Chapter 4 The Night's Unfolds

Lyra's mind whirled at the sound of his words. What did he mean when he said bloodline? What was the link between her and this pack, and then Kale? She had grown up in the village, where there were none of these wolves. However, the more she reflected on it, the more it dawned on her how much she didn't know about her history. Her mother had never spoken very much about her heritage, and her father had been a mystery - an enigma who'd disappeared before she was born. Was her line somehow connected to the wolves in a way she hadn't discovered yet?

Cassian seemed to read her confusion, and his face softened, just a little. "There will be more you will learn in time," he said. "For now, rest. "Tomorrow will be tough for both of you."

He turned and walked out before she could reply, closing the door softly behind him.

For a long moment, Lyra stood there, her mind spinning with questions. She sought answers, but every avenue she pursued took her to further uncertainty. She was used to life not being easy, but this - this was a whole different kind of struggle. A different kind of darkness. And she didn't know if she was prepared to confront it.

But in her heart, she knew she had no choice. The ritual would come whether she was ready or not, all she could do now was survive it.

Lyra was awoken by quiet footsteps outside her door. She hardly slept, the anticipation of the ritual ahead bearing on her chest like a boulder. Her dreams had been a jumble of pictures-wolves with eyes like gold, a person in dark robes, the forest that went on forever, as if the world had no limits.

She rubbed her eyes and sat up as sunlight crept through the gaps in the heavy drapes. It was almost time. The moon hung high, and the ritual was nearly upon them.

A knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts, and she got up and walked toward the front door. She opened it to find Cassian standing there, holding a simple robe of deep crimson. His eyes met hers for a second before he held the garment out to her.

"It is time," he said quietly, his voice giving nothing away.

Lyra nodded and took the robe from him. She was aware that escape was not an option. This was her fate, and she would meet it and confront it, as terrifying as it was.

Her heart was beating fiercely with knots of fear and resolve as she turned to change. As she walked out, Cassian guided her through the stone hallways, the torches waving as they went, their shadows draping long against the walls. They arrived at a large chamber deep in the castle, where Kale waited.

Her breath caught in her throat the instant their eyes locked. There was a power in his gaze that drew her in like the tide pulling in upon the shore. She could sense the bond between them, far deeper even than she could understand.

That moment, Lyra understood how little control she had over her fate. The atmosphere between her and Kale became dense, surging with an intensity that could not be denied. With defiance in her heart, she had come here, but facing him now, she felt small, just uncertain. The pack and the ritual-and even the forest herself-had claimed her long before she ever stepped foot inside this castle.

Kale's gaze softened when he caught her, but there was no pity in it - only understanding, and possibly something more. His jaw tightened, and for a moment, Lyra glimpsed the burden he bore. It was not just the weight of his title or his pack that made him so commanding - it was something darker. Something that ate him up inside.

"You're all dressed" - Kale quietly replied, lifting his voice low but there was a gravity behind the words that made Lyra's chest tighten. He never mentioned love or affection, only acknowledgment, and that made her uneasy.

She hugged her arms close to her body to calm her breathing. "I don't belong here, Kale. I'm not your bride. You don't even know me."

Kale turned his head, his face darkening with an emotion she couldn't name. "I don't have to know you, Lyra.

It is not a requirement of the ritual. It's never been about love. It's about power - power you can't imagine that knits us together in ways you cannot conceive. I've never had a choice in this either."

His words registered and her heart dropped. "Power? Is that what you think this is? A power play? Do you think I'm just some... some pawn in your game?"

The look on Kale's face shifted a bit with something like regret before hardening again. "You don't understand. But you will."

She backed away, her fingers balling into fists, she had listened to all he had said. Silence hung in the air between them thick and acrid, and Lyra found herself unable to endure it. "Then tell me," she said, her voice tremulous, but fierce. "What comes next after the ritual? What happens to me?"

It sounded like Kale hesitated, perhaps weighing the severity of her question. His eyes drifted, flickering to somewhere beyond her as if the answer were hidden in the shadows of the room.

"You become part of the pack," he said, his tone crossed with inevitability. "You will bind yourself to me as my bride. And in turn, to the wolves."

Lyra shook her head, unable to believe her ears. "You want me to be like you, a beast?" A creature without a choice? Was a prisoner in a cage of tradition?"

Kale's expression became dark, and for a split second, the wildness in his eyes made her stomach churn. And she saw the flicker of the beast that lived within her - a beast that clawed for dominance, for control.

"It's not a cage. It's a bond, Lyra. A bond that has kept the pack together for generations. Their bride is one with the wolves." The power we possess is what sustains us. Without it, everything would fall apart." His voice dropped in gentleness as he spoke, but the underlying edge remained. "In time, you will understand."