The bed still smells like her.

 Warm. Sweet. Forbidden.

 Every time I drag in a breath, I taste her moans on the air and it makes my wolf snarl like he's losing something he never had the right to claim.

A loud knock echoes around the villa, and I open my eyes slowly. The sheet beside me is still slightly warm and crumpled with her form. I touch the indent where her body lay.

 It's still soft and warm. A low growl slips out of me before I can stop it. She shouldn't be gone yet. Not without the sound of her breath still in my ear.

But Lyra is nowhere to be found. I know the villa is empty even before I take a look around.

The banging echoes again, and I grab a robe, sauntering out of the room.

Jake stiffens the moment the door opens. He smells it. Her scent on my skin, on the sheets.

 His eyes widen a fraction before he forces them to the floor.

"Alpha Kael," my Beta calls, his eyes frantic. He looks like he just rolled out of bed, his hair sticking out in odd angles and his shoes mismatched.

"Are you fine?"

I angle my head, my Alpha instincts already rising to the surface. "What happened last night, Jake?"

Images of her hit me like fists-her nails in my shoulders, the way her breath caught every time I pushed deeper, the green flash of the medallion burning between us. Things I shouldn't remember this clearly.

He stops. "You felt it?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be asking you the damn question." Because I am connected to the earth as far as my pack is concerned, nothing goes on without my notice. But last night....it was different.

I felt disconnected, almost like a higher power had taken over.

It must be the reason I had no idea when Lyra took off.

Lyra.

 Her name echoes like a sin I shouldn't repeat.

 A girl whose face I never saw before last night yet my wolf is pacing like she's ours.

My Beta begins to say something, but he stops mid-sentence, tilting his head. His eyes scan the living room from the little crack in the door, and I pull it closer to me, stopping him from seeing any further.

One more inch and I would've ripped his throat out. No one looks into a room where I fucked a woman hard enough to shake my own control.

"Jake? You know I don't ask questions twice."

My feet move slightly, eager to get rid of my Beta. My wolf has been whining right from the moment I rolled out of bed.

Something isn't right. We need to find Lyra. I am sure it is connected to her.

"I...The...." He stammers, his fingers scratching the back of his ear.

"Jake!" I roar, my Alpha dominance pressing his gaze to the floor. "What the fuck happened?"

"The borders, Alpha Kael," he whimpers, unable to stop staring at the ground. "They have been breached and..."

My wolf lunges so fast my vision went black. It was not because of the breach.

 But the exact moment he says it, something hollow opens in my chest like a bond being yanked, severed, pulled out by its roots.

"When?"

"Early this morning."

Shit. I felt nothing.

"Who?"

"We don't know at this moment, Alpha...."

"You don't know?" My tone drops into a low murmur, and I don't know who I am angry at. Myself or the incompetence of my Beta.

Leaving the door open, I walk back inside the living room and into the bedroom, ignoring the memories of last night. I throw my closet door open and pull out a casual black t-shirt and a matching slacks, before coming out.

Jake is still standing by the door, his eyes on the ground. I hate using my powers on him, but since last night, I have felt so much disgust for him that I cannot even explain.

"Have you conducted a census?" I ask as I close the door behind me, walking through the hallway outside. I hear Jake

follow closely behind, his wolf probably whining about the situation but unable to do a thing about it.

"We did one as soon as the breach was known."

"So it might have occurred last

night then." Last night, when I was in the arms of a total stranger, that made me do things I would ordinarily not do.

"The prints are fresh, Alpha Kael," he murmurs. At least, he sounds certain of his reply. "It rained last night, so it happened before dawn, the footprints would have been washed off already."

"Is there anyone missing from the pack?" I question, throwing my car door open. Jake tries to get in beside me. I stop him.

"Didn't you come with a car?"

"I thought..."

"Answer my questions and come in your car. Is there anyone missing from the pack?"

"No."

"Did we have any guests come in

from outside the borders yesterday?"

Something's wrong, certainly not with the borders but with me.

 Last night, when she touched the medallion, my power cut out as if someone ripped the ground from under my feet.

"Yes, Alpha Kael," he replies, bowing so low that his head almost hits the car. "Members of Lunaris, as well as some other territories, were present for the wedding of your son and my daughter."

A wedding I let Aiden feel free to handle since he is in charge of the pack's politics. And for some reason, I fear that is the cause of the border breach. There was no way we would have been able to monitor who came in and out yesterday with the extent of the crowd that was present.

"Alpha Corvin?

My Beta nods. "He was around too, with his Luna."

I peer my gaze at Jake. "Alpha

Corvin was around, and he didn't tell me about it?"

"He didn't spend so much time here. I was..."

