Why is she Back?

Lyra momentarily forgot how to breathe as her eyes widened in disbelief. Every fiber in her body trembled as she stared at the woman beside Kade.

"It can't be..." She shook her head as if trying to shake off the image. 

But her endeavor was futile. The face of the woman had the same sharp nose, the soft jawline, and most painfully, the tiny mole under the left eye, of her supposed dead sister. 

"Alina..." Lyra's lips trembled as she muttered. The woman, oblivious to Lyra's intense stare kept smiling as she looked between Kade and the cheering pack members. 

Then Alpha Fenris sighted Lyra. As he looked at her, he glanced back at Seraphina then did something that made heads turn. 

"That is Lyra Blackmoor that I have been telling you about, the one whom the Moon Goddess has paired me with." He told Seraphina without any hint of guilt or hesitation, as if what he was doing was right in every sense. 

"I see." Seraphina nodded simply at his words, confirming she had actually been told all she needed to know about his unwanted mate.

Then, for the first time, Seraphina's eyes met with Lyra's piercing ones and for a split second, something different flashed in Seraphina's expression.

Lyra couldn't make it out whereby it was uncertainty or recognition or pain because it disappeared immediately as it came. 

"Hello." Seraphina mouthed and waved at Lyra with a polite smile while the latter just stood frozen. 

"So she has been replaced? Just like that?" The pack members began to whisper amongst themselves. 

"I knew it! The Alpha would never choose a rogue as his Luna."

"Isn't she training for Luna assessment? She is going to be the Luna while the other woman owns the Alpha's heart. That's how it's going to be." 

Lyra could hear the murmurs but paid no attention to even make out the meaning as her gaze stayed locked on the woman standing in front of her. 

"Hey sister..." Alina's soft voice rang in Lyra's ears. 

Without thinking, Lyra's legs moved and they began to take her toward the Alpha and Seraphina. 

As she walked closer, the crowd stiffened and the murmurs stopped. 

"Is she going to attack the woman?" Someone whispered, stepping back. 

Alpha Fenris quickly stepped protectively in front of Seraphina, ready to stop Lyra if she lashed out.

But Lyra didn't throw jabs. She grabbed Seraphina's hand gently, yet desperately.

"Alina? Alina, it's really is you! Don't you remember me?" Lyra rushed out the words. 

Seraphina blinked, looking startled by her reaction.

"What happened to you? You didn't die? I mean, that definitely didn't happen as you're here now looking so alive. But… I saw your coffin...I saw you... Did father know you're alive? Has he seen you or he..." Lyra was rambling on but Seraphina cut her short. 

"I'm sorry but I don't understand what you're saying. Who is Alina?" Seraphina asked and tried to remove her hand from Lyra's grip but didn't succeed at that. 

"You are Alina... My sister. You were dead since ten years ago. You're... You are..."

"That's enough." The Alpha snapped, stepping forward. Then he helped remove Seraphina's hand from Lyra's grip. 

"What is wrong with you? Will you get a grip on yourself?" He gritted out, holding her gaze.

"You don't understand. She is my..." Lyra tried to explain but the look on Kade's face made her stop. He was looking at her as if she had lost her mind. 

Lyra stood still as he led Seraphina inside the manor, shielding her like she was some fragile gem.

Then her knees gave out, and she collapsed to the ground. Tears welled in her eyes as she mumbled to herself;

"What is happening? She is really Alina. I can feel the connection..." 

The crowd eventually began to disperse after standing around in futility, trying to make meaning of Lyra's reaction. 

Only Aric remained.

He approached slowly and stretched out his hand to help her up.

Lyra stared at it, but didn't take it. Instead, she turned her head away, hot tears now streaming down her face. 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that night, after Lyra had managed to drag herself to her room;

"That's Alina..." Lyra kept repeating to herself as she laid on bed, staring up at ceiling, unable to sleep. 

"How did it happen? It's been ten years... Ten solid years! They held her funeral, so how?" She thought as she recounted everything from that fateful day. 

Then she got out of the bed and her legs aimlessly took her further away from her room. She paused near the Alpha's office when she heard soft whispers then a melodic giggle. 

Her breath hitched. 

"I can recognize that giggle anywhere... That's Alina!" She gasped and fresh tears started flowing from her eyes again. 

She paced the area like someone eavesdropping until her legs got tired and protested. Then she walked back to her room. 

"I have to do something!" That was the thought that kept her awake until the day finally broke 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first rooster hadn't crowed twice before Lyra stormed out of the manor.

"My Lady, may I know where you're headed at this hour?" One of the guards stationed outside had asked her but instead of replying, Lyra was shifting into her wolf. 

"My Lady, you know you shouldn't..." Another guard said, trying to stop her but Lyra's wolf knocked them down effortlessly then took off. 

"I need to seek for answers. This must be connected to the dreams I have been having." She grappled with that thought as she ran towards the forbidden forest. 

After running without a break for three good hours, she finally arrived at the forest and stopped by the edge of the river. 

After she finished shifting back into her human form, Lyra's eyes caught the elderly woman standing in the river. 

A crooked smile appeared on the woman's face as she met Lyra's gaze.

"I've been waiting for you, child. Your sister, Alina is back, isn't she?" She stated as a matter of fact and Lyra's lips parted in shock.

"If you want to know why she is back, come here, let me tell you everything." The woman stretched out her hand to Lyra and the latter blinked, contemplating on what would be the right thing to do. 

"Step back or step forward?"