Apollo laughed mockingly at the other end of the line.
“Are you treating me like a backup plan now?”
His voice was sharp and cold, like ice cracking under pressure. That laugh echoed in my ear, threaded with sarcasm and quiet rage.
I gripped the phone so tightly my knuckles turned white. Apollo might have been powerful, rich, and dangerous... but he wasn’t the only one I could turn to.
“If you don’t want me, then don’t,” I said, my voice clipped and even. “I’m not hard to deal with.”
The air shifted on the other end. His laughter cut off abruptly, and a tense silence followed. It was so heavy, I could hear the blood pounding in my ears.
“You think you can just walk away because you decided to?” He said at last, his tone was low and calculated. “You already sold yourself to me, Lyra. There are no takebacks.”
His words sent a chill down my spine.
“Then take me,” I snapped. “You have seven days.”
A beat passed. Then came his laugh again, softer this time, amused, as if he were genuinely intrigued. Without another word, the call ended. A moment later, my phone buzzed.
Finishing business overseas. I’ll come as fast as I can.
I stared at the message, a whirlwind of thoughts crashing through my mind.
I set the phone down and drew in a slow, trembling breath, brushing a hand through my sweat-damp hair. My limbs ached. My back throbbed. I had barely recovered from the delivery, and yet there was no time to rest. No time to process the betrayal.
Then the phone rang again. The screen lit up.
It was my father.
My heart dropped. I hesitated before answering, but I knew better than ignoring him.
“Dad—” I began, barely getting the word out.
“You shameless woman!” He thundered, cutting me off. His fury struck me like a physical blow. “You dared to give birth to a female cub?!”
I recoiled at the venom in his voice, but forced myself to respond, keeping my tone calm, though my vision blurred.
“Dad, this isn’t something I could choose,” I said, my fingers trembling as I held the phone. “I didn’t plan for—”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t know it was a girl!” he spat. “You should’ve aborted it the moment you found out!”
His words stabbed deep, sharper than any blade. But it wasn’t new. My father had always seen me as a pawn, a tool for his ambitions. He had arranged my marriage to Cyrus for power, and when it succeeded, he paraded me like a prize. I had been useful. Until another woman gave Cyrus a male heir.
I felt my throat tighten. “She’s your granddaughter,” I said hoarsely. “How could you say that?”
“What granddaughter?” he snapped. “She’s a disgrace! It would’ve been better if she’d died.”
Then the line went dead.
I sat frozen, unable to move, as the weight of his words settled over me like a suffocating fog. My whole body trembled from fury, despair, and exhaustion. All of it tangled so tightly I couldn’t separate one from the other.
Betrayed by my mate. Rejected by my father. Shamed before the entire pack. All because I gave birth to a daughter.
I turned slowly toward the crib, my heart cracking at the sight of her tiny form. Her chest rose and fell with gentle breaths, her lips forming the faintest pout as she dreamed.
Peaceful. Innocent. Unaware of the world that already hated her for existing.
I reached out and picked her up, cradling her gently against my chest. Her warmth grounded me. She didn’t cry. She didn’t resist. She simply nestled closer, trusting me with every breath she took.
“Hello, Athena,” I whispered, my voice shaking with emotion. “That’s your name now. You’ll grow up smart and brave. I’ll make sure of it.”
The name tasted right on my tongue.
Strong, noble, divine. A name fit for a warrior.
As if she understood, Athena let out a soft coo, and a small smile curved my lips. In the middle of this hell, she was my only light.
Then the door burst open.
I tensed instantly, my heart slamming in my chest as I turned—and saw Esmeralda, Cyrus’s mother.
“There she is,” she said coldly, her voice devoid of emotion. Her finger pointed directly at me as a group of men in dark uniforms stepped into the room behind her.
My instincts screamed. I held Athena tighter, my eyes darting between them.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded. “What are you trying to do?”
Esmeralda didn’t answer me. She turned instead to the men with her, speaking as though I wasn’t even in the room.
“The male heir has developed sudden heart complications. He needs a transplant. Take that child, use her heart for the operation.”
