The Alpha’s Eternal Mate

The rooftop was deathly silent except for the sound of Lyra's heartbeat pounding in her ears. Damien stood a few feet away, his dark eyes gleaming in the moonlight, his presence as haunting as the past she had tried so desperately to bury.

"You always did love the high places," Damien mused, his lips curling into a smirk that sent a chill down her spine. "Thought they made you untouchable."

Lyra's fingers twitched at her sides, resisting the urge to reach for the blade concealed beneath her jacket. "I'm not the same girl you once knew, Damien."

His smirk deepened. "No, you're weaker now."

She narrowed her eyes. "I survived."

Damien took a slow step forward, the crisp night air swirling around them. "Surviving isn't living, Lyra. You've been running, hiding behind Ethan and his pack, pretending to be someone you're not."

Lyra's jaw clenched. "And you? Working with the Blood Pact, betraying everything we once stood for? What happened to the wolf who swore to protect the Luna?"

His expression darkened, the smirk fading into something more dangerous. "That wolf died the day you did."

Lyra's breath hitched, but she refused to let him see the way his words struck deep. "And yet here you are."

"Here I am," Damien echoed, his gaze piercing through her defenses. "And I'm giving you one last chance, Lyra. Come with me willingly, and I'll make sure they don't break you."

Lyra's stomach churned at the implication. "And if I refuse?"

His eyes darkened. "Then they'll tear you apart."

Before she could respond, a gust of wind carried Ethan's scent to her, a silent promise that he was near. Her resolve solidified. She squared her shoulders and took a step forward. "I don't belong to them, Damien. And I sure as hell don't belong to you."

A flicker of something—pain, regret—crossed Damien's face before he masked it with his usual arrogance. "You always were stubborn."

And then he moved.

Lyra barely had time to react before Damien lunged, his speed a blur as he closed the distance between them. She ducked just in time, feeling the rush of air as his claws sliced past her.

She countered with a swift kick to his ribs, but he caught her leg effortlessly, twisting it with enough force to send her stumbling.

"Too slow," he taunted.

Gritting her teeth, Lyra regained her footing, her movements precise as she struck again. This time, her blade found purchase, slicing across Damien's arm. He hissed in pain, but the wicked grin never left his face.

"You still have fight in you," he murmured, almost... approvingly.

Lyra didn't reply. She pressed forward, dodging and countering with a ferocity she hadn't felt in a long time. Memories of their training together, of the bond they once shared, only fueled her determination.

But Damien was stronger now, darker. Each strike he landed rattled her bones, and she realized with a sinking feeling that he wasn't here to kill her.

He was testing her.

Before she could strategize her next move, a voice shattered the night.

"Get away from her."

Ethan.

Lyra turned just as Ethan stormed onto the rooftop, his eyes blazing with fury, his every step radiating lethal intent.

Damien sighed dramatically. "Ah, the overprotective Alpha. Right on cue."

Ethan didn't waste words. He moved like lightning, launching himself at Damien with enough force to crack the concrete beneath them. The two clashed in a brutal collision of strength and speed, and Lyra found herself caught between the past and the present, watching two men who once fought side by side now trying to kill each other.

Damien dodged Ethan's strikes effortlessly, smirking all the while. "Is this what you've been reduced to, Graves? Babysitting the girl who cost you everything?"

Ethan's growl was animalistic, and his next punch connected with Damien's jaw, sending him staggering back. "I don't babysit," Ethan said, his voice like steel. "I protect what's mine."

Lyra's breath hitched at his words, but there was no time to dwell. Damien recovered quickly, wiping the blood from his lip. "Touching," he sneered. "But she's not yours anymore, Alpha. She's ours."

Ethan's eyes flashed dangerously. "Over my dead body."

Damien tilted his head. "That can be arranged."

Before either could move again, the distant sound of approaching sirens filled the air. Damien smirked, stepping back into the shadows. "Looks like our time is up."

Lyra took a step forward, her heart racing. "This isn't over, Damien."

He met her gaze, something unreadable in his eyes. "No, it's not."

And then he was gone, disappearing into the night as if he'd never been there.

Ethan exhaled sharply, his fists still clenched. "Are you hurt?"

Lyra shook her head, but the weight of the encounter hung heavy on her shoulders. "No, but I think I just found out why they want me."

Ethan's gaze softened for a fleeting moment before hardening again. "We're going to end this, Lyra. Once and for all."

She nodded, though deep down, she knew Damien's return wasn't just a warning.

It was a promise.

And whatever the Blood Pact wanted from her, they weren't done yet.