Chapter 5 THE OTHER LYRA

Fog clung to the trees like it had claws of its own, refusing to let go even though dawn was already breaking. The air felt damp in Lyra's lungs, and the faint crackle of dying embers told her their fire hadn't been fed in hours.

Kael was already awake, standing at the edge of the camp with his back to her, scanning the forest like he expected the trees to lunge at him. His broad shoulders shifted slightly as if the tension in his body had nowhere to go.

She watched him quietly for a second. He didn't look like a man who slept much, or who trusted anything, not even the morning light.

Lyra lay still, her cheek against the cool bedroll. She hadn't felt this peaceful in days, maybe weeks, though she'd never admit it to him. She'd seen him as her captor, her enemy, the Alpha whose world she didn't want to be a part of. But in this sliver of time, before he noticed her staring, she saw something else, something she didn't want to see.

It would be easier if she hated him completely.

And yet...

She shut her eyes quickly when he turned. His footsteps were quiet on the damp earth.

"You awake?" His voice was low, but it cut through the fog as sharply as his presence always did.

She opened her eyes and sat up suddenly, gasping for air.

He was next to her in an instant, crouching, his eyes scanning her face. "You okay?"

Lyra's chest heaved. "It was me," she whispered, "but... not me."

"What did you see?"

She shivered and hugged herself. "I was in a circle of wolves. They were all dead. Blood... everywhere. My hands..." she glanced at them as if expecting to still see crimson... "soaked in it."

His gaze darkened. "A vision."

"You think it's real?"

"I think it's a warning."

Her stomach turned. "A warning of what? What I could become?"

He didn't answer. The silence was enough to make her pulse spike.

"There was someone else," she said finally. "A girl. She looked exactly like me. But her eyes... they were black. She smiled while the wolves bled."

Kael's jaw tightened. He turned toward the trees. "Your bloodline is more than we thought. You may not just be cursed."

"Then what am I?"

He glanced back at her, his expression grim. "You may be... split."

"Split?"

"Two souls. One light, one shadow. Both born of the Moon."

********

At Crimson Night Pack Stronghold.

Far from the forest, Elder Thorne sat in a chamber lined with bones. The flickering candlelight made the hollow sockets of the skulls glare. On the table before him lay a map carved into stone, grooves worn deep by centuries of use.

A drop of blood fell onto the mountain range etched there. It sizzled, spreading into black lines.

A shadow bloomed across the peaks.

"The Other is awakening," Thorne murmured.

The door opened, and Cira stepped inside, arms crossed tight. "You said we had time."

"I said she would awaken slowly. But the bond..." Thorne's pale eyes slid toward her. "...is accelerating it."

"Then sever the bond. Break it."

"If Kael rejects her again, the pain will destroy them both."

Cira's smile was sharp. "Good."

Thorne studied her for a long moment, then allowed himself a cold smile. "Ah, Beta... your jealousy is showing."

Her lips curled in a growl before she spun on her heel and left.

********

Kael, in his wolf form, padded toward the gate, Lyra seated behind him, gripping the thick fur at his neck. The moment the guards recognized him, they pulled the heavy gates open.

No one spoke, but the air thickened as they entered.

Pack members turned to stare. Some bowed their heads respectfully to Kael. Others looked directly at Lyra and let their contempt show.

"Witch."

"Moon-born."

"She should be dead."

Each word hit her like a slap.

"This is your home?" she asked under her breath.

He didn't look back. "You'll get used to it."

"No thanks."

A cluster of young warriors blocked the path, eyes flicking between them. One of them, tall, cocky, spit at her feet.

Lyra didn't think. She dropped to the ground, stepped forward, and punched him square in the jaw. The crack of contact echoed in the air.

He hit the ground hard, groaning.

She stepped over him without breaking stride. "Next time, say it to my face."

Kael didn't stop her.

********

In the War Hall.

Elder Thorne sat at the long table, watching her enter with a faint smile. "Welcome, Moon-Blessed."

Lyra wrinkled her nose. "Nice place. Smells like death."

"Death built our history. Sit."

She stayed standing, Kael at her side.

Thorne's gaze swept over her like she was a puzzle piece he'd been waiting to fit into place. "The forest marks you. The curse responds. Your presence is disrupting the balance."

"I didn't ask for any of this," she snapped.

"Neither did the wolves you nearly killed in your sleep."

Her eyes narrowed. "What?"

He reached into a pouch and dropped a blood-stained cloth onto the table. "Your power activated in your dreams. Two of our own woke up bleeding out. You reached for them without knowing it."

She took a step back, heart pounding.

Kael stepped forward, voice hard. "Enough!"

"No. Not enough," Thorne said, eyes glittering. "You are a weapon. And if the wrong side gets to you first..." He let the silence fill the space.

Kael grabbed her arm. "We're done here."

******

At the Forest's Edge

They walked in silence until she finally asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know," he said flatly. "Not until this morning. I felt something shift while you slept."

"And now?"

"Now I know you need control. Fast."

"And if I can't?"

His eyes locked with hers. "Then they'll try to kill you."

They walked to a nearby stream. Lyra crouched by the water, trying to breathe. The surface rippled, then stilled.

Her own face stared back... but not. The eyes were black pools. The mouth curved in a slow, mocking smile.

"Hello, sister," it whispered.

Her breath caught. "No..."

The water boiled.

She stumbled back with a scream.

Kael rushed to her in seconds, blade in hand. "What happened?"

"She was there," Lyra gasped. "Me. But not me. She called me sister."

His jaw tightened. "It's starting."

*****

At Kael's Cabin.

The fire burned low. She broke the silence first. "You think she's my sister?"

"No. I think she's the part of you the curse split off. Killing her might kill you too."

"So we just let her run free?"

"No. We find the Seer. She's the only one who might bind your soul again."

Lyra stared at the map. "Then we go tonight."

*******

The Other Lyra's Cave:

The cave stank of damp earth and blood. The Other Lyra paced, her crimson eyes glowing faintly.

"He's protecting her," she murmured. "Weak."

A shadow moved along the wall. The voice that followed was deep, inhuman. "The Alpha's heart was always his flaw."

The Other Lyra smiled. "And her?"

"She will come. She must. When she does, you will take your rightful place."

Her laughter echoed through the cave, low and hungry.

Kael and Lyra were preparing to leave when a scout burst in, pale and shaking.

"Alpha!" he gasped. "A border patrol was slaughtered! The bodies... torn apart. And carved into their flesh..." His voice broke.

Kael's tone was ice. "What did it say?"

The scout swallowed. "Return her... or burn."

The hall went still.

Kael's wolf surged so hard behind his eyes they burned gold. Lyra felt the air tighten-and knew the real war had just begun.