Zander’s POV.
I didn’t respond, letting her question hang in the air between us. Lyra leaned in closer, her golden hair brushing against her shoulder as she tilted her head, studying me like I was some puzzle she could solve.
My silence didn’t deter her. If anything, it seemed to encourage her, like she thought she was getting somewhere.
“We were a team,” she said softly, her voice smooth and calculated. “You and me. We understood each other in ways no one else ever could. Don’t you miss that, Zander? Don’t you miss… me?”
Her hand reached out, barely brushing against my arm, and I pulled back instinctively, the movement sharp and deliberate. “What we were,” I said, my voice cold and steady, “is over. It’s been over for a long time, Lyra.”
She frowned, the corners of her mouth tightening for just a moment before she recovered, her mask of confidence sliding back into place. “It doesn’t have to be,” she insisted, her tone soft but persistent. “I know you, Zander. I know what you need. You deserve someone who can stand beside you as an equal. Someone strong. Someone who understands what it means to lead. Aria can’t give you that.”
Her words were like needles, pricking at wounds I didn’t want to acknowledge. My jaw tightened, my wolf stirring uneasily at the insult to Aria. But Lyra wasn’t finished.
“She hasn’t even shifted yet, has she?” Lyra pressed, her eyes narrowing slightly. “How can she lead your pack when she can’t even control her own wolf? How can she be your Luna when she’s so… fragile?”
A low growl rumbled in my chest before I could stop it. My wolf didn’t like her words, and neither did I. “Aria is not your concern,” I said sharply, my voice cutting through the tension like a blade.
Lyra raised an eyebrow, clearly unfazed by my reaction. “But she *is* my concern,” she replied smoothly. “Because you’re my concern, Zander. And I care about you too much to watch you waste your time on someone who will never be what you need.”
My fists clenched, my nails digging into my palms as I fought to keep my temper in check. “You don’t know anything about what I need,” I said through gritted teeth.
Lyra leaned back slightly, her expression softening, though her eyes still held that calculating gleam. “I know more than you think,” she said quietly. “The bond doesn’t have to be permanent, Zander. You know that. You can end it. You can walk away. And when you do, I’ll be here. Waiting for you. I’ve always been here, waiting for you.”
Her voice was soft now, almost pleading, but the words only made my anger burn hotter. I turned to face her fully, my gaze locking onto hers, my voice low and firm. “You’re wasting your time, Lyra,” I said, each word deliberate and final.
She didn’t flinch, didn’t waver. If anything, my rejection seemed to make her more determined. “Am I?” she asked, her tone steady and confident. “Because I don’t think you’re as happy with her as you pretend to be. And I don’t think she makes you happy either.”
Her words lingered in the air, heavy and suffocating. For a moment, I didn’t say anything, letting the silence stretch out between us. Then, finally, I exhaled slowly, my voice low and dangerous. “Leave,” I said, my tone carrying a warning I knew she wouldn’t ignore.
Lyra hesitated, her eyes searching mine for any sign of weakness, any crack in my resolve. When she found none, she sighed softly, standing gracefully from her stool. She smoothed her dress, her movements slow and deliberate, as though she wanted me to watch her leave.
“Think about it,” she said, her voice softer now, almost coaxing. “I can give you everything, Zander. Everything you’ve ever wanted.”
With that, she turned and walked away, her heels clicking against the tiled floor as she disappeared into the crowd.
I let out a slow breath, my hands still clenched into fists at my sides. My wolf growled softly, unsettled by her presence, but the anger that had been simmering inside me didn’t fade. If anything, it burned hotter, more fiercely, until I could barely think straight.
Lyra’s words echoed in my mind, but they didn’t stir the feelings she thought they would. All I could think about was Aria-her defiant smile, her fiery spirit, the way she refused to back down even when I pushed her.
She was nothing like Lyra.
And maybe that was why I couldn’t get her out of my head.