I zone out of the rest of his speech, trying to ascertain what exactly is going on. There are too many variables that need to be accounted for.

"Get into your car and follow me. Also, put a call to Aiden. Tell him to meet us at the border."

Jake rushes out to do my instructions while I move to the borders.

"The mind link isn't working," Aiden says as soon as he jumps out of the car. We arrive at the same time and walk side by side towards the demarcation.

"Something happened," I murmur, going low to inspect the ground. Jake was right. There are footsteps etched onto the earth, but they are uneven and irregular, almost like there were more than one person crossing through.

"An animal?"

I shake my head. They look human, one

small foot and the other, more dragged, as if someone or something intentionally pulled behind the prints to leave a distortion.

It might have been intentional.

Or not.

The scent is faint... but not gone. Not entirely.

 It threads beneath the dirt and rain, a mix of sweetness and fear.

 Her.

 My chest pulls tight enough to bruise.

My mind goes back to Lyra, and a thought begins to form in my head.

I look up at my son.

"At the wedding yesterday, there was a girl serving drinks. Lyra. Do you know her?"

The way he says her name too casually with a current of disrespect. It irritates me.

 I have no right to this feeling but I want to break his jaw for it anyway.

He takes a slow step back, his eyes

watching me warily. "She's Selene's friend," he murmurs. "But what has that got to do with this?"

"Selene's friend?" I can tell that he

is keeping something away. I have known Aiden all his life. It is easy for me to read through his walls.

But he doesn't answer me. Instead, hiseyes widen suddenly as they fall on my neck.

"Dad," he begins, panic creeping into his tone. "Where is the medallion?"

My hand flies to my neck instantly. All I could feel is a cols skin,, no chain, no medallion, nothing!

 A violent chill crashes through me, not because she stole it but because the earth beneath us trembles, as if reacting to the relic's absence.

 Aiden's face drains of color.

 "Dad... she took it?"

 A roar tears out of me, ripping through the trees because if the medallion awakened for her then Lyra isn't just a runaway Omega.

 She's a threat and a prophecy.

 A claim I never meant to make.

 And now I cannot afford to lose her.

I should be asleep, but my body refuses to forget him. I can still feel his breath on my neck.

 Even now, miles away from the Mystic Hollows border, my body won't forget the way Alpha Kael held me down.

My hand is already between my thighs before I realize what I'm doing, chasing a memory I have no right to crave. But my body betrays me.

It remembers the way he pinned me to the window...the way his fingers parted my cunt, the way his tongue sucked every juice left in me and the way his shaft rammed into me vigorously. The way his hips rolled into mine, hard and slow, like he wanted to carve the sound of my moans into his skin...

My hips lift helplessly into my own palm, a shock ripping through me as I grind against the ache he left behind.

I've never touched myself like this.

Never needed to.

Not until him.

Not until the night he ruined my innocence. The medallion in my pocket heats suddenly-sharp, pulsing right as pleasure climbs my spine. My hips jerk, a breathless cry slipping out of me.

It's reacting.

To this.

To me.

To what I'm remembering.

I freeze, panting, but the heat doesn't stop.

It grows. Like the relic itself is answering my desire. And suddenly I'm gasping, my back arching off the thin mattress in the kitchen where Alpha Corvin makes me sleep.

I shouldn't be doing this here.

******

The moment I cross into Lunaris, the warriors at the borders of the pack stop me from going any further. The medallion lay deep in my pocket. Yet, I still tremble with the awareness that I carry something that can put me in a lot of trouble.

I have heard of the medallion years ago, that it is an important relic that can fetch me a lot of money. That is what I plan to do in Lunaris.

I'll search for a purchaser, get a lot of money, and use it to start my new life out

here, away from Aiden, Selene, and Alpha Kael. The mere thought makes me smile so wide.

"Your name," a warrior mutters, glaring at me.

His nostrils flare. Just a fraction.

 As if something about me smells... wrong and different.

 A cold prickle crawls up my spine. I masked my scent perfectly. I should be invisible.

 So why does he look like he wants to peel back my skin and see what's underneath?

"Lyra."

"Pack?"

"My..."

I halt, my mind reeling from the fact that I almost gave myself away. I know Alpha Kael will be searching for me right now, trying to lay a hand on his medallion. But after what he and his son did to me, the least they could do is let me have it.

My mind keeps trying to replay the way Kael touched me, but every time it does, my stomach twists into equal parts, shame and a craving I hate admitting to myself.

 Why couldn't he have been cruel like the others? Why did he have to look at me like he... felt me?

"Greystorm," I mutter, calling the name of a pack that is far from our region and grateful that I masked my scent before making the journey over. No one should be able to trace me back to Mystic Hollows Pack.

