I froze. My arms instinctively cradled my stomach as if I could shield my child from her hatred. Lyra's smirk deepened, her tone sharpening like a blade.
"Are you afraid I’ll kill your baby, Sienna?" she asked, stepping closer.
Her words cut through the air like a predator cornering its prey. She moved toward me, her gaze fierce, forcing me back until I hit the wardrobe behind me.
"Well," she continued, her voice cold and calculating, "maybe you’re right to be afraid. Unfortunately, a few days ago, Killian grabbed your hand before I could finish the job."
My eyes widened in shock. Lyra’s confession was like a knife plunging into my chest. She had not drained my energy to heal herself—she had done it to harm my baby.
As a healer, Lyra must have known I was pregnant from the moment she touched me. She had planned to kill my child from the start.
"Lyra," I whispered, my voice trembling, "if you want Killian, you can have him. But please, don’t hurt my baby."
Her laugh was cold and empty. "Killian? I don’t want him, Sienna. He’s already mine. He’s always been mine. You’re the one who keeps getting in the way."
Her words were sharp with truth. It was true.
Killian and I were nothing more than an Alpha and Omega who grew up together because my mother worked for his family. There had been no bond between us—until the Moon Goddess decided we were mates.
But Lyra and Killian? They had been lovers for four years before the bond changed everything.
Lyra leaned in closer, her sneer deepening. "Now you realize you have nothing, Sienna. Nothing but that baby."
"No," I said, summoning courage from the fragile hope inside me. "Take whatever you want—everything, anything—just don’t harm my child."
Lyra tilted her head, her eyes narrowing as if considering my plea. "Fine," she said after a pause.
Her smile returned, wicked and full of menace. "If that’s the case, I want you to leave this world."
My heart stopped. She moved closer, her presence suffocating. My hands trembled at my sides, bracing for her next move.
But instead of attacking, Lyra reached into my closet, yanked out one of my dresses, and turned toward the door.
"I’ll change in the bathroom," she said casually, as if her threat had never been spoken.
I stood frozen, my breath caught in my throat. The room felt colder, heavier, with her absence.
Kaela stirred in my mind, her voice tense. "I’ve told you, Sienna. We need to leave this pack before it’s too late."
I shook my head, trying to reassure both her and myself. "No, Killian won’t let her kill me. He wouldn’t let that happen... I’m sure of it."
But as I heard Lyra’s voice in the dining room again, my doubts resurfaced.
"Why isn’t Sienna with you?" Killian asked.
Lyra’s tone was soft, coated in false sweetness. "She said she was tired and wanted to rest. That’s fine, though. Everything is clear now."
Killian sighed, his voice warm with gratitude. "That’s good. Thank you for forgiving her, Lyra."
Her laughter followed, light and airy, while I stood trembling in my locked room, clutching my stomach and praying for my child’s safety.
The night stretched on as their laughter and chatter filled the house.
Despite retreating to my room, peace eluded me. I could not rest, knowing Lyra might come barging in at any moment.
Thankfully, the night passed without incident.
When morning arrived, I decided to head to the market since the groceries were nearly gone after the previous night's party.
Fate, however, had other plans. Among the bustling crowd, I saw her—Lyra.
My heart sank, but her behavior piqued my curiosity. She looked unusually cautious, her eyes scanning her surroundings like she was hiding something.
Moments later, she met a man, and together, they slipped into a quiet alley behind the market.
My curiosity got the better of me, and I followed at a safe distance.
What I witnessed left me frozen. The man pulled Lyra into his arms, his lips claiming hers with an intensity that spoke of passion, not innocence. She melted into his embrace, clinging to him as though they were lovers.
At first, I thought the man might be Killian, but as I studied him more closely, it became clear he was not. His build, his posture—everything about him was different.
Kaela’s voice sneered in my mind, "Is she cheating on Killian?"
Watching them grow even more intimate, Kaela’s suspicions felt like the truth.
My heart churned with unease as I turned to leave. Anxiety settled in my chest, growing heavier with every step I took back home.
‘If she already has another man, then why does she still want Killian?’ The thought clawed at me.
She had gone so far as to threaten my life and the life of my unborn child—all because I was Killian’s mate. Her actions made no sense, and the strangeness of it all left me restless.
When Killian returned that evening, I wasted no time. “Killian,” I began, “I saw something at the market this morning. Lyra was with another man. They were….”
“Stop.” His voice cut through my words like a whip. His gaze darkened as he narrowed his eyes at me. “Sienna, don’t start with your lies again. You’re just jealous of Lyra.”
My heart sank. “You really never trust me, Killian?”
“How dare you call me by my name?” he snapped, his tone laced with fury. “I am your Alpha, Sienna!”
My frustration boiled over. “You said I changed after the mate bond, but the truth is, you’re the one who’s changed. You’ve been different ever since you became Alpha, taking over for your father.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them. Killian’s expression twisted in rage, and in an instant, he lunged at me, his hands wrapping around my neck.
“What did you say?” he growled, his grip tightening. “Are you accusing me now? Do you think I’d act this way if you hadn’t endangered Lyra from the start, Sienna?”
His words crushed me as much as his hands did. I struggled to breathe, tears stinging my eyes, when suddenly the door creaked open.
