The sound of Kael's voice, timid but strong, was a welcome break from the suffocating confinement Lyra had endured. "Come in, Kael," she said calmly, despite the trembling in her hands. She delicately put the charcoal and paper with cryptic marks below the old book. She couldn't risk sharing her results too soon.
The door broke open to reveal Kael. He was a young fighter, just entering his prime, with honest brown eyes and a strong but not as imposing figure as Thorne's. He walked from foot to foot, his anxiety clear.
"Luna Lyra," he began, avoiding her direct gaze and continued in a low whisper. "I'm sorry for troubling you. Alpha Thorne indicated you needed to rest.
"And yet, here you are, Kael," Lyra said, her tone devoid of reproach but flavoured with a subtle challenge. She kept a watchful eye on him, seeking any evidence of Thorne's influence or that he was a spy. "Did the Alpha send you to ensure I'm… comfortable?"
Kael flinched and ultimately met her gaze. His eyes conveyed no dishonesty, merely tremendous, troubling anxiety. "No, Luna. The Alpha is oblivious to my presence. "I came because I had to." He halted, glancing anxiously at the closed door. "May I come in fully?" "And shut the door?"
Lyra nodded, her pulse quickening. This was it. A real breach of Thorne's directives. A possible ally. Or a fairly clever trap. "Come inside, Kael. The walls of this lair are thick, so converse gently."
He stepped inside, his wolf scent, ordinarily confident, now tainted with anxiety. He closed the door behind him, the latch clicking gently. He did not sit but instead stood awkwardly.
"Luna Lyra," Kael muttered, "what Alpha Thorne said, what he did today, it's wrong."
Lyra felt a surge of tremendous feeling. Validation. Not everyone was blind. "Go on, Kael."
"The mating relationship," he remarked, increasing confidence, "everyone knows cannot be severed by injury. My grandmother is the oldest storyteller in the pack, she talks of ancient times and wars far worse than the one you just survived. Despite being maimed and on the edge of death, Lunas' connections remained close. He wrung his hands and looked at Lyra's face. "This is unusual, Luna. "And it makes no sense."
Lyra nodded, her eyes riveted on his. "Thank you for voicing your ideas, Kael. "It takes bravery."
"Thorne is a good Alpha," Kael swiftly added, as if to defend his devotion, "fierce and fair. However, he has changed since Elara arrived. He's cooler. Except for her, I've grown more reclusive. And the pack feels it. "We all do."
"What do the whispers say, Kael?" Lyra questioned, her voice hushed. "Tell me everything."
Kael appeared serene, knowing Lyra's honest thirst for knowledge. "They say a lot of things, Luna." Some accept it as the Alpha's command. They think the Moon actually gave him another chance. Others remember your strength and dedication. They don't grasp how the Alpha could forget you. They whisper about Elara's fast climb. She's only been here a few weeks, found by Thorne during a 'rogue attack' in the outer territories, reportedly. She was rescued barely a few days after you were pronounced missing."
Lyra consumed the timeline. Only a few days. That was too quick. Too convenient. "And her scent?"
"It's muted," Kael acknowledged, frowning. "Unlike a true pack wolf. When she shifts into wolf form, she appears almost ethereal, like mist. "Her eyes sometimes gaze through you rather than at you."
Lyra recalled Wren's words, "coldness" and "stillness." And now Kael's observations have validated her concerns. "And the puppy? Has anyone seen her in wolf form while carrying?"
Kael shakes his head. "No, Luna. Thorne feels she's 'too fragile' to move. It is always in human form. She hardly leaves the packhouse except with him. "He's grown exceedingly protective."
Of course, Lyra thought bitterly. Keep her hidden. Keep her secure from curious eyes and any wolf sensitive enough to detect the lie.
"Kael," Lyra muttered, "I believe the mate bond was not severed. I assume it was suppressed. "By dark magic."
Kael's eyes widened, and actual terror replaced his apprehensions. "Dark magic, Luna?" However, this is forbidden! "Nobody in the Moonstone Pack would dare..."
"Perhaps not in the Moonstone Pack," Lyra answered, her face hardening. "But what if this isn't only about the Moonstone Pack? What if Elara is a conduit for this power, or if it was handed by someone who wields it? "What if she isn't even a genuine wolf from our forests?"
Kael paled, his eyes darting to the ground. "The rogue attacks. They have increased since her arrival. Not simply minor clashes but organised, strategic raids. Our patrols are stretched thin. And it feels different. Colder. "More wicked than merely hungry."
Lyra had a horrible certainty. "They're related. The magic, Elara, and the intensified attacks. This is a planned technique. To weaken the pack, divide Thorne's loyalties, and finally win control."
"But who?" Kael mumbled, seeming troubled. "Who would do such a thing?"
Lyra's gaze drifted to the old book and then to the unlit fire. "That's what I want to find out, Kael. And I need your assistance. Are you sincerely loyal to the Moonstone Pack, its actual Alpha, and its true Luna?
Kael caught her gaze, his expression steely with new purpose. "I'm devoted to the truth, Luna. And to ensure the protection of our stuff. "Whatever you need."
"Good," Lyra replied, a small grim smirk on her lips. "First, I need you to gather information. Discreetly. Listen to the whispers that actually matter. Are there any other pack members who look uneasy? Who remembers the actual lore? Any odd disappearances or extraordinary transactions with other groups?"
Kael nodded, his youthful features fixed with resolution. "I'll be careful, Luna."
"One more thing, Kael," Lyra murmured, her voice falling. "Keep a tight eye on Thorne. Observe how he interacts with Elara. Look for tiny changes in his behaviour, such as unease or reluctance. He is imprisoned, I think, although the spell may not be absolute."
Kael hesitated for a minute, his gaze filled with quiet regard. "It's fantastic to have you back, Luna. "Even here."
"I'm never truly gone, Kael," Lyra stated with an angry gleam in her eyes. "Now go. Become my eyes and ears. And if you observe anything out of the norm, no matter how tiny, please inform me. Understand?"
"Understood, Luna," Kael responded with a fresh spirit of purpose. He made a quick, respectful bow before sliding out of the cabin and vanishing into the forest's shadows.
Lyra watched him depart, a single tear sliding down her cheek. Not a tear of sadness, but of strong, eager hope. She was not alone. She had an ally. A frail, inexperienced ally, but an ally.
She returned to the desk, picking up the charcoal. The arcane patterns on the paper shimmer in the fading light. This was her starting point. This was her new mission.
But as she sketched, a dreadful concept developed, mimicking ancient scriptures. What if the mating bond was not destroyed but rather suppressed by powerful, evil magic, and that magic was broken? Will Thorne remember everything? Will he remember his actual Luna? And how much would it take to destroy such a solid illusion?
Lyra felt a thrill down her spine but disregarded it. The risk was tremendous. The route ahead was treacherous. However, the truth and the spirit of her pack depended on it.
She had been booted out. But, from the shadows, Lyra was set to unleash a wrath. And the first rumblings had barely begun.