Lyra’s POV.

I never thought I'd end up like this, accidentally pregnant with the most powerful and notorious Alpha Dragon’s child from a one-night stand. Yes, DRAGON, and before that, everyone thought he was a werewolf.

***

The smell of sizzling bacon and maple syrup wafted through the air, mingling with the ruffle of my father's newspaper. There was no rest for me. I stood at the stove, flipping pancakes and trying to ignore the ache in my chest. Today was my birthday, but no one seemed to care.

My father, Gregory Evergreen, the Alpha of the Wolfsong pack, was too busy reading the morning paper to greet me. His gray eyes scanned the pages with a furrowed brow. He hadn't said a word to me since I'd woken up, not even 'happy birthday.'

Viola, my half-sister, was already dressed and ready to go to the open day at Emberwood College. It was the most prestigious and renowned college in our territory, second only to Harbringer University. Neither she nor I had hopes of going to Harbringer. Only the most elite wolves went there, and besides it was deep into enemy territory.

Viola sauntered into the kitchen, her long black hair cascading down her back in soft waves. Her green eyes, the same color as mine, flicked over me, a smirk playing on her lips. "Looks like the wannabe wolf is making breakfast again," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

I gritted my teeth, fighting the urge to snap back at her. I knew it would only make things worse. Instead, I turned my attention back to the pancakes, pouring more batter onto the griddle.

"There were no charity places left at Emberwood for a weak wolf like you," Viola continued, her voice taunting. "But don't worry, there's always next year."

I swallowed hard, my heart sinking in my chest. I knew she was right. I was the only wolf above eighteen in my pack who hadn't changed. Because of this, my family despised me and most pack members avoided me, dismissing me as useless. I longed to shift into my wolf form. To feel the power and strength that came with it.

But no matter how hard I tried, it never happened.

"Come on, Viola, we're going to be late," my father said, finally looking up from his paper. He stood, grabbed a fistful of bacon, and folded it between a pancake before taking a bite.

"Would you like a napkin, father?" I asked, hoping he would notice me on today of all days.

I should have known better. Like always, he looked right through me as he walked out of the room.

Viola followed him, her laughter echoing down the hallway. I stood there, alone in the kitchen, my heart heavy with disappointment. I had always dreamed of attending Emberwood College, but my step-mother, Vivian, had deemed it a waste of pack resources. And with no wolf, I had no hope of getting in on my own.

I sighed, turning off the stove and began to clean the kitchen. As I scrubbed, the air grew cold and silence filled the room. My mind wandered to a much warmer place—a place where the heat came not from a griddle but from the intense shared desire between two bodies. My thoughts strayed to Blake's touch. His fingers had been warm against my skin that night by the lake, igniting sparks under every inch they caressed.

Blake was my childhood friend and the one person who had always believed in me. He was the only one who knew about my longing to shift into my wolf form, and he promised to be with me even if I didn't get my wolf at twenty-one.

Blake had told me this when we were sitting by the lake, watching the sunset. He had reached out, tucking a strand of my golden curls behind my ear, his deep brown eyes gazing into mine. "You're so beautiful, Lyra," he had said, his voice husky. "Your hair is like the sun and your eyes like a tropical green sea. Your curves…" Here he had licked his lips, "are luscious hills and valleys. I'll always be here for you, no matter what."

Cringey as his description was, I appreciated it. I never received compliments from anyone except him. He protected me too. As the next Beta, he was the strongest male in our pack besides the current Beta and my father.

When I was young, I was destined to be the female Beta. I could run farther, jump higher, and lift more than some of the weaker males and all of the females. I was still strong, yet surpassed by everyone who had shifted.

Every time I heard a couple mating or a wolf howling, my heart would sink a little deeper. My skin remained stubbornly human, my strength the despised one of a wolf akin to a human. Both discriminated against by our pack.

I shook my head, pushing away the bad memories as I focused on the task at hand. I needed to get to the pack house and help prepare for the ceremony before my step-mother came looking for me.

