Her Chosen Mate

Lyra's POV

The moon was blood-red the day a powerful Alpha was murdered-Serene Moon, the leader of the most outstanding pack in the northern part of Norway. She was fierce, strong, and she was my mother.

I had just returned from my lonely walk to the garden, secluded in the farthest corner of our marked territory. As I made my way back, I couldn't ignore the glares my kind shot at me. They hated me for what they believed was forbidden. I was the only one who possessed the trait the prophecy had foretold could bring about the end of our pack-red irises.

I brushed off the side of my dark brown, knee-length dress, straightening the folds from leaning so close to the ground to pluck the fine roses my mother loved. We used to pick them together, since I was like an outcast in my pack. I had no friends, no one to talk to except my mother, who had tried many times to shed light on their false beliefs. I had once hoped my mate would be from my pack, but that dream had long since faded.

My mother had been my strength, and I had never imagined her end would come so soon.

I was in the middle of the town when I heard the sound, heavy footsteps, not like the kind from a man with six-pack abs and a strong build. No, it was the kind that signaled evil was near. I was able to hear it because I was not only born with red eyes; I also had the ability to hear and sense danger.

The sound was coming from a familiar path, one I had walked countless times. The moment I realized it was coming from our mansion, the only place in Moon Pack fortified with protective barriers, iron gates, and a reinforced front door, dread filled my chest. I quickened my pace, causing the few people around me to part, as they usually did, thinking I would hurt them. But at that moment, nothing else mattered.

The footsteps grew louder, like a screeching warning that sent my ears ringing and my pulse racing. I knew danger was close. Suddenly, there was silence, an eerie stillness.

I was almost at the mansion when I heard my mother's scream.

I pushed through the iron gate and ran, my legs aching from the effort. I burst through the door, and my wolf senses flared. A figure dressed entirely in black stood over my mother, who was lying on the floor, blood flowing from her stomach and neck.

"Mom!" I cried, rushing toward her. In the split second it took for me to reach her, the figure fled through the window.

"Mom, please don't leave me." The tears that fell from my eyes hit the ground like tiny red crystals. I cradled my mother in my lap, desperately searching for signs of life, but it was too late. She was gone, and I was alone.

"No, no, no," I sobbed, my head aching as my wolf senses surged, and a strange power rose up inside me. My body became electrified, and with one last cry, the entire living room was covered in red light. I had never been so terrified. My mother always told me I was special, but I never believed her-until now. I was shaking, scared beyond belief, and then I heard his voice.

"Lyra, what have you done?"

I turned immediately, my senses returning. I felt as though I would die along with my mother. But when I saw my stepfather and stepbrother standing in the doorway, I knew things could only get worse.

"You killed her," Thanos, my stepbrother, snarled as he rushed toward me, pulling me away from my mother.

My hands were covered in blood, my clothes soaked with it. I watched as my stepfather checked for signs of life in my mother, searching her pulse and eyes. When he realized she was gone, he growled in my direction, his teeth bared.

"You stupid girl, you killed the Alpha," he spat. "You killed my wife."

I struggled to stand, shaking my head furiously. "I didn't, I swear!"

"You didn't what?" Thanos growled, shoving me hard against the oak table. Pain surged through my body as I collided with the solid surface. But that wasn't enough for him. He picked me up from the shattered remains of the table and slammed me against the nearest wall. "Why did you kill my mother, you witch?"