CHAPTER 3 - My Mate

Lyra’s POV. I walked aimlessly through the woods, my clothes soaked through and my spirit broken. The cold rain penetrated my very bones, but it was nothing compared to the icy chill in my heart. How could Blake have betrayed me like that? With my stepsister, no less. After everything we had shared over the years, I thought our bond was unbreakable. I was so very wrong. The image of him intertwined with Viola kept replaying in my mind, each time like a fresh stab to the chest. I had never felt so worthless, so easily discarded. Was I truly nothing to him but a warm body until Viola came along? As the thunder crashed louder, I sank to my knees in a muddy puddle, finally releasing the guttural sobs I could no longer contain. I didn't care that I was soaked and filthy. Nothing mattered anymore. Miserable that it was, my home... all that I had known, was gone in one fell swoop. I had no idea where to go or what to do next. But I knew one thing for certain: I could never return to the Wolfsong pack lands again. That part of my life was over, ripped away as swiftly and violently as a wolf's fangs tearing into flesh. I was on my own and I had no one to blame but myself. The rain finally stopped and the moon hung low and full in the night sky. I trudged through muck and mud, my thoughts drifting back to my eighteenth birthday. That fateful night when the throbbing pain in my head first began, coinciding with the full moon's light bathing our pack lands. I was supposed to shift that night, to finally become one with my wolf. But instead, all I got was a mysterious voice in my head that seemed to taunt me. It always said one thing: don’t worry; Wait for me a little longer. As the years passed, those headaches continued to plague me on my birthday, with the same message. Despite my best efforts to connect with her, my wolf remained elusive, distant, like a shadow just out of reach. "Where are you?" I whispered into the darkness, my heart heavy with disappointment and longing. The forest around me was eerily quiet, its secrets hidden behind a veil of shadows and whispers. It was then that I caught a whiff of something breathtaking - eucalyptus and mint, a scent that stirred deep emotions within me. My heart skipped a beat, and the mysterious voice resurfaced, its excitement palpable. "Lyra," it whispered softly, as if trying to reach out to me from some hidden place. “It’s him!” Was that my wolf’s voice? Was she going to materialize after all? My hopes soared. I waited. Every muscle bunched and tense... Nothing happened. I clenched my fists, frustration simmering within me. There I was, twenty-one years old with still no sign of my wolf form. Despair washed over me much as the rain had. The cold water had removed some of the grime, but left the feelings of being an outcast. Of being banished from my own family and pack. I might as well— Again, the voice echoed in my mind. "Mate," it murmured, at the same time that I heard the crack of a twig. Shivers raced down my spine. "Who's there?" I demanded, my voice trembling. Panic bubbled up inside me, causing my breath to hitch and my pulse to race. Why hadn’t I seen that I’d crossed over into Moonshadow territory? Our pack didn't have many enemies, but we did fear a few. The Alpha of Moonshadow, Ryan Thornton, was feared not only in our territory but several others. He was ruthless and cruel. Everyone whispered how he'd killed his own father to ascend to the Alpha title. With brown locks, tanned skin and deep blue eyes, he was an angel in a devil's body. "Lyra," a deep, sultry voice called out from the shadows. A tall, broad-shouldered figure emerged; his piercing gaze locked onto mine. He was powerfully built. Bigger than my dad at six feet, he had to be at least four inches above that. Fear threatened to consume me, but as I stared into his eyes, a strange sense of comfort washed over me. He came closer, walking me backwards into a tree. A pulsating heat rippled through me as his solid warmth enveloped my body, his massive frame rooting me against the rough bark. His virile scent, a potent serenade of eucalyptus and mint, invaded my senses and took hold of my body with an unspoken promise of raw, erotic pleasure. "Stay back," I gasped weakly, but the plea was swallowed by his commanding lips. A searing bolt of desire shot straight through me at the contact, setting every nerve ablaze in its wake. The softness in his lips belied the raw power simmering beneath his flesh. A power that was now thrumming into me, stirring awake long-lost depths of carnal cravings I never had with Blake. His broad hand skated down my side, tracing a leisurely path to my hip. He gripped me firmly, pulling our bodies flush together. I could feel him—hard and insistent —pressing against my belly. The sensation was intoxicating. My heart fluttered and my breath hitched in anticipation. With one hand still gripping my hip, he used his free hand to slide up under my soaked top, fingers exploring the curve of my waist before grazing upward, inching closer towards... Oh, sweet Moon Goddess! I bit back a moan as cool air brushed over my exposed skin, followed swiftly by warm calloused fingers tracing the edges of my cotton bra. The sensuous rasp of his voice echoed in the surrounding silence as he murmured heated promises against my neck. His words were raw and filthy, painting vivid pictures that had me gasping for breath. He growled low in his throat. Something about being despicable. Did he mean me or himself? I didn't know nor did I care. I couldn't think. My mind was too busy reeling from the onslaught of sensations. Still trapped between him and the tree, I felt his other hand creep downwards slowly, dipping defiantly past the waistband of my soaked jeans. The first touch on bare skin sent an electrifying jolt straight to my core, the sweet friction between our bodies heightening the thrust of desire. His fingers traced a fiery path down to where I ached for him most. His touch was feather-light yet spellbinding, causing me to gasp and writhe against his hard body. He chuckled darkly at my reactions, adding pressure in slow, deliberate circles that had my world spinning. My heart pounded in sync with the throbbing of desire below. Every push and pull, every dip and swirl of his fingers drove me closer to the edge of ecstasy. His voice grew huskier as he murmured dirty words into my ear - hot filthy praises about how wet I felt beneath his fingers. Suddenly, he stopped. I whimpered in frustration. Slipping his hand out from my jeans, he gently tugged at the hem of my top with a wicked grin on his face. "Let's get you out of these wet clothes." With one swift movement, he rid me of my soaked shirt and bra, leaving my bare skin exposed under the moonlight. I flushed under his heated gaze, but before I could utter a word of protest, the familiar sensation of his lips on mine silenced any lingering thoughts. He kissed me again – deeper and more passionately this time – until we were both breathless and moaning into each other’s mouths. What felt like an eternity passed before he finally pulled away slightly, enough to speak but still close enough to keep our bodies pressed together. And then he whispered something that sent chills racing down my spine... "Shh, you little spy,” he said, his voice soothing and familiar. I should have balked at his words, but my mind was so muddled, all I could do was say, "Let me go.” Even as my body betrayed me and I leaned into his warmth, finding solace in his arms. A question popped unbidden from my lips, "Who are you?" Was he my mate? Was he the one wolf I’d waited my whole life for? "Once upon a time, I was Juan," he confessed, his breath hot against my ear. "But now, I am Alpha Ryan Thornton." The sound of his name sent my mind racing with long-forgotten memories - snapshots of joy, moments of trust, and heartfelt conversations under a starry sky. Back in our youth, Juan, a captive of my father’s, faced cruelty from the bullies at Wolfsong. Since I was highly esteemed for my fighting abilities, I made sure to protect him, even though it caused me many beatings. At first, he was timid and bashful, but he quickly became endearingly charming... Then it all came crashing back. The betrayal. The hurt. The anguish. What he did to me... Juan...Ryan was a force to be reckoned with, a volatile concoction of danger and seduction. He will ruin me if I get too close. "I have to leave," I gasped, my palms trembling as they pressed weakly against his solid chest. The heat radiating off of him was suffocating, seeping into me until every nerve was on fire. "You can try," he sneered, his grip tightening as he towered over me. "But you're mine now, Lyra. In my territory, at my mercy. And there is no escape for you now."