Betrothed to the Devil

Chapter 1

The sun slowly set behind the mountains, casting long, mysterious shadows across the wooded paths Lyra took. The air was cool, stinging her skin slightly as she took steps, each step bringing her a little closer to the pack she had left three years ago. His heart was pounding, a mixture of nervousness, anger, and apprehension fighting to dominate his thoughts. Everything here seemed unchanged, but inside her, everything was different.

She took a deep breath, remembering why she had come back. Three years of silence, solitude, personal reconstruction. She had to leave everything, abandon the security of the pack, of her family, to rebuild herself abroad, far from betrayals, far from those who had abandoned her. And now she was coming back, forced by circumstances she would have liked to avoid.

As soon as she arrived at the gates of the pack, she felt eyes turn towards her, curious, suspicious eyes, as if they were seeing a ghost. She straightened up, keeping an impassive mask on her face. She wasn't going to show them how much this hurt her, how much it hurt to be here. She would not give them this satisfaction.

She walked along the main path to the family home, a large wooden chalet, surrounded by majestic pines. The flickering light from the lamps peeked through the windows, forming familiar, reassuring shapes. Inside, the faces of his loved ones waited for him, each with a different expression. She tried to remain stoic, even as she saw her half-sister, Luna, staring at her with a smirk. Luna... the one who had broken his trust and pushed him into this exile. Lyra felt almost paralyzed, as if her half-sister's betrayal was still fresh, burning.

But that evening, she hadn't come to settle scores with Luna. A soft, but tired voice pulled her from her thoughts.

"Lyra, my darling, you are finally back. »

She turned around and saw her grandmother, frailer than she remembered. With a pale complexion and trembling hands, her grandmother no longer had that strong and indestructible appearance of the past. Lyra felt her heart tighten, a wave of emotion washing over her.

"Grandma..."

She approached, taking the old woman's hands in hers. The touch of his cold skin made her shiver. "What's happening to you? »

Her grandmother gave a tired smile. "Old age, my little one... but it's good that you're here now. I need you. »

Lyra frowned, a mixture of worry and anger taking over her. "Why did you bring me back? I was good where I was. Why call me back now? »

She knew the question would seem cruel, but she couldn't suppress her resentment. She had fled to escape the plots, the power games, and now she found herself embroiled again in this dysfunctional family.

The old woman looked down, as if ashamed. "Because there is something more important than our quarrels, Lyra. I need you to marry the Alpha. »

A heavy silence settled in, heavy, almost suffocating. Lyra felt her stomach drop. She searched for words, but they eluded her, slipping between her thoughts like grains of sand.

"Arranged marriage? » she finally whispered, her voice trembling with indignation. "I'm supposed to come back and just accept this? »

Her grandmother nodded slowly, as if the answer was obvious. "Yes, for the sake of the family. You know how vulnerable the pack is without a strong alliance. There is no one else who can take on this role. »

Lyra felt anger boiling within her, but she also knew that refusing was a decision she could not afford. Her grandmother, as ill as she was, had always been an important figure in her life, and she asked for this sacrifice because the situation must have been truly desperate.