A Forgotten Hope
The moon hung low, a cold crescent in the sky, barely illuminating the ruins of Lyra's world. She sat in her damp, shadowed corner, her breath shallow as she wiped the blood from her split lip. The taste of it lingered on her tongue — a metallic reminder of the pain she had become so accustomed to. Each bruise, each scar, was a story of survival, a mark of endurance. But they no longer stung as they once had. Now, it was the emptiness that filled her chest that hurt the most. The ache of a life lived in shadows. A life that had once been filled with light but had now dimmed beyond recognition.
Lyra was a prisoner in her pack, the omega, the weakest, the one everyone looked down upon. She had long since ceased to hope for change. The Alpha, Raegar, had made sure of that. With every punishment, every cruel word, he had ground her down into nothing but dust beneath his boot. She was nothing. She was less than nothing.
Her only comfort, the only thing that kept her tethered to a world she no longer understood, was the moon. She would watch it rise each night, its pale light reflecting the fragile remnants of a dream she had once had — a dream of freedom, of a life where she could be more than the broken thing Raegar had made her. But that dream was as distant as the stars. Fading. Vanishing.
Tonight, the full moon should have made her feel something — a sense of power, maybe, a glimmer of the wolf inside her that had once thrived. But it didn't. She didn't feel the pull of the transformation like the others did. Instead, she felt only the cold chill of isolation as her body lay still. Raegar's punishment had left her weak and trembling, her wolf subdued, silenced by years of abuse. She had been marked by pain for so long that she couldn't remember a time when she had felt whole.
The sound of footsteps echoed down the stone hallway. Lyra froze, the familiar chill creeping up her spine as she knew exactly who it was. Raegar's Beta, Kade, moved closer. His footsteps were measured, and confident. He was coming to inspect her — not out of concern, but because it was his job to ensure that she remained broken, that she stayed in her place.
"Get up," Kade's voice rasped from the doorway, the command sharp and unyielding.
Lyra didn't move. She never moved when he ordered her to. She couldn't. Not anymore. She had given up trying to please them, trying to appease them. She had learned that nothing she did would ever make a difference.
Kade's patience was thin, and he wasn't known for his kindness. He grabbed her by the arm, jerking her roughly to her feet. The sudden motion sent a jolt of pain through her body, but she bit her lip to keep from crying out. The last thing she needed was another reason for them to hurt her more. Kade's grip tightened, his fingers digging into her skin.
"You're getting weaker, Lyra," he said, his voice laced with mockery. "Raegar will be pleased to know that you're still alive after all this time. But I doubt your survival will last much longer."
Lyra didn't respond. She had learned a long time ago that silence was the only weapon she had left. It was the only way she could protect whatever was left of her dignity.
Kade shoved her toward the door, his fingers curling around her neck as if she were nothing more than a ragdoll. "Come. You'll do as you're told."
They walked down the hallway, the dim light from the torches casting long shadows on the stone walls. Lyra's heart raced, the scent of blood and sweat thick in the air. This was the part of the night that always terrified her — when Raegar summoned her for one of his "lessons." The lessons that never ended well for her. Her knees buckled slightly as they neared the Alpha's chambers, but Kade's grip kept her steady, his hold a constant reminder of her powerlessness.
The door to Raegar's chamber opened with a loud creak, and Lyra was pushed forward, stumbling into the room. Raegar sat in his chair, his back straight, his gaze cold. He had always been like this — distant, calculating. His dominance was suffocating, and she could feel it pressing down on her like an invisible weight. He was the ruler here, and she was nothing more than a tool to be used and discarded.
Raegar's eyes flicked over her with a look of disdain. He didn't need to say anything for her to know what was coming. He never did. His silence was more terrifying than any words he could utter.
"Did you think I wouldn't notice your little rebellion, Lyra?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. "You've been slipping, becoming weaker. Is that what you've become? A weak, useless omega?"
Lyra's heart twisted in her chest, but she kept her gaze on the floor. She had learned not to challenge him. Not to speak unless spoken to. Her life depended on it.
Raegar stood and moved toward her, the floorboards creaking beneath his heavy steps. He grabbed her chin roughly, forcing her to look up at him. His eyes were cold, devoid of empathy as if she were nothing more than an object to be controlled.
"You're nothing, Lyra," he spat. "A disgrace. You should have never been born into this pack. You should have never been born at all."
Lyra's chest tightened, and the familiar pang of sorrow swept through her. His words stung, more than any physical punishment ever could. She wanted to fight back. She wanted to scream at him, to tell him that she wasn't worthless, that she wasn't weak. But she couldn't. She didn't have the strength anymore.
"Please," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Please, don't…"
Raegar's laugh was dark and cruel. "Begging? How pathetic. You'll never learn, will you?"
He released her chin and turned away, pacing in front of her, as if contemplating what to do next.
Lyra stood there, her legs shaking beneath her, her body trembling from the force of the emotions crashing over her. She had always been afraid of Raegar. Afraid of his power, his cruelty, his unyielding nature. But tonight, as she looked at him, something flickered deep within her — a spark.
For the first time in what felt like forever, Lyra felt something other than fear. She felt… anger. A fierce, burning rage that rose up from deep within her gut. She couldn't let him control her anymore. She couldn't live like this.
Before she could stop herself, she whispered, "You'll regret this. I'm not as weak as you think."
Raegar's head snapped around, his eyes flashing with fury. "What did you say?"
The air grew heavy with tension. For a moment, it felt as though the world had frozen. Lyra's breath caught in her throat. She had never spoken back before. She had never dared. But now, the words had spilled from her mouth, and there was no taking them back.
Raegar's gaze darkened, and the power in the room shifted.
"I've heard enough from you," he growled, his voice low and threatening.
And then, in a blur of motion, he lunged forward, his claws outstretched.
Lyra braced herself, expecting the sharp sting of pain, but the blow never came. Instead, she heard a deep, commanding voice from the doorway — a voice she hadn't heard in years.
"Raegar, stop."
The room seemed to hold its breath.
It was him.
It was Torin.