The Alpha’s Eternal Mate

Lyra sat alone in the war room, the dim glow of the monitors casting long shadows across the space. Her fingers traced absent patterns over the cold metal table, her mind a whirlpool of thoughts she couldn't escape. Damien's words echoed relentlessly.

"Your family."

It felt impossible. Her family had been wiped out centuries ago, torn from her by blood and war. And yet, the doubt gnawed at her, whispering cruel possibilities. Could they have survived? Had they been alive all this time? If so, why had they never found her?

The creak of the door pulled her from her thoughts. Ethan entered, his expression tense but softer than it had been earlier. He placed two steaming mugs on the table and slid into the chair opposite her, studying her with those dark, all-seeing eyes.

"You haven't moved from this spot," he said quietly.

Lyra managed a tired smile, wrapping her hands around the warm mug. "I guess I'm waiting for reality to make sense."

Ethan leaned back in his chair, watching her carefully. "You think Damien's telling the truth?"

Lyra sighed. "I don't know. I want to believe he's lying. That it's just another game the Blood Pact is playing." She glanced at him, her voice barely above a whisper. "But what if he's not?"

Ethan didn't respond right away. Instead, he reached across the table, his hand covering hers, steady and warm. "Then we find them. But we do it on our terms."

Lyra swallowed the lump in her throat, nodding. "I can't let them use my past against me."

"They won't," Ethan said firmly. "Not while I'm here."

For a moment, they simply sat there, the silence stretching between them, filled with a thousand unspoken promises.

Then, Logan's voice crackled through the intercom, breaking the moment. "We've got movement."

Ethan was on his feet instantly, his Alpha instincts kicking in. "Where?"

Logan's tone was urgent. "Warehouse district. We caught a Blood Pact scout trying to sneak in. And you're not going to believe who it is."

Lyra and Ethan exchanged a glance before hurrying to the surveillance room.

Warehouse District – Interrogation Room

Lyra stood behind the one-way glass, her heart pounding in her chest. Sitting in the chair, bound and bloodied, was a face she hadn't seen in centuries.

Her breath hitched. "That's not possible."

Ethan's gaze hardened. "Who is he?"

Lyra's throat tightened. "Nathaniel."

Ethan frowned. "Nathaniel... your cousin?"

Lyra nodded, barely able to believe what she was seeing. Nathaniel had been more than family—he had been her closest friend before the war tore them apart. She had watched him die. Or at least, she thought she had.

Ethan's hand on her shoulder grounded her. "Are you sure it's him?"

Lyra swallowed. "I know my own blood, Ethan."

He studied her for a moment before nodding. "Let's get some answers."

The door hissed open, and Ethan strode in first, his presence commanding. Lyra followed, her eyes locked onto Nathaniel, who looked up at her with something between relief and sorrow.

"Well, if it isn't our long-lost Luna," Nathaniel rasped, his lips curling into a familiar smirk. "You've aged well."

Lyra ignored the knot forming in her chest and crossed her arms. "You're supposed to be dead."

Nathaniel chuckled dryly. "Yeah, well, death's not what it used to be."

Ethan leaned against the table, his voice like ice. "Why are you here?"

Nathaniel's gaze shifted to him, his smirk fading. "Because I need to warn her."

Lyra's stomach tightened. "Warn me about what?"

Nathaniel exhaled, his expression darkening. "The Blood Pact isn't just after you, Lyra. They've been planning this for centuries. The rituals, the sacrifices—they've been building power, waiting for the right moment." He hesitated before adding, "And they have someone who knows how to break you."

Lyra's blood ran cold. "Who?"

Nathaniel's jaw clenched. "Your mother."

Lyra's world tilted, and she took a staggering step back. "No. That's not possible."

Nathaniel looked at her with something almost like pity. "It is."

Ethan's voice was low and dangerous. "You expect us to believe that after all these years, Lyra's mother is alive and working with them?"

Nathaniel shook his head. "Not working with them. Controlled by them."

Lyra's breath came in shallow gasps. Her mother—the woman she had lost so long ago, whose face haunted her dreams—alive, but under the Blood Pact's control?

No. It couldn't be true.

Ethan must have sensed her distress because his hand found hers, grounding her in the moment. "We'll verify it."

Lyra looked at Nathaniel, desperation clawing at her throat. "Why are you telling me this now?"

Nathaniel's gaze softened. "Because I owe you that much."

Tears burned at the edges of Lyra's vision, but she blinked them away. "Where is she?"

Nathaniel hesitated. "I don't know for sure. But they're planning something, Lyra. A ritual, something to bind you to them permanently." He leaned forward, his voice urgent. "If they succeed, it's over."

Lyra's hands clenched into fists. "Then we stop them."

Nathaniel nodded. "There's a gathering happening soon—an ancient site, outside the city. If you go, you might find answers."

Ethan's jaw tightened. "And how do we know this isn't a trap?"

Nathaniel's eyes darkened. "You don't. But if you don't act soon, they'll come to you instead."

Lyra took a deep breath, her emotions warring within her. She looked to Ethan, seeing the concern etched in his features. "We have to go."

Ethan's eyes searched hers before he nodded slowly. "Then we go."

Nathaniel's lips twitched in a weak smile. "Be careful, cousin. You're not the only one they're after."

Lyra's heart pounded as she turned to leave the room. Ethan followed close behind, his presence a steady force.

As they stepped into the hallway, Ethan took her hand, his grip firm and unwavering. "We'll find her, Lyra."

She nodded, but deep down, fear gnawed at her. Because if her mother was alive, then everything she thought she knew about the past was a lie.

And the Blood Pact was closer than ever.