The Alpha’s Eternal Mate

The fight had ended, but the weight of it still clung to the air like smoke after a fire. The Blood Pact scouts had been driven back, leaving behind nothing but bodies and unanswered questions. Lyra stood in the dimly lit alley, her chest heaving as she wiped the blood from her hands, her eyes locked onto the one person who hadn't fled—Damien.

He was on his knees, his face bruised and bleeding from Ethan's relentless assault, yet that infuriating smirk still curled at the edges of his lips.

Ethan stood over him, muscles taut with barely contained rage, his knuckles white as he gripped Damien by the collar. "You should've stayed dead," Ethan growled, his voice like gravel.

Damien coughed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes—those dark, haunting eyes—were fixed solely on Lyra. "But then who would keep your precious Luna entertained?"

Ethan's grip tightened, his control hanging by a thread. Lyra could see the storm brewing in his expression, the desire to end Damien once and for all.

She stepped forward, resting a hand on Ethan's arm. "Don't."

His gaze snapped to hers, disbelief flashing across his face. "Lyra—"

"I need him alive," she said firmly, her voice steady despite the turmoil raging inside her.

Ethan's jaw ticked, but after a long, tense moment, he released Damien with a rough shove. "Talk. Before I change my mind."

Damien chuckled darkly, rubbing his sore jaw. "Such hospitality." He tilted his head at Lyra, his smirk fading slightly. "You're still soft."

Lyra crouched down to his level, her voice a cold whisper. "You don't know me anymore, Damien."

His smile flickered, but his gaze remained steady. "I know enough."

Lyra's patience was wearing thin. "Tell me why they need me."

Damien's smirk faded entirely, and for the first time, there was something almost sincere in his expression. "It's not just about your blood, Lyra. It's about your power. Your bond."

Lyra's stomach twisted. "Bond?"

Damien sighed, wiping the blood from his lip. "The Blood Pact isn't just after you, Lyra. They're after him, too." He nodded toward Ethan. "Together, you're something they can't control. But apart... you're vulnerable."

Ethan frowned, his eyes narrowing. "What are you saying?"

Damien exhaled, shifting slightly as he looked between them. "Your connection—your mate bond—it's stronger than you realize. It's not just love or loyalty, Lyra. It's power. A power they want to control, to exploit."

Lyra felt her pulse quicken. She had always known that being Ethan's Luna meant more than just a title, but to hear it confirmed by Damien, by someone who knew the darkness they were facing, made it feel real in a way she wasn't prepared for.

Ethan crossed his arms. "And what do they want to do with it?"

Damien leaned back against the wall, a humorless chuckle escaping him. "Break it. And when they do, they'll take her and use that power to wipe out anyone who stands in their way."

Lyra's throat tightened. "And you're helping them?"

Damien's eyes darkened. "I'm trying to save you."

Ethan's patience snapped. "By delivering her to them?"

Damien looked at Lyra then, something raw in his gaze. "By making sure they don't kill her outright."

Silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating.

Lyra swallowed hard, forcing her emotions down. "Why now, Damien? Why after all this time?"

Damien sighed. "Because they finally found a way to break you."

A chill ran down her spine. "How?"

Damien hesitated before speaking, his voice quieter. "Your past. The Blood Pact has found something—someone—you thought was long gone."

Lyra's mind raced. "Who?"

Damien's expression was grave. "Your family."

The world tilted beneath her feet, and for a moment, all she could hear was the roaring in her ears. Her family had been gone for centuries—slaughtered in the war that had taken everything from her.

Ethan stepped closer, his hand resting gently on her back, grounding her. "We'll find out what they know."

Lyra nodded slowly, struggling to regain her composure. "And Damien?"

Ethan's eyes flashed with anger, but he answered steadily. "We keep him locked up until we know whether we can trust him."

Damien smirked weakly. "Always the Alpha, huh?"

Ethan grabbed him by the collar once more, dragging him to his feet. "And you're always a traitor."

As Ethan hauled him away, Lyra stood there, her thoughts a chaotic mess.

Her family.

Could they really be alive? Or was this just another game the Blood Pact was playing?

She didn't know, but one thing was clear.

The war was far from over.

Later That Night – Ethan's Suite

Lyra sat on the edge of Ethan's bed, staring out the window at the city below, the weight of Damien's words pressing down on her. She felt Ethan enter the room before she heard him, his quiet footsteps approaching her.

He sat beside her, his presence grounding, his warmth a silent reassurance.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

Lyra let out a shaky breath. "I don't know."

Ethan reached out, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "We'll figure this out. Together."

She turned to look at him, her heart aching with a mixture of fear and longing. "What if it's true? What if my family…"

Ethan's eyes softened, his hand finding hers. "Then we find them."

Lyra swallowed hard, nodding. She squeezed his hand, finding comfort in the steadiness of his touch.

Ethan watched her closely, his voice quieter now. "You don't have to carry this alone."

Lyra offered a small, tired smile. "I know."

She leaned into him, and for a moment, there was no Blood Pact, no Damien, no looming war. Just them.

But deep down, she knew the peace wouldn't last.

Because if her past was truly coming back to haunt her, then the worst was yet to come.