Page 52 of Alpha's Runaway Mate

Dominic’s words sliced through me, sharp and cold, tempting me to give him exactly what he wanted—to put an end to this once and for all. But beneath my anger, there was a deeper pain, an ache rooted in everything we’d once been to each other.

“You think this is pity?” I asked, disbelief turning my voice sharp. “You’re lying there, broken, bleeding, and all you can think about is whether I'll finish you off?” My voice cracked, betraying the anger I was barely holding onto. “How did we end up here, Dom? You were my brother, my family. I would have died for you a thousand times over, but now you’re standing against me like I’m your worst enemy.”

He let out a bitter laugh, blood streaking down his chin. “You think you know me, but you don’t know anything,” he scoffed, practically forcing out each word. “My whole pack was gone. Everyone I’d ever known. And when I came here, all I was—all I am is Kaine Thornfield’s stray cousin, tagging along because he lost his entire pack and family.” He tried to lift himself but faltered, his face pale. “I was nothing.”

“Don’t twist it,” I bit out, my fists trembling as I held back the urge to shake him out of whatever delusion he’d spent years believing. “I was your family—I am your family. The pack welcomed you, accepted you. You didn’t have to prove yourself to anyone, Dominic. What else could you need?”

“I needed to matter!” he yelled, each word laced with a bitterness that seemed to have poisoned his very soul. “I needed to be more than Kaine’s cousin. More than a damn tag along!”

“You always mattered to me, Dominic!”

He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, I saw a flicker of something soft passing over his face. But it was gone too fast, replaced by the same hardened look. “I can’t live another day like this—being in your shadow. If I ever mattered to you, if you ever cared…” he whispered, almost pleading. “You would end this.”

“No,” I muttered, my voice steady. “I can’t.”

Bitterness curled up his lips as he looked away. “Then you’re just a coward, as weak as I always thought.”

“Maybe I am,” I said softly, “but I’d rather live with that than live with the memory of killing you.”

Turning away, I walked to the center of the pack ground. The eyes of the pack were fixed on me, but it wasn’t the mix of fear and skepticism it had been barely an hour ago. It was something else—admiration, respect.

“Our laws have turned us into barbarians,” I shouted, my voice carrying over the tense silence. “Laws that strip away our humanity, that twist our sense of loyalty and family. We’re not just a pack—we’re family. And when one of us falls—captured, tortured, or killed—we leave everything behind and go after them. We fight for each other. Because that’s what it means to belong to a pack. That’s what it means to be family.” I turned toward Dominic, who was still lying on the ground. “And we would do anything for our family,” I finished, breathing heavily.

A heavy silence hung in the air as I scanned the faces of the pack, my heart racing with a mix of anticipation and doubt. Had I done enough? Had I reached them?

Then, a voice broke through the stillness, steady and unwavering. “It’s about time our pack saw change.” Zephyr stepped forward, his eyes meeting mine with a fire I hadn’t expected. “I’m with you, Alpha Kaine.”

A surge of relief flooded through me, and I offered him a quick, appreciative nod. Without hesitation, others began to follow suit, stepping out of the shadows to stand by my side. One byone, they stepped forward, pledging their loyalty. The weight that had been pressing down on me lifted, replaced by a sense of purpose I hadn’t felt in years. They were with me. My pack, my army.

Now, it was time to bring Lyra and my son home.

Chapter Twenty-Four — Lyra’s POV

All I could do now was wait: wait for a fate I‘d spent six years running from, wait to know if I’d live to see another day, and wait to learn if I’d ever hold my son in my arms again. Just as she had said yesterday, Hecate returned at dawn, eager for my answer to her proposal. I’d spent the night turning her proposal over in my mind, dissecting every word she had spoken. She was very smart—I had to give her that. Cunning, deceptive, and powerful. All the warning signs that a woman like her was not to be trusted. And yet, when the moment came, I found myself saying yes to her proposal. Yes, I would kill Kaine if it meant unlocking my witch side. As long as she promised no harm would come to my son. The saying, “there’s nothing more dangerous than a desperate mother,” had never felt truer.

I spent the day staring out the window, and as evening fell, my heart began to race with the rising moon. Darkness fell upon the sky, and my entire body seized with tension about the unknown. Shadows thickened, and once the moon reached its apex, the door swung open. Four guards stomped in, their boots echoing against the concrete floor as they closed in. They unlocked the cage and dragged me through the corridors until we reached the ground that haunted my nightmares. It was the same place they’d brought me every week during the eight months I spent in captivity, where they’d slice my wrists and conduct their dark rituals. But tonight was different. This time, it wasn’t me on the tomb. It was my son.

My heart plummeted when I saw Leo struggling against the chains that bound him to the tomb.

“Leo!” I cried out, my voice cracking as I fought with every ounce of strength in me to break free from the guards’ grasp. But the chains held fast. The guards were too strong.

Thane stood before Leo, a wicked grin spreading across his face as he held a silver dagger in one hand. “How delightful of you to join us, Lyra. We were just about to begin.”

“You monster!” I thrashed against their grip, kicking and clawing, my fangs bared in a desperate snarl. “I’m going to kill you if you touch him. I swear, I’m going to kill you!”

Thane chuckled, shaking his head with a twisted amusement. “Look around, Lyra. Today is the day you die.” He turned to the guards. “Take her over there,” he ordered. “I want her to watch as I take her son’s life. And gag her or something—just get her to shut the hell up.”

Despite my relentless struggle to break free from the guards’ grip, knowing it was futile, they dragged me to the front of the tomb, right in front of Leo. Leo’s eyes met with mine, and the sight shattered my heart.

“Mo—mommy,” he whimpered, his gaze filled with tears. “Help,” he trembled, pleading for me to help, to save him. But as I stood there, I felt a wave of shame wash over me. I wanted to reach out, to do something—anything—but I… I couldn’t.

Tears streamed down my face as I watched my son, helpless. I couldn’t offer the reassurance I desperately wanted to—couldn’t tell him that everything was going to be fine, because it wouldn’t.

My gaze shifted when I heard footsteps, followed by Thane’s angry voice. “We’ve been waiting for you. Where the hell have you been?”

I looked up to see Hecate standing beside him, her presence cold and commanding. “A ritual like this requires substantial preparation,” she said, her tone dismissive. I caught the flash of anger in Thane’s eyes as he glared at her.

She turned to look at me, and I hoped to find some semblance of reassurance, knowing she was bound to honor her promise. But all I saw was an empty void in her eyes—devoid of emotion, cold and distant.

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