And I sure didn’t want that to happen.

Grabbing a bag, I headed out the door. The walk to the pack house was a lonely one, as most members avoided me. Without my wolf, I was an outcast. A reject. I could feel their judging gazes on me as I made my way down the winding forest path.

Every day my heart ached with longing. Every day I wished I could join my pack mates in their wolf forms as they frolicked through the woods. But at my age of twenty, twenty-one today, I still hadn't shifted. Most got their wolves by eighteen, some even as early as sixteen, like my perfect half-sister Viola.

I pictured her smug face when she came home yesterday boasting about her acceptance to Emberwood College. I hadn't even bothered applying. Not with my status.

Yet somehow, they could afford to send lazy, spiteful Viola. Rage simmered within me at the injustice.

I was brought out of my brooding when the pack house came into view up ahead. It towered over me, dark and foreboding. I knew the evil that waited for me inside.

With a deep breath I trudged up the steps, pushing open the heavy wooden doors. Inside, the main hall was already bustling with activity as pack members prepared for tonight's ceremony.

Some were stringing up decorations while others arranged tables and chairs. The air was filled with excited chatter and laughter.

A pang of loneliness went through me as I stood awkwardly in the doorway, unsure where to begin. Then my eyes landed on Vivian, my 'e-vile' step-mother, across the room. In a cream silk suit, she directed people with her usual commanding presence. When she spotted me, her eyes narrowed.

"About time you showed up," she said briskly, not even bothering with a hello. "We need help setting up the banquet hall. The tablecloths and centerpieces still need to be put out."

I bit my tongue to stop a rude retort. "Of course, Vivian," I replied as respectfully as I could.

I moved to pick up a stack of tablecloths, feeling the harsh gazes of the other pack members on me. Their whispers and sideways glances made my face burn. I was used to being the outcast, the girl who still hadn't shifted, but that didn't make it sting any less.

Determined not to fail at so simple a task, I gritted my teeth, carefully placing each tablecloth so that the seams were even. No matter what my haters threw at me, I would show them my worth. Next were the glowing centerpieces. I had to climb a ladder and lift the wrought iron creations in order to hang them just right.

By the end, the banquet hall looked magnificent. I stood back to admire my work with a small sense of satisfaction. That feeling faded quickly when I saw Vivian looking it over with a critical eye.

"Hmm, it's passable," she said. "Now go help the kitchen staff with the food preparations."

Passable. That was the most praise I could ever expect from her. I held back a retort and simply nodded. As I made my way to the kitchen, I vowed that someday, somehow, I would earn my place in this pack. Wolf or no wolf.

The kitchen hummed with activity as the cooks diligently prepared dishes for the ceremonial feast. Eager to contribute, I swiftly began chopping vegetables, aiming to lend a hand.

My mind wandered as I worked. Why hadn't my wolf emerged yet? Was there something wrong with me? The rest of the pack had given up hope that my inner wolf would ever surface. Even Blake's patience was starting to wear thin. He never said so, but I saw it in his eyes. The tightness of his jaw when he was forced to run alone…

Lost in thought, I didn't notice the head cook come up behind me until she barked, "Pay attention, girl!" I jumped, nearly slicing my finger.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

She shook her head. "No wolf, and now you're useless with a knife. Why are you even here?"

The cook's words cut deep even though they were nothing I hadn't heard before. Blinking back tears, I resolved to focus on my task. I may be just like a human to them, but I refused to be seen as incompetent.

I finished prepping the vegetables and moved on to helping finish up the hall. By myself I lifted oak tables, moved heavy chairs, all without breaking a sweat. As I worked, pack members streamed in and out, casting disdainful looks my way.

My face burned, but I kept my gaze fixed ahead. I would not let their scorn break me.

The hall slowly filled for the evening's festivities. My heart sank when I realized Blake had not arrived. He'd promised to take me to the ceremony tonight, despite my shame at still being wolfless.

After waiting what felt like forever, I knew Blake wasn't coming.

