~•°•~
Lyra never felt so loved before. Not even when she and Evan, the Alpha of the East were together. The kinetic touch between their bare, naked skin was pulling her deeper into a well of uncapped happiness the likes of which she had never seen nor touched before.
Only now when she laid under the heavy weight of her beating heart beside Ignacios that she felt truly alive.
Every worry in her system had ceased to exist. For a moment, she leads herself to believe that Gael was fine, Lois wasn’t destroying her life, and Edward was telling her the truth.
The wolf beside her calmed her frustration and she hoped that their heated dance helped him ease the torrent that was in his mind. The wedding and his wolf were both weighing him down.
She nuzzled her face into his hairy chest and wished everything was different. His body reacted with a jolt, causing Lyra to chuckle. Ignacios runs his hand down her arm and breathes heavily.
“So that’s why it feels like.” He murmurs.
She had almost forgotten that it was his first time with how masterfully took her.
“Being with you feels different. It’s not the same for other people.”
Lyra had only been with two wolves before. Her first was Evan and now, her true mate. She didn’t regret giving first to the Eastern Alpha but was instead happy that she had met him. Now that she was with Ignacios, the pale flames Lyra and Evan had failed in comparison when she and Ignacios kissed and embraced each other's body.
He was simply more.
Like bursts of energy overlooking all that was looming over their heads.
He only smiles.
“You deserve more than just leaves and twigs. And to think I’ve fantasized about this whole moment for so long ago.”
She looks at him. “This was perfect but I should be honest. I never expected this to happen.”
“Me neither. It all seems like an endless dream that I don’t want to wake up from. I swear in my heart, I’m getting us out of this mess and I’m going to start with pulling out from the wedding.”
His tone was set dead serious. It was enough to make her shudder. Though the idea of Ignacios calling off the wedding somewhat agreeable, that would mean he would lose all of his pack members’ support and it wasn’t something Lyra wanted to happen.
Lois would only play the victim and claim Ignacios abused her in a sinister and evil way.
She deeply sighed.
“No. You can’t do that. We don’t know what Lois is hiding under her sleeves. She will ruin your reputation.”
She felt his chest rise and fall.
“In light of all this, you still think I care for my reputation? If I were given a chance to throw away something in order to keep you, then I rather throw away my title as Alpha and everything that comes along with it just to keep you forever. I made my mistake of losing you before and I am not doing the same thing again.”
“You didn’t make any mistake.”
“But I did. Jealousy caused me to lose myself to Lois.”
“She took advantage of you.”
Just like how Lois took advantage of Gael. She ruined him and in the process, scarring him.
“It was my fault.” His voice was calm. “I let her took advantage of me because I was hurt.”
“She used you to get where she’s standing now, Iggy. It’s not your fault that she is what she is now. A manipulator.”
“Still, I should have held myself.” He entwined his fingers to hers, pulling her hand, and placed her knuckles against his lips.
Lyra burned from his hot breath. She felt her chest relaxed.
“If you choose to cancel the wedding, then you’re making a mistake. The people here admire you for your strength. You can’t just abandon them.”
She grimaced.
“They saw my wolf lead, not me. I was asleep while he worked.”
If only she had a way to draw out his wolf. That would solve a lot of problems. As of now, it seemed like all his wolf needed was time to heal.
She pulled away from him and sat, still facing him with concern.
“Don’t let your wolf shadow what you can do. Think about what you can do for them.”
The conflicted haze buried behind his steely eyes was thick.
“But it already has. In just a few years, it managed to expand our borders trifold, increased our numbers, and even went to war with the East. He did so while I was sleeping inside of him.”
“So? That doesn’t mean you can’t continue your work. It only means you have something to continue and fix things along the way.”
His wolf had made great strides into improving the Northernlands. But while doing so, it made enemies. Now that the tables were turned and his wolf was now sleeping, Ignacios was left to pick things up from where his wolf left them.
Lyra could see how much of a burden was on his shoulders. It left him being continually disappointed with himself. Even she would be jarred by the responsibility of raising and leading a pack. But she believed in him. All he needed was to realize what he could really do.
“I don’t know where to start.” He looks to the sky. “I don’t want to be a disappointment again.”
She rested her chin on top of his chest, reaching for his cheek to feel him.
“Start by leading them.” She smiles. “Start by being the wolf you were born to be, an Alpha.”
“But what about you?” He asks.
“The pack’s well-being comes before me and I’ll be there to watch you.”
He fell into silence. “I’ll lead my pack and do the best I can. For you my love and for everyone, I will.”
Her finger runs over the skin under his right eye. Even now that she was this close to him, there was more to learn about him.
‘In small strides, Ignacios.’
The joy in his closeness was overwhelming her. He might be the only person that she could only trust. Felix betrayed her trust and Edward was not telling her anything.
While they stay in their paradise, they were running out of daylight. Sooner or later, wolves would come looking for Ignacios and if they saw him naked laid on the ground beside Lyra, they could get in trouble.
“We have to leave each other again.” Ignacios sighed.
“And I have to get your scent out of me.”
His brows furrowed with disappointment.
“I like my scent on you.”
Lyra shook her head.
“It’s not on me, Iggy. Your scent is in me.”
Ignacios paused in a stricken stance, mouth slightly ajar while his eyes were wide open.
“I-I didn’t, I’m sorry. I was careless.”
She tightened her lips. It was all his fault. She went onto him without any protection and did not warn him when he was about to climax. She was equally part to blame in the situation.
“We’ll talk about it when we get there.” She plants a kiss on his lips before standing up and gathering her clothes.
Before Ignacios left, he pulled Lyra for a hug and placed his forehead on hers. With a parting touch, he leans back and whispered into her ear.
“See you, my Moon.”
~•°•~
Forgive me for the filler chapter! It's supposed to be part of chapter Fifty but I decided to break them apart because I didn't want the whole chapter published in another book.
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I'll be updating ASAP some time this week!
See you soon!
Jino ××