Chapter 2

Lyra

Four days left on my countdown.

Besides letting my stitches heal, I spent the last few days packing up my life.

I stood in my room, shoving five years of pathetic desperation into heavy-duty trash bags to be burned.

The hundreds of rejected mating requests. The jars of wolfsbane burn-salve I brewed for his border injuries. The bone-carved warding amulets meant to hide his scent from rogues. Every useless thing I made to keep him safe.

I threw the last amulet into the bag, tied it off, and exhaled.

I turned around. Cole was standing in the doorway. He stared hard at me, then looked down at the massive pile of trash bags at my feet.

"What are you doing?" His voice was rough, his jaw tight. "Why are you throwing all that out?"

"It's junk," I said flatly. "Trash belongs in the garbage."

The second the words left my mouth, a huge weight lifted off my chest. It felt amazing. I felt absolutely nothing for him.

Cole didn't move, but his fists clenched. The veins popped in his arms like he was fighting a feral shift.

He took a sharp breath, dragging a hand through his hair. "Look. I went too far yesterday," he muttered, forcing the words out. "We're going to the Black Market Gala tonight. Whatever you want from the auction, I'll buy it for you. Just get in the car."

I didn't answer. I grabbed my jacket and walked past him.

When I got downstairs, Thea was already sitting in the front passenger seat of the pack SUV—the Luna's seat. She flashed me a sickly-sweet, fake smile.

I just raised a brow, nodded, and slid into the back seat.

Cole got into the driver's seat and froze.

The old Lyra would have lost her mind. I would have screamed, fought for that front seat, and ended up crying when he ordered me to the back.

Today? I just buckled up and pulled out my phone. My total silence absolutely freaked him out.

The drive to the city was a joke. Cole spent the whole ride trying to get a reaction out of me. Tucking Thea's hair behind her ear. Whispering to ask if the winding road was making her sick—just loud enough for me to hear.

He checked the rearview mirror seven times. Seven times, he braced for me to be crying. Seven times, he just saw me scrolling on my screen.

Cole's jaw locked. He gripped the steering wheel tight enough to snap the leather.

When we walked into the Gala, Cole broke every Pack rule in the book. In a room packed with Alpha elites, he held his unmarked Omega's hand and paraded her around like Luna.

An Alpha from a neighboring pack stopped us, staring in shock. "Cole, you got some balls bringing your stray to a high-council event." He shot me a look full of heavy pity.

Cole just lifted his chin, arrogant as ever, and pulled Thea closer.

His friend shook his head. "Damn. Lyra used to have teeth. Now look at her. You completely broke the poor girl."

Whispers started buzzing around the room.

"Word is, the Omega is carrying his heir."

"Look at his actual mate. Just sitting there taking it. Pathetic."

I tuned them out. If I still loved him, the humiliation in this room would have crushed me. Now? I just thought they all looked like clowns.

The auction started. Cole sat Thea in the absolute center of the front row and threw pack money around like water.

"Cole, I want that moonstone necklace," Thea cooed.

"Done," Cole said.

"That sapphire tiara?"

"Bought."

"What about that emerald warding amulet? To keep our pup safe?"

"It's yours."

The crowd buzzed with shock. When the final gavel hit, the auctioneer yelled into the mic.

"Incredible! Alpha Cole takes it all tonight! Congrats to the Alpha and his... future Luna!"

People snickered. The auctioneer realized his screw-up and nervously glanced at me in the back row.

Thea just giggled, soaking up the attention. "Thank you so much."

Cole tapped her nose, looking at her like she hung the damn moon.

I was bored out of my mind. I got up and headed to the restroom.

I pushed the heavy oak door open and stopped dead.

Thea was standing by the mirror, frantically adjusting something under her dress.

It was a silicone belly. It glowed faintly purple—witchcraft, laced with blood magic to fake a pregnant scent.

She jumped and shoved her dress down, pure panic flashing in her eyes.

"Faking a pup?" I asked, leaning against the doorframe. Deadpan.

Thea whipped around. The sweet Omega act vanished in a second. "You gonna run and rat me out to Cole?"

I shrugged. "I really don't care enough to. I don't want him. He's all yours."

She narrowed her eyes, studying me like it was a trap. When she realized I actually didn't give a damn, her defensive posture dropped.

"Don't judge me," she muttered, "He's my only ticket out of the gutter. I'm securing my rank, by any means necessary."

"Like I said, good luck," I replied.

I turned around and walked out.

I took three steps down the grand marble staircase in the lobby. Then the air cracked behind me.

BOOM!

A blast of kinetic witch-fire slammed into my spine. I was launched into the air, coming down hard on the jagged marble stairs.

I hit the landing with a sickening crunch. My ribs snapped. The breath punched out of my lungs, and white-hot pain ripped through my chest.

I choked on a mouthful of blood and looked up.

Thea was walking down the steps. She had a sick, twisted smile on her face, black magic still sparking on her fingers.

"Sorry," she whispered, her voice chilling. "I don't believe you. Can't leave loose ends."

Then, she screamed.

She threw herself onto the marble floor next to me, clutching her fake belly, wailing at the top of her lungs.

"Thea!"

Cole's voice roared through the hall. He sprinted out, his face going pale when he saw the blood.

He dropped to his knees. "Thea! What happened?!"

Thea sobbed into his chest. "Cole! Lyra used dark magic! She's jealous—she tried to kill our pup!"

My eyes went wide. I gasped for air, trying to talk, trying to say it was a lie.

Cole didn't ask. He didn't blink. His eyes went feral red with endless hate.

He stood up, pulled his leg back, and kicked me square in the chest.

I flew back. The back of my skull cracked against the stone floor.

My vision tunneled. A deep, tearing agony ripped through my lower abdomen—like something vital was just torn out of me.

Through the fading light, the last thing I saw was Cole carrying Thea away. He didn't even look back at my bleeding body.

Then, the darkness dragged me under.