Tears pricked my eyes. The one day I needed him the most and he didn't even bother to show up and support me.

Did no one care it was my birthday?

I snuck out the back door, cool air enveloping me. My arms pebbled with goosebumps. I folded them, rubbing my hands over the raised flesh to take away the chill. The laughter from inside mocked me, reminding me of my shortcomings...

Breathe, Lyra. Just breathe.

One long inhale led to more. Positive thoughts emerged.

‘Your wolf will come tonight. Just wait and see,’ I told myself.

Holding onto that hope, I left the wall and headed towards Blake's, to find out what was keeping him.

Lyra’s POV.

Twilight was on the horizon, the smell of rain in the air. The diminishing light cast long shadows across the manicured lawn of Blake’s parents’ home.

I slipped through them and up to the bay window. There, I caught sight of my father and Vivian engaged in a lively conversation with Blake's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bishop.

I hesitated on the porch steps, unwilling to interrupt their gathering, but desperate to see Blake.

Tonight was my big night. I just knew I would change. I might even find out that Blake was my—

No, I couldn't go there…thinking of Blake as my future mate. I didn't want to jinx myself.

With a quick glance at the adults inside, I crouched low and traveled around to the back where Blake lived in his self-contained apartment over the garage.

My fingers trembled on the railing of the outside stairs, betraying the mixture of nerves and excitement running through me. It had been weeks since we'd last spent time together, I wondered if things would be different between us.

As I reached the top of the stairs, muffled sounds drifted from behind Blake's closed door. Moans. Gasps. The unmistakable creak of bed springs. My cheeks flushed hot as the implications sank in.

I froze outside the door, part of me wanting to flee back down the stairs and pretend I hadn't heard anything. But the other part needed to know if my ears had deceived me.

Before I could stop myself, I grabbed the doorknob and threw open the door. "Blake, what the he —"

The words died on my lips at the sight before me. Blake and Viola… tangled naked in his sheets.

Viola let out a sharp shriek and yanked the blankets over herself.

"Lyra!" Blake scrambled off the bed, grabbing his jeans off the floor. "I can explain."

Rage boiled inside me, piping hot. So great was my anger, I couldn’t speak. My younger sister— half of my flesh and blood— with the male who promised to be there for me. On tonight of all nights. How could they?

Viola recovered first, her lip curling in a sneer. "Well, if it isn't little miss goody-goody, come to steal Blake away. Sorry sis, but he picked me."

Her taunt cut through my shock. "You scheming witch!" I lunged for her, my right palm open and primed for a bitch slap.

I got a good one in before Blake grabbed my arm, holding me back from further destruction. With satisfaction I noted the red palm print on my cheating half-sister’s pale face. "Lyra, stop! This isn't what you think."

I wrenched my arm from his grip. "It is what I think! I'm not blind, Blake. I know what I saw."

Hot tears stung my eyes. After everything we'd been through, he chose Viola over me. Viola, who had tormented me almost from the moment she and her mother stepped foot into my father’s home.

Blake ran a hand through his tousled hair. "I didn't want this. The Alpha...he ordered me to be with Viola. For the good of the pack."

I blinked, stunned. "What?"

"It's true," Viola taunted, a smug smile playing on her lips as she stretched languidly. "Daddy's looking for powerful pups to lead our pack. And you, Lyra? You're too feeble. You can't even transform."

Her words crashed into me like a resounding slap, the sting reverberating through my being. She spoke the undeniable truth - without the ability to shift into a wolf, I was deemed worthless in the eyes of Wolfsong. It was a fact known to all, myself included. How could Blake ever choose me when Viola could offer him everything?

Color me foolish for harboring even the slightest glimmer of hope that he cared. Yet, despite my better judgment, I recoiled as if physically struck, Viola's cutting words piercing deep into my core.

Useless.

Weak.

Those damning words sliced through my mind. Each repetition akin to a serrated blade piercing my heart. And as if to mirror the lowest point of my life thus far, thunder rumbled in the distance, the crack of it, sealing my downfall.

