“There she is!” whispered one of the women to the male friend standing beside her.
Lyra turned her head after hearing them whispering about her. Their voices were low, but they sounded very clear to her ears.
'Damn it! They're still looking at me with cynical gazes. They see me as a contagious disease that is dangerous to them,' Lyra said to herself.
“Lyra Evren!” called out one of them while crossing her arms over her chest, as if to challenge her.
“Lyra the traitor,” the other replied.
Lyra walked past everyone in the morning training when the Nightfall pack was gathered in an open field, very similar to a dry meadow. All eyes looked disdainfully at her. Perhaps the rumor had spread throughout the pack and now she was backed into a corner with the title of “traitor” ingrained in her.
“Isn't she the daughter of the traitor who was executed by Kael two years ago?” sneered a man who looked down on Lyra as she passed him with teary eyes.
Ever since her beta father was accused of being a traitor and later killed by Alpha Kael, the supreme leader of the Nightfall pack, Lyra's life changed drastically. After the incident, she assumed the title “Lyra the Traitor”. In fact, her presence was never even considered in the pack.
“Who let you come here?” asked Kael with an angry look on his face. He did not like the idea of a traitor's family gathering for the full moon ritual.
"But, I am still part of your pack. I want to join the ritual tonight," Lyra said in a pleading tone.
“No!” Kael refused firmly. “Go away, you're not welcome here,” he rudely shooed her away.
“Kael, please!” pleaded Lyra.
“Take her away!” Kael ordered his two men to send Lyra away.
“Kael!” Lyra tried to struggle. However, she was outmatched by Kael's two omegas.
The two evil omegas dragged and pushed Lyra's body to the ground. Lyra tried to get up while pleading again. Unfortunately, the two bodyguards had no mercy. They were ordered to maintain security during the full moon ritual, including removing Lyra from there.
Lyra had no other choice. Finally, she relented and chose to return to her home. A small house on the outskirts near Nightfall's pack territory. Since she was ostracized from the pack, she chose to live alone in the rickety hut.
Lyra had no one after her family was completely slaughtered by Alpha Kael. The only friend she had, Shovia was still willing to talk to her despite having to steal time. Because she was also under social pressure in the Nightfall pack after being caught meeting Lyra secretly in the forest.
"I'm not defending my father. But, on the other hand, I firmly believe that he is innocent as Kael accused him in front of everyone. So, what should I do now? Whose side should I take?" asked Lyra as she looked at herself in an old mirror inside her hut.
Lyra was still questioning what really happened to her family. If she really thinks her father is innocent, she must erase that bad image of Alpha Kael's influence and clear her father's name as soon as possible.
***
The next day...
Secretly, Lyra went to the Nightfall pack's training ground. As she was fetching water she suddenly slipped and fell right in front of Kael Blackthorn. As she was about to get up she unintentionally raised her face, looking at Kael for quite a while.
"What are you looking at? Lower your gaze!" Kael ordered.
“I'm sorry,” Lyra regretted. She immediately lowered her gaze. Her hands trembled as Kael stared at her with a cynical and hateful gaze.
“How dare you look at me with that gaze.”
“Sorry,” she regretted again. “I didn't mean to.”
"Don't hang around me! You annoy me so much. You're just a traitorous child who doesn't deserve to live with us," Kael warned.
"I'm still one of you. Whether you like it or not," Lyra defended.
Kael smiled rather sarcastically in response to Lyra's defense. "Still part of us? That's funny."
"You're just useless trash. If you hadn't whined to me for mercy back then, I would have finished you and your family by then."
Lyra could not stand the insults coming out of Kael's mouth. “My father is innocent.”
“Are you saying?”
"Yes. My father was slandered. He's not who you say he is, Kael," Lyra argued. “I am absolutely certain of it.”
Lyra held back her anger. As much as possible she held it in so that her emotions would not boil over and take it out on Kael. The alpha was always something she wanted to avoid. Unfortunately, this time she was furious and argued with the arrogant man instead.
Kael stepped forward to Lyra. He stared at the face of the brave girl who had just refuted his words.
“How dare a lowly girl like you defy me,” said Kael who was secretly amazed at Lyra.
"I'm not defying you. I just wanted to defend myself," Lyra said in a trembling tone.
As Alpha Kael gazed at her face, suddenly something shook violently inside his chest.
Just like Kael, Lyra felt the same after looking into the Nightfall leader's golden-red eyes. Her chest felt tight and her breath was held for a few seconds.
"No! No way," Kael suspected something had happened between them.
Lyra looked down at her trembling hands. Her heart was beating violently out of control.
'What's going on? Why is it like this?" Lyra wondered.
“Does it come from your power?” asked Kael curiously. Lyra shook her head softly, not knowing.
'Don't tell me that it is power,' Lyra denied.
"No! It's not him,” Lyra joked.
“The Moon Goddess can't be that cruel,” said Kael.
Lyra tried to get away from Kael. She realized something, then she ran away leaving Kael who was still standing stunned, digesting the sudden incident.
Not long after, Kael realized the inner bond between himself and Lyra, the moon goddess' hints had shown him. However, he denied it as much as possible. As if he could not accept that his destined partner was Lyra.
Meanwhile, Lyra began to feel a great conflict within herself. What if the man who destroyed her life and her entire family was her soul mate?
“NO!” Lyra shouted as if defying fate.