Page 22 of Alpha's Runaway Mate

By the time my shift ended, I was a mess. My feet dragged all the way home till I finally made it to my porch. Exhaustion weighed heavy on me. I just wanted to crawl into bed and forget this night ever happened, but the night had one last surprise in store for me. When I looked up, my heart stopped.

Kaine was sitting by my doorstep.

His jaw was clenched, his eyes stormy as they locked on me—he was furious.

“You lied to me, Lyra,” he said, his voice low and cold.

My breath caught in my throat as he stood and stepped forward, causing me to back away. Before I could trip over the stairs, he caught my arm, gripping it tightly. I was sure it would leave an imprint behind.

“Kaine…wh–what are you talking about?” I stammered, swallowing the thick knot that had formed in my throat.

“Leo,” he said. “I know he is my son.”

Chapter Nine — Lyra’s POV

Six years ago.

“Would you like a refill, Mr. Mason?”

Mr. Mason held out his mug, a soft smile on his lips, deepening the wrinkles in the corner of his eyes. I poured the coffee into his mug, the gurgle of it sounding like music to my ears. Today, everything was music to my ears—the chatter in the mostly empty diner, the clatter of cutleries on plates, and the soft melody playing in the background.

“Thank you, my dear,” Mr. Mason said. “I don’t know what’s got you in such a good mood today, but whatever it is, hold on to it. Happiness is a rare gift.”

I returned his smile. “You bet I will. Enjoy your coffee, Mr. Mason.”

I walked back to the counter, humming along to the song playing in the background. Setting the coffee pot back in its place, I grabbed a towel and began drying the washed mugs and dishes. My hands were working on autopilot as my mind danced around the possibilities of the night ahead. Kaine, my fated mate, was going to be named Alpha. And tonight, at the mating ceremony, he would officially claim me as his Luna. The thought sent a wave of giddy excitement through me, a feeling I couldn’t quite suppress even as I tried to keep my head down and act normal.

“Wow, Lyra. If I didn’t know you any better, I’d think you’ve had way too much caffeine,” another regular, Mrs. Carter teased, as she approached the counter, a playful smile on her lips.

I grinned like a Cheshire cat. “You know me too well, Mrs. Carter.”

“Speaking of, I ordered a cheeseburger to go. My kids will riot if I come home empty-handed.”

“Isolde is finishing up in the kitchen. Let me just get her to hurry up.”

“That’ll be nice. Thanks, Lyra.”

I went to head into the kitchen when Isolde came out, carrying a brown paper bag which I presumed had Mrs. Carter’s burger in it.

“I’m sorry for the delay, Mrs. Carter. Minor mix up in the kitchen,” Isolde apologized, handing her the brown paper bag.

“It’s no worry, my dear.”

She dipped her hand into her purse and pulled out some dollar bills which she handed to me. “Keep the change.”

“Oh, you’re too kind. Thank you so much!”

She waved goodbye and walked out of the diner as I counted out the money for the burgers to see what change was left. “Woah, this is such a huge tip. How are we going to split it?”

When Isolde didn’t respond, I looked up to see her stacking the cleaned mugs and dishes on the open shelves behind the counter. Perhaps she didn’t hear me.

“Earth to Isolde,” I snapped my fingers in her face and she barely reacted. “I asked how we’re splitting the tip?”

“The tip’s all yours. You heard Mrs. Carter—she said you should keep the change.”

I waved it off. “She didn’t mean it like that.”

“Yes, she did, Lyra.” Isolde snapped and I drew back, startled at her outburst.

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