Viola's smirk widened, her eyes glinting with cruel delight at my pain. Inside, something in my mind howled at the injustice. I wanted to roar and claw and tear, to prove her wrong. But I had no wolfskin to slip into. Only this fragile human flesh.

"That's enough, Viola," Blake growled. "You've made your point."

He turned to me. Regret carved on the features of his face. "Lyra, I—"

I held up a hand, silencing him. I would not hear his excuses. Why should I when the truth glared bright and ruthless? I was not enough for him. Not enough for this pack that was supposed to be my family.

Viola, now dressed in Blake's shirt, sauntered over to him, pressing against him possessively. "Face it, sis. You don't belong here. Why don't you just leave?"

Voices reached me. Gasps of shock. Blake and Viola weren't the only witnesses to my humiliation. Both sets of parents had come to see it too.

"Lyra?" Vivian's voice cut across the fabric of the night. "What are you doing here?"

Viola suddenly grasped her cheek and slid to the floor howling. "Mama. Mama. She attacked me. She pulled my hair. Scratched my cheek. She said such awful things..." She then broke out into wretched sobs, her thin shoulders heaving.

Blake, apparently wanting to choose the winning side, gave me a look of disgust and said, "I tried to hold her back, but you all know how freakishly strong she is."

The parents all agreed, nodding to each other as Vivian pushed me roughly aside. Reaching the only child she loved, she snapped her dark eyes up at me in a venomous glare.

"I want her gone, Mama." Viola begged, voice breaking. “Please, just make her go away."

Vivian rose slowly to her feet. I knew what was coming. I had received a thousand of them before. Still the pain that exploded in my cheek shocked me with the viciousness of it. Rust and salt filled my mouth. My head swam from the force of it being knocked into the wall.

With blood leaking from my lips, I looked up and saw my stepmother's dark eyes boring into me, full of accusation and contempt. "How dare you attack your sister? I always knew you were jealous of Viola, but this is a new low, even for you."

I struggled to my feet, cowering against the door. I opened my mouth to defend myself, to explain it was all a lie, but no words came out. Vivian had already made up her mind.

She would always take Viola's side over mine.

Vivian went on, driving the knife deeper into my heart. "You were lucky to live with us despite your lack of abilities. But now you want to harm the future Luna of our pack? Get your shit and begone, Lyra Evergreen. As for me, the current Luna of Wolfsong, I hereby expel you. Consider yourself a rogue."

My stepmother's words stung. I looked at my father. He coldly regarded me as if I were just a piece of unrelated rotten meat.

"Today is my birthday, Daddy.” Happy birthday to me.

He shook his head. His gray eyes flat and deadly. His jaw set in stone. "I curse this day as the day you killed your mother.” He went on, refusing to look at me as he said, "Vivian's right. You need to leave. Tonight."

The rejection hit me like a boxer’s fist, his indifference more painful than any shout or slap. I was his daughter, yet he discarded me without a second thought, believing Viola's lies without even considering my truth.

I blinked back hot tears, refusing to show weakness. "As you wish, Father," I said, my voice strained but steady. "I'll gather my things and go."

"No," said Vivian with a growl, "I changed my mind. You may steal something from the house. Just go. Go with the filthy clothes on your back."

My shoulders slumped as I turned to leave, Viola's smug smile taunting me. She had won this round, and succeeded in her petty mission to drive me out. But this wasn't over. One day I would become stronger and wiser…

And I would show them how wrong they were about me.

As heavy drops of rain fell from the dark skies, my blond hair became matted and plastered to my face. The small amount of makeup I had applied was now running down my cheeks in black streaks. With a heavy heart, I made my way down the stairs and into the woods, the familiar path blurred by the downpour. My tears mixed with the rain as I trudged forward, feeling lost and alone in this desolate world. The smell of wet earth and damp leaves filled my nostrils, adding to the melancholy atmosphere. As thunder rumbled in the distance, I couldn't help but weep for what had been lost, and what may never be found again.