Lyra’s visible hostility faded slightly.She took Elara’s arm with a false affection,projecting an aura of naive vulnerability.“Elara,you don’t know how utterly I rely on my Alpha…”
Her voice was soft,like the rustle of dry leaves,but there was an unmistakable,triumphant sense of pride in its cadence.
“This cycle,my Alpha helped me secure my severance.My ex-Mate’s Clan caused deep territorial trouble and even blocked the sole entrance to my temporary den.”
Lyra leaned closer,her scent of manufactured distress giving way to pride.“But my Alpha hired Elder Weston and had them driven off the perimeter overnight.When it came to the property settlement—the division of the shared territory—he utilized the Thorne Clan’s entire network to ensure I kept the best lands.Even my most difficult former Mate’s mother-wolf didn’t dare challenge his decree.”
Lyra’s eyes shone with blatant admiration for Ryder’s power.
Then,she lowered her voice shyly.“To be honest...I never Mated my ex-Mate out of true devotion.I had little choice;the Pack demanded it.But now that I sense the shift in fate...My Alpha and I are not biologically related,nor are we bound by the archaic Mating laws anymore…”