"Lyra, honestly, what are you doing? You're not a pup anymore—why are you playing these stubborn games with me? That tribute demand was just a misunderstanding, nothing more. You're the heart of our pack's tracking operations, and more than that, you're my sister-in-bond. How could I ever let you feel so wronged?"
The Alpha spoke to me with the same familiar warmth she always used, treating me as an equal, a packmate, a friend.
But I had made my decision. I would never again swallow the empty promises she dangled before me.
Ten years ago, Aurora and I had shared a den during our training years.
She was born of Alpha blood, heir to the wealthy Frostveil lineage. I was a poor omega with nothing but sharp instincts and a gift for tracking.
After our training ended, Aurora wanted to establish her own territory. She would provide the resources and connections; I would provide the skills and strategies.
Ten years of building together, and now our pack numbered in the hundreds—a territory of real significance. But the mark-rights Aurora had promised me, the tribute shares she had sworn would be mine—none of it had ever materialized.