No one.

The warrior gives me a once-over.

"I have to take you to our Alpha."

I nod, allowing him to lead me into the small town. It is mixed with humans as well, but they cannot find the borders. They instead go through the normal route.

In here, it feels like nature and reminds me of Alpha Kael's villa. I shake my head the minute the thought settles, dispelling it. I shouldn't be thinking about him now that I am living a new life here in Lunaris. Or at least, I plan to do that.

All that is left is for their Alpha to let me in.

We reach the pack house, and I am led into the foyer. He sits up when he sees me, his eyes regarding me for a fraction.

"Alpha

Corvin," he murmurs, crossing one leg over the other. "What are you doing here?"

"Shelter,"

I respond. "And work. I am not lazy, and I am focused."

He narrows his eyes in my direction. "Lyra, right?"

His gaze is too sharp. Too knowing like Kael's but colder.

I swallow hard, refusing to let my voice shake. If Alpha Corvin suspects what I'm carrying either the relic or the child. I'm dead the moment he decides it.

I nod. The warriors must have mind-linked him.

"Can I ask why you left your former pack and travelled all the way here? You could have gone to any pack at all. You probably crossed a dozen on your way here."

The medallion is heavy in my pocket as I murmur. "I guess my wolf led me here. She..."

"I have a bar. You will work there as a bartender and table assistant. You are to be at work every single day." And then, he pauses for dramatic effect, thrumming his fingers on the table. "Including the days you are not feeling

good. I don't care if your limbs or stomach hurt. I am not running a charity organization."

I nod at once, just happy to have been given a new home without much scrutiny. A huge part of me thought he would make background checks to ensure I wasn't lying. I couldn't imagine him finding out that I had robbed from the most feared Alpha in the territory.

"You will have to pay for your accommodation, of course. Because in Lunaris, everyone earns their stay here. You search for a place to live like every other person, but for now, you can sleep in the kitchen behind the bar."

My lips fall open and then slam shut again. I mean, I should be grateful that I wasn't asked to leave at the border. But sleeping in the kitchen? Even as a pack maid, I never did that.

"Leave."

I keep standing, uncertain of my next location. He casts a lazy glance my way.

"You are still here."

"Right."

Turning around, I head out of the pack house and onto the road. No one pays me attention, ignoring me as I walk down the road and turn left, heading towards what I hope to be the market.

It isn't hard to find the people who buy ancient relics. I stop in front of the first one, but I don't bring out the medallion.

"I have something for sale," I mutter, holding the gaze of the wiry old man. He regards me for longer than a second.

"Are you new around?"

I nod.

"What do you have for sale?"

I take in a deep breath and close my eyes. "A medallion."

He doesn't flinch.

"The medallion."

And then, abruptly, he starts laughing, the odd sound traveling in the air. I stare at him in confusion, wondering what is so hilarious about my wanting to sell the medallion.

After what feels like an eternity, he stops laughing. "You want me to believe that you have the medallion?"

I shake my head. "I want to sell it."

"Girl, I have been in this business longer than you were born, and I have never seen the medallion with my eyes. At first, everyone thought it was a myth until it was known for a fact that it is now hanging on the neck of Alpha Kael of the Mystic Hollows Pack."

And then, he shakes his head slowly. "So, did Alpha Kael hand over the medallion to you, because that is the only reason you would have to sell it?"

His laughter grates against something raw inside me. I want to scream that I did hold the medallion. That I still do.

 But a voice in my head-soft, old, familiar-whispers:

 Not here, child. Not yet. My hands go cold. Whose voice was that?

"I really have it," I insist, already reaching for my pocket. "I can show you."

The moment my fingers brush the relic, heat flares through my veins-fast, violent, protective. My breath hitches. It was as if the medallion doesn't want to be sold.

A few more men join us as I reach into my pocket, trying to find it. When my hands circle around it, I strangely lose the willpower to bring it out.

I need the money, but something inside, something strong, is telling me not to touch the medallion.

"Never mind," I murmur, stepping away from the stall. The men snicker behind me, but I pay them no mind, walking until I am at the bar Alpha Corvin gave me a job at.

The minute I step in, the bells above the door ring, and a towel gets tossed onto

my face.

"Get to work, wench."

Just then the medallion burns against my thigh.

As if it senses something.

As if he is closer than I think.

And a single thought slams into me so violently I almost stagger:

 Alpha Kael is closer than I thought.

 And he's coming.

I was no stranger to back-breaking work or keeping my mouth shut. And when you're a stranger at a new place, these come in handy.

"I'll be right on it, Ma'am," I said, and clenched the rag with determination.

 Things could be better, but still–Lunaris was my chance for a fresh start.

