Bound by Fate

Lira's POV

The pack house was quiet. Too quiet. The air felt still, heavy with the tension of the battle that had just unfolded, yet the war wasn't over—not by a long shot. I could still feel my father's presence, lingering like a shadow, even though his physical form had been destroyed. I had defeated him, but the weight of what I'd done, of what I'd become, was still settling over me like a cloak I couldn't shed.

Kaelen had stayed by my side through it all, his quiet presence a steadying force I never knew I needed. But now, I was alone again. My mind, racing with everything I had just been through, needed something to anchor it. I needed closure. And the only way to find it was to confront Maeve.

I walked through the halls of the pack house, my steps echoing off the stone walls. There were whispers, eyes following me, but none of them dared to speak. They knew what I'd done—what I had been forced to do. But no one understood the battle inside me. No one could.

I reached the cell where Maeve was being held. Her betrayal had cut deeper than any of my father's lies, and I needed answers. I needed to hear her admit it. I needed to hear her tell me why.

The guard standing outside the cell nodded at me as I approached, the heavy metal door creaking open at my command. Inside, Maeve sat on the cold stone floor, her back against the wall, her arms folded tightly across her chest. Her eyes flicked up to me, and for a moment, there was something resembling remorse in them. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by the familiar, twisted pride she always wore like armour.

"You came for me," Maeve said, her voice low and mocking. "How sweet."

I stood there for a moment, gathering the words, the strength. My fists clenched at my sides, and I took a step forward.

"You betrayed me, Maeve," I said, my voice cold. "You betrayed me, the pack, and everything we fought for. You've been lying to me this whole time."

Her lips twisted into a sneer, her eyes gleaming with something darker, something calculating. "Lying? I was helping you, Lira. Everything I did was for the future. You just didn't see it. You couldn't see that you were never meant to be my Alpha. Your father saw that. He knew what you would become. I just helped things along."

"You helped him destroy me," I spat. "You were never trying to help me. You were trying to use me to get what you wanted."

Maeve stood up, a slow, deliberate movement, as if she were savouring the moment. "What I wanted? No, Lira. What your father wanted. He chose me to be his Luna. You were never supposed to be in the picture."

The words hit me like a slap to the face, and I felt something snap inside me. The anger that had been simmering in my chest, the grief of everything I had lost—it all bubbled over in an instant.

"You were always just a puppet for him," I snarled. "You never cared about me. You never cared about this pack. You just wanted power."

She took a step toward me, her expression becoming venomous. "You really think I wanted power?" she said, her voice a whisper of mockery. "I wanted you to fail, Lira. I wanted you to be weak, to be broken, so that I could take everything from you. So that I could take him."

My breath caught in my throat as her words landed. A sickening realization seeped through me like poison. "What are you talking about?"

She smirked, her eyes gleaming with malice. "Your Kaelen. The Alpha. He was mine to have. And I almost had him. But you... you ruined it. You ruined everything. So, I did what needed to be done. I played my part. And now, with your father gone, I'll be the one to rule his pack."

Something inside me broke then—something more than just the emotional weight of her words. It was a dark, primal rage that coursed through me, sparked by her arrogance, her selfishness, and her utter disregard for everything that had ever mattered to me. For the pack. For Kaelen. For the life I was trying to build.

"You used me. You used me and then you betrayed me for a man who never cared about you."

Maeve's eyes glinted with malice, and she took another step closer, her posture shifting into something more dangerous. "Your father cared more for me than he ever did for you. I was his Luna in the end. I was his true heir, not you. And once I get rid of you, I'll have Kaelen all to myself. Just like I always should have."

The fury inside me roared louder than any howl I had ever let out. My power surged through me like a tidal wave, uncontrollable, all-consuming.

Before I even realized what I was doing, my hands shot forward, glowing with the raw force of my powers. Maeve's eyes widened in fear, but there was nowhere for her to run. She was trapped—trapped by her own lies, trapped by the consequences of her choices.

"No..." She gasped as the light enveloped her. "Please..."

But it was too late. The rage inside me consumed her. My powers twisted around her, bending her body as I focused on the one thing that mattered—ending the threat she posed once and for all.

In that final moment, Maeve's face twisted in terror, the cruel smirk replaced by raw fear. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words never came. Her body crumpled, lifeless, at my feet.

For a long moment, there was silence. A deep, unshakable silence.

I stood over her, my breath coming in ragged gasps, my heart pounding in my chest. I had done it. She was gone. The betrayal was over. But something about the moment felt... hollow.

I had just killed someone again . And the weight of it settled over me like a storm I couldn't escape.

The door to the cell creaked open behind me, and Kaelen's voice, low and concerned, broke the stillness.

"Lira..."

I turned to him, my hands shaking. "It's done," I whispered. "She's gone."

He stepped toward me, his expression unreadable. But I could see the concern in his eyes, the way he watched me carefully, as though he was unsure if I was still the woman he had known.

"You didn't have a choice," Kaelen said softly, his voice soothing. "You did what had to be done."

I looked down at Maeve's lifeless body, the woman who had caused so much pain and destruction in my life. And yet, I felt no satisfaction. No triumph. Only the bitter, cold realization that the war was far from over. There would always be another threat. Another battle.

But for now, I was done running.

"I'm done running," I murmured, my voice barely a whisper.

Kaelen didn't say anything, but he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around me, pulling me close. His warmth was the only thing that grounded me in that moment, reminding me that, despite everything, I wasn't alone.

Not anymore.