Lyra.
Her name was Audrey Lothan. I'd overheard some pack members whisper her name after the festival. The name reverberated within my mind, every syllable slicing into my already broken heart.
"She's so gorgeous. " one of the women whispered to her friend.
"And she's his fated mate," the other replied. "Obviously, Alpha Damien will have to go with his destined mate, not that… plaything called Lyra.”
The words hit me like a slap. I hid behind the corner of the hallway before they could see me, my fists clenched as I fought back tears. Plaything? Was that what I was?
They had seen Damien and me together for two years. And yet now, with Audrey in the picture, all that was reduced to nothing more than a fleeting distraction.
That night I stayed in our shared room, hopeful he would come, but the door never opened and the silence stretched on. I just lay there, staring up at the ceiling, silent tears falling down my cheeks.
The next morning, I strolled out to the mall and there he was at one of our popular sit-outs.
Damien sat at one of the long tables, his head tilted toward Audrey as they talked. She laughed, the sound light and melodious, and Damien smiled; a genuine, easy smile that I hadn't seen in days.
My heart sank. Enough of this silence, I actually needed answers from him on what was going on.
I squared my shoulders and moved toward them, stopping a few feet away.
"Damien," I said, the sound of my voice steady despite the tremor in my heart. "Can we talk?"
Damien looked up; his expression moved from surprise to unease.
He hesitated, his eyes darting to Audrey, almost as if he wanted to seek her permission.
My stomach churned. That small, subconscious gesture hurt more than anything else.
Audrey smiled sweetly. "Of course," she said, her voice like honey. The nerve!
Damien stood, nodding, and followed me to the far end of the room.
I turned to face him, wrapping my arms tightly over my chest. "I'm moving out of our room," I said without stammering.
"Why?" Damien's brow furrowed, his voice soft with disbelief. "Lyra, no. You don't have to…”
"I do," I interrupted, my voice cracking slightly. “ You didn't come back last night, Damien. I'm not a fool."
"I was… I was with the elders," he stammered.
“We both know that's a lie." My voice rose, shaking with contained emotion. "I saw you, Damien. I see the way you look at her."
"That's not true," he said hastily, his tone almost imploring.
"It is," I shot back, my voice shaking with anger and hurt. "Don't lie to me. Don't stand there and pretend it's not happening. And now, you looked at her first, like you needed her approval."
"Lyra, I..”
I cut him off, my words spilling out in a torrent of frustration and bitterness. "You don't even realize it, do you? The way your eyes light up when she speaks. The way you lean in like she's the only one who matters. Do you know how traumatizing this is for me?
To see you look at her like that, right in front of me?”
Damien was about to speak, but his eyes looked past me, distracted. I stopped, wondering what caught his attention.
My heart dropped when I turned around. Audrey was sitting at the table, playing with a spoon. She licked it slowly, and it made me angry. I clenched my jaw and turned back to Damien, who still hadn't looked away.
My voice dropped, low and bitter. “Exactly! Even now, you can't do without her."
Damien blinked, his focus snapping back to me. "I'm sorry," he said, reaching out to touch my arm.
I stepped back, shaking him off. "Don't even… I said my voice tight with barely restrained emotion. "Don't say anything else. Just… don't."
"Lyra, wait!" he shouted, sounding suddenly desperate. But I didn't stop. I opened the door and ran outside, the cold air hitting my face which was wet with tears.
I didn't look back. This was the highest form of betrayal.
