious. What were they talking about?

"But if it's true—" Martha started.

"Enough! Here comes the omega."

Lyra pushed open the door and found Martha and two other kitchen workers staring at her. Usually, they barely noticed when she entered a room, but today their eyes followed her movements.

"Good morning," Lyra said, uncomfortable with the attention.

Martha narrowed her eyes. "You're on breakfast duty today. The family is eating in the sun room."

Lyra nodded and began preparing the breakfast trays. As she worked, she could feel the others watching her, whispering when they thought she couldn't hear.

"It can't be her," one whispered. "She's nothing special."

"The moon chooses who the moon chooses," Martha replied mysteriously.

Lyra pretended not to hear. She picked up the heavy breakfast tray and headed to the sun room, where Clara and her family would be waiting. With each step, she felt a strange pull, like something was tugging her forward.

The hallway seemed longer than usual. Lyra's heart beat faster as she approached the sun room. The strange sensation grew stronger, making her palms sweat and her breath catch.

"What's happening to me?" she wondered.

She pushed open the door with her shoulder and stepped into the bright, plant-filled room. Clara sat at the table with her mother Eleanor and two of Erik's younger brothers, the twins Liam and Lucas.

But no Erik.

The pulling sensation faded. Lyra felt both disappointed and relieved.

"Finally," Clara snapped. "We've been waiting forever."

Lyra carefully set down the tray and began serving the food. As she poured coffee for Eleanor, the Luna's hand suddenly shot out and grabbed her wrist.

"Look at me, girl," Eleanor commanded.

Lyra reluctantly raised her eyes. Eleanor studied her face with cold calculation, her grip painfully tight.

"How old are you now, omega?" she asked.

"Twenty-four today," Lyra answered quietly.

Eleanor's eyes widened slightly. She exchanged a quick glance with Clara, whose face had gone pale.

"Twenty-four," Eleanor repeated. "Interesting timing."

She released Lyra's wrist with a little push. "You may go."

Confused, Lyra backed away from the table. As she turned to leave, she heard Eleanor whisper to Clara, "We need to move up the wedding. Next week, not next month."

"But Mother," Clara protested, "we're not ready—"

"We can't risk waiting," Eleanor hissed. "Not with her turning twenty-four right when Erik returns."

Lyra slipped out of the room, her mind racing. What did her age have to do with anything? And why would they need to move up Clara's wedding?

The morning passed in a blur of chores. Lyra swept floors and dusted shelves, but her mind kept wandering back to the strange reactions she was getting. Even the guards at the front door, who normally ignored her completely, watched her with suspicious eyes when she passed.

By afternoon, Lyra needed fresh air. She finished mopping the entrance hall and snuck outside, heading for her secret spot behind the garden shed. There, a small patch of wildflowers grew, hidden from view. It was the one place she could be alone.

Lyra sat among the flowers and closed her eyes, letting the warm sun soak into her skin. For a few peaceful minutes, she forgot about the weird day she was having.

Then the scent hit her.

Pine trees. Mountain air. A hint of something wild and dangerous.

Lyra's eyes flew open as every cell in her body seemed to come alive. The pulling sensation returned, stronger than before, tugging her heart toward the main house.

That's when she heard the growl. Low, deep, and very close.

Lyra spun around and found herself face to face with a massive black wolf. Its fur gleamed in the sunlight, and its eyes—intelligent and intense—stared directly into hers.

Fear froze her in place. Wolves rarely took their animal form during daylight hours, especially not around the pack house. This was dangerous, forbidden.

The wolf took a step closer. Lyra's instincts screamed at her to run, but her body wouldn't move. Instead, she found herself reaching out a trembling hand.

The wolf sniffed her fingers, then pressed its muzzle against her palm. The touch sent a jolt of electricity up her arm, just like the feeling she'd had when Erik looked at her.

"Who are you?" she whispered.

The wolf backed away, still watching her. Then, with one final intense look, it turned and disappeared into the woods.

Lyra sat there, her hand still tingling from the contact. That wasn't an ordinary wolf. It was a shifter—a werewolf in animal form. And something about it felt familiar.

"There you are!" Martha's voice made Lyra jump. "The Luna is looking everywhere for you. She's furious!"

