The Alpha’s Eternal Mate

Lyra paced the length of her suite, her thoughts racing as she replayed the confrontation in the underground parking lot over and over in her mind. The man's threat echoed in her ears, sending shivers down her spine.

"You won't live long enough to regret it."

Someone inside Midnight Crest Tower wanted her gone. And she had no doubt they would follow through if she didn't act fast.

Her eyes drifted to her phone, the screen blank but heavy with the weight of indecision. Should she tell Ethan? Would he even believe her? He didn't trust easily, and despite the progress she had made, she was still just another pawn in his eyes.

No.

She needed more proof.

With renewed determination, she sat down at her desk and powered up her laptop, fingers flying across the keyboard as she searched through the files she had managed to access earlier. Her gaze locked onto the offshore transactions she had flagged before—hidden, disguised, but now painfully clear. Someone within Ethan's ranks was betraying him.

Her stomach churned at the thought.

The Ethan she knew—back then—would have never allowed this. He had ruled with both strength and fairness, his trust given sparingly but his loyalty unwavering. But now? He was cold, ruthless, and suspicious of everyone around him.

Her fingers paused as a thought crept into her mind.

What if he already knows?

A knock at the door made her jump, her pulse racing. She quickly shut her laptop and walked over, cracking the door open to find Logan standing there, his usual smirk absent.

"You're working too hard," he said, eyeing her with an intensity she wasn't used to.

Lyra leaned against the frame. "Is that your way of telling me to stop?"

Logan's lips twitched, but there was no humor behind it. "It's my way of telling you that people who dig too deep don't always like what they find."

Lyra's heart pounded. "Is that a warning?"

He tilted his head, his eyes sharp. "It's advice."

She studied him carefully, searching for any sign of ulterior motives. Logan had always been an enigma, never quite revealing whose side he was really on.

"I appreciate the concern," she said finally, keeping her tone light.

Logan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just… be careful."

Before she could respond, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing there with more questions than answers.

Later That Night – Ethan's Office

Lyra sat across from Ethan once again, the tension between them thicker than before. He studied her with that same penetrating gaze, his fingers steepled together as if waiting for her to speak first.

"I need to talk to you," she said, carefully choosing her words.

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

She leaned forward, her voice low. "I think someone inside the tower is working against you."

His expression didn't change, but she saw the brief flicker of interest in his eyes. "That's not exactly news."

Lyra pressed on. "I have proof. Offshore accounts, hidden transactions—all pointing to someone high up."

Ethan regarded her for a long moment before standing and walking around his desk, stopping right in front of her. "And why should I believe you?"

Lyra swallowed hard, meeting his gaze head-on. "Because I don't have a reason to lie."

His dark eyes bored into hers, searching for something—weakness, deceit, anything he could use against her. "Everyone has a reason, Lyra."

Her breath hitched as he leaned down, his face inches from hers. "And I intend to find out yours."

She forced herself not to flinch, holding his gaze with as much defiance as she could muster. "Then I hope you're ready for the truth."

Ethan straightened, his lips curling into a smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes. "We'll see."

He turned away, dismissing her with a flick of his hand. "Find out who's behind it. And Lyra…"

She paused at the door, glancing back at him.

"Don't make me regret keeping you alive."

Her fingers tightened on the door handle, but she said nothing. Instead, she walked out, the weight of his words settling deep into her chest.

Midnight Crest Tower – Surveillance Room

Lyra knew she had to move fast. Ethan was giving her a chance—for now. But she had no illusions that his patience would last forever.

Slipping into the surveillance room, she tapped into the security feeds, scanning through footage of the parking lot. The grainy black-and-white images flickered across the screen, and after a few minutes, she spotted him—the man who had threatened her.

He lingered by the cars, talking to someone just out of frame. Lyra strained to see, her fingers tightening into fists as the second figure stepped into view.

Vivian.

A sharp breath left her lips. Vivian had been working closely with the council, overseeing the offerings that were sent to Ethan. If she was involved, then it meant this betrayal ran deeper than she'd thought.

She quickly copied the footage onto a flash drive, slipping it into her pocket before shutting down the system. She had enough to confront Ethan—enough to prove she wasn't just another girl sent to his door.

But the question remained…

Would he listen?

Back in Lyra's Suite

Lyra paced the room, turning the flash drive over in her fingers. This was it—the proof she needed to expose Vivian's betrayal. But something gnawed at the edges of her mind, a whisper of doubt that she couldn't shake.

Was this really the only betrayal happening here?

She stopped by the window, staring down at the city lights below. Somewhere out there, danger was lurking, waiting for her to make the wrong move.

She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what came next. Tomorrow, she would go to Ethan with the truth.

And when she did, everything would change.