"I'd better just find a speck of dust lying around outside or else you'll pay for it,"

The rag that was already on the counter froze momentarily,

Outsider, huh? Already excluding me from the start.

Still, beggars can't be choosers, I tugged at the corners of my lips till they curved into a realistic smile.

"Of course, Ma'am,"

"It's Madam Beatrice, this is what you'll be doing..." She outlined my responsibilities, then snapped, "Why are you just gawking at me? Get to work!"

Clawfire tavern- the name of the bar-was well patronized. No surprise there, it was co-owned by the Alpha and had 'entertainment' for its guests

Now, because the flow of customers was strong and steady, which means I hardly had a moment to myself.

On the positive side, it pushed thoughts of the medallions to the corner of my mind.

Still, every so often, I'd sense its weight.  Its presence reminded me that I had dared to steal from a man who was said to chew his enemies' bones for breakfast.

"Give me another shot!" A customer who was already plastered hissed at me.

He looked middle-aged while simultaneously acting like a toddler.

"Sir, I'm sorry I can't keep serving. He grabbed me by my collar, dragged me close enough to drown in his breath that was an appalling mix of onion rings and alcohol.

"I didn't ask for your opinion! Now pour me another shot!" His spittle rained on my face as he roared at me.

 Then he shoved me back, I lost my balance, and what followed next were sounds of bottle shattering, some of the stray shards homed in my legs and arms.

 My heart thumped as this yanked me right back to that night, when I saw Selena's hand interlaced with Aiden, a wedding ring gleaming on her finger, which made me subconsciously shatter the glass in my hand.

Madam Beatrice showed up.

And to put it lightly, she did not look happy.

I would have to pay for every last drop that was wasted. Which means I'll only be paid 30% of my original salary every month.

Nothing was said to the customer who had pushed me, well, other than the promise that he would get his shot.

The laughter in the background scratched my ears like knives as I grabbed a mop to clean up the mess, my left hand and right leg trickling with blood.

"Make sure you clean that up before you serve the customers," was the only acknowledgment Beatrice gave my wounds.

I closed my eyelids, tightened my hold on the mop stick, and remembered someone who had cared for my wounds.

What would he say if he were here right now?

Would he take care of me the way he did that night?

My cheeks flushed as my mind drifted to his firm, masculine body. He was even more fit than Aiden.

Why am I even thinking that I should get to work?

I was counting down the seconds for me to clock out when Beatrice bounced in front of me without warning and said,

"By the way, we need someone to work overtime. She gave me a pointed look that told me I was the chosen 'someone'

But I was halfway to breaking down completely.

"Madam Beatrice, can someone just cover for me...Just for today I'll–"

My lips stopped moving abruptly as her gaze heated up with hostility. I gulped. Of course, she wasn't asking; she was demanding.

And I had already agreed to work no matter my health disposition.

"Sure, Madam Beatrice," I said through clenched teeth.

The further into the night we went, the more obnoxious the customers became.

Some were leering at me, throwing unsolicited flirtatious comments. I was polite but cold.

Many of them didn't like this.

"She's not even that pretty," one of them said to his friend and shot me a dirty look from his table, "an Omega with no pack having standards, what a joke!"

I closed my eyes, tucking my lips in as I bit them to bury my words.

Towards the end of the night, Alpha Corvin showed up, and I noticed even before I captured his scent between an overwhelming sandwich of sweat and booze. The whole place that had been loud and rowdy a moment before it fell into an eerie silence.

His aura was vastly different from Alpha Kael's.

 With my former mate's father, there was something that drew you to respect him, and it was that respect that made bowing to him natural.

But Alpha Corvin didn't look like the type to yearn for respect; rather, he sought to evoke bone-chilling fear.

"Water," he said simply, sliding into the barstool.

The shock of seeing him stunned me for a second, but he sharpened his gaze and snapped me right into action.

In the blink of an eye, a glass was placed before him.

But something told me he didn't come here just because of a glass of water.

Unfortunately, I was right.

Madame Beatrice, who had gone to check on the supplies and the back, came out and made a beeline for Alpha Corvin.

"Alpha, you're here–" she sounded so relieved, then dived into her anecdote, of course spiced and twisted to paint me in the worst possible light.

By the time she was done, Alpha Corvin's glass was drained, and a decision was made.

I would only receive 10% of my salary every month, and then there would also be an interest to be paid for all the bottles I destroyed.

"Do you understand?" He said to me,

I bowed to hide my tears.

"I do, Alpha Corvin."

 But as I bowed, my fingers brushed against the medallion hidden beneath my clothes and for the first time, it pulsed with a heat that hints that my suffering was only the beginning.