Lyra hurried back to the house, her mind still on the black wolf. Inside, chaos reigned. Servants rushed around, carrying fresh flowers and fancy decorations.

"What's happening?" Lyra asked a passing maid.

"Emergency pack meeting tonight," the girl replied. "And they announced Clara's wedding to Erik has been moved up to next week! Isn't it exciting?"

Lyra felt a strange twist in her stomach at the news. She made her way to the kitchen, where Martha handed her a mop.

"The Luna wants you to clean the meeting hall. And be quick about it!"

The meeting hall was the largest room in the pack house, used only for important gatherings. As Lyra mopped the wooden floors, she tried to understand the strange feelings churning inside her. Why should she care when Clara got married? It wasn't like Erik meant anything to her.

Yet the thought of him marrying Clara next week made her feel sick.

By sunset, the pack house was filled with wolves from all ranks. Lyra stayed in the kitchen, helping prepare snacks for after the meeting. Through the serving window, she could see wolves filing into the meeting hall.

"All omegas need to attend too," Martha announced suddenly. "Luna's orders."

Lyra wiped her hands on her apron. Omegas were almost never invited to pack meetings. What was going on?

She followed Martha into the crowded hall and stood against the back wall with the other omegas and lower-ranked wolves. From her spot, she could see Clara and Eleanor sitting in special chairs at the front of the room.

Then Erik walked in, and Lyra's world tilted.

The pulling sensation hit her so hard she had to grab the wall for support. Her heart pounded and her skin felt hot and cold at the same time. Every sense focused on him—his movement, his scent, his presence filling the room.

His eyes scanned the crowd until they found her. For one breathtaking moment, their gazes locked. Heat rushed through Lyra's body. She couldn't look away, couldn't breathe.

Erik's father, Alpha Varian, stepped forward, breaking the moment. "We have gathered you all here today for an important announcement!"

Lyra forced herself to take deep breaths as Alpha Varian spoke about tradition and pack strength. She tried to focus on his words instead of the fact that Erik kept glancing her way.

"As you know," Alpha Varian continued, "my son Erik will soon take over as Alpha. For this transition to be smooth, he needs a Luna by his side. We had planned the union for next month, but circumstances have changed."

Erik's jaw tightened visibly.

"The wedding between my son and Clara will take place next week," Alpha Varian announced. "This is a time of celebration for our pack!"

Cheers erupted around the room, but Lyra felt like she might faint. The pull toward Erik was becoming unbearable. What was happening to her?

"There is one more announcement," Alpha Varian said, raising his hand for silence. "It has come to our attention that certain... complications may arise. To prevent any disruption to the union, all unmated female wolves between the ages of twenty-three and twenty-five will be temporarily relocated to the south territory until after the wedding."

Murmurs of confusion spread through the crowd. Lyra frowned. She fell into that age group. Were they sending her away?

"This is for the protection of our pack's future," Eleanor added, standing beside Alpha Varian. Her cold eyes found Lyra in the crowd. "Sometimes the moon makes mistakes in its choices. We must correct those errors."

Erik stepped forward, his face dark with anger. "Father, this wasn't what we discussed—"

"Silence!" Alpha Varian growled. "My decision is final."

As the meeting ended, wolves began to file out. Lyra stood frozen, trying to understand what had just happened. She was being sent away. But why?

A hand grabbed her arm. Martha pulled her close and whispered urgently in her ear.

"Pack a bag tonight. Only essentials. They're sending you girls away at dawn."

"But why?" Lyra asked.

Martha glanced around nervously, then leaned closer. "Because you're twenty-four today. Because the Alpha's son can't keep his eyes off you. Because—" she hesitated, then said, "—because you might be his true mate."

Lyra's mouth fell open. "That's impossible! Clara is his mate."

"Clara is his arranged match. But true mates are chosen by the moon itself." Martha squeezed her arm. "Be careful, child. They'll do anything to prevent a true mate bond from forming before the wedding."

As Martha hurried away, Lyra stood in shock. Her, Erik's true mate? It couldn't be true.

Yet as she watched Erik across the room, fighting with his father in hushed tones, the pull between them seemed to hum like a taut string.

A true mate bond. The rarest, strongest connection between wolves. The stuff of legends.

And they were going to send her away before she could find out if it was real.