Silence stretched between them.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Lyra stared at the Alpha.
Her Alpha.
Or at least—
The man she had always believed was.
“What do you mean… I wasn’t meant to know?” she asked.
Her voice was steady.
But her hands weren’t.
The Alpha exhaled slowly.
Like he had been carrying this moment for years.
“You should come inside,” he said.
“No.”
Lyra shook her head immediately.
“Not this time.”
Her voice was firmer now.
“Whatever it is… say it here.”
A flicker of something crossed his face.
Hesitation.
Regret.
Kael remained silent beside her.
But his presence—
Unshakable.
Daniel stood on her other side.
Tense.
Watching closely.
“You’ve already heard something,” the Alpha said.
Lyra’s jaw tightened.
“Enough to know I’ve been lied to.”
The words landed sh
