A MATE FOR A CURSED LYCAN

Lyra’s POV.

The hall erupted in cheers and applause, and the sound crashed over me like a wave, drowning out everything else.

I pinched my arm hard, desperate to wake myself from whatever nightmare I had fallen into, but the sharp pain that shot through my skin made me wince.

I wasn't dreaming.

This was real.

Their voices surrounded me, their laughter and excitement twisting painfully inside my chest until it felt as though every person in that hall was celebrating my humiliation right alongside Hayley.

Something inside me finally snapped. Heat surged through my body, burning away the last thread of restraint I had left.

“You monster!”

I lunged toward Hayley, my hand flying through the air, but I never reached her. The guards seized me from behind and dragged me back before my fingers could touch her.

“Let me go!” I screamed, twisting desperately against their grip as tears blurred my vision.

“Lock her up,” Mason ordered.

His voice held no warmth. No hesitation. Nothing that reminded me of the man who had once held my hand and promised that I was enough.

My struggles slowly died.

I lifted my head and looked at him through my tears, searching his face for even a trace of the husband I knew.

He had Mason's face, his voice, his eyes, the same man I had loved for five years.

But the man standing before me was a stranger.

The guards dragged me away as tears finally spilled down my cheeks, while the sound of the celebration continued behind me.

I sat alone in the dark cell, my back pressed against the cold wall. My eyes were swollen from crying, but the ache in my chest was far worse.

Just last night, I had lain in bed with both hands resting over my stomach, dreaming about the life waiting for me.

Now, I was sitting in a dungeon, all because of the man who was supposed to hold me through my pregnancy, reassure me when I was afraid, and welcome our child into the world.

My hand slowly moved to my stomach.

“What am I going to do with you?” I whispered, fighting back another wave of tears. “What kind of world have I brought you into?”

My wolf had been silent since Mason's betrayal, as though she had retreated into the darkness with me. I closed my eyes, still struggling to understand how my entire life had fallen apart in less than twenty-four hours.

The cell door suddenly opened, and several guards stormed inside. Before I could react, two of them hauled me to my feet and dragged me through the corridors toward the throne room.

I was too weak to resist, and their hands dug painfully into my arms with every step.

When the massive doors swung open, one of them shoved me forward. I crashed onto the hard floor, pain shooting through my body as I lifted my head.

Hayley was sitting on my throne beside Mason, a smug smile curving her lips as she looked down at me.

I turned my gaze around the room, taking in the familiar faces of the chiefs who had never wanted me as their Luna. Their eyes followed me without a hint of sympathy.

Then I saw my father, and a rush of hope came so suddenly that I almost forgot the pain. Whatever had happened, surely my father would protect me. I dragged myself toward him, crawling across the cold floor with trembling hands.

“Dad…” My voice cracked as I reached for him. “Please, you have to…”

Before I could finish, his palm struck my cheek so hard that my head snapped to the side. A sharp ringing filled my ears, and I stared up at him in disbelief, my cheek burning from the blow.

“How could you poison your own sister?” he roared. “She was carrying the Alpha’s child, and you caused her to lose it!”

My mind went blank as his words sank in. I slowly turned toward Hayley, who sat beside Mason on my throne, one hand resting over her stomach as tears streamed down her face.

She had lost the baby.

And somehow, they were blaming me.

“I didn’t…” My voice trembled as I shook my head. “I didn't poison her. I didn't even know she had lost the baby.”

The chiefs murmured among themselves, their accusing eyes making it clear they had already decided I was guilty. No one asked what had happened or gave me a chance to defend myself.

I looked at Mason, the man I had once loved more than anything. My lips parted, but when I spoke, my voice was barely a whisper.

“Did you ever love me? Why Hayley?” I asked, keeping my eyes on Mason. “Of all people… why her?”

His expression hardened.

“You have no right to question my actions,” he said coldly. “Why did you kill my child?”

A bitter laugh slipped from my lips. His answer told me everything I needed to know. The Mason I had loved was gone, and whatever remained of him no longer cared whether I lived or died.

I swallowed the ache in my throat and held his gaze.

“No. The real question is…” I paused, my chest tightening as I forced the words out. “…did I even know you were fucking my sister?”

Silence fell over the room.

I let my gaze sweep across the stunned faces before returning to Mason. “Why would I kill her child when I'm carrying one of my own?”

Gasps rippled through the room.

Mason shot to his feet, the coldness in his eyes replaced by shock. His gaze dropped briefly to my stomach before returning to my face.

The old me would have clung to that look, desperate to believe some part of my husband still cared. But something inside me had already changed. I no longer wanted his concern, and after what he had done, I didn't want him anywhere near my child.

Beside him, Hayley's eyes darted between us. The confidence she had worn so easily moments ago vanished, replaced by unmistakable fear.

“Liar!” my father shouted from behind me. “Don't fall for her trick! She's only saying this to gain your pity.”

I lowered my gaze, my mind racing. What had my father been promised? What could he possibly gain from helping them destroy me? Why was protecting one child worth sacrificing another?

“The royal physician will examine you,” Mason finally said, his voice once again cold and distant. “Until then, I will not pass judgment. But you will remain in the dungeon until your fate has been decided.”

A bitter smile touched my lips. How foolish I had been to think that learning I was carrying his child would make him soften toward me.

I didn't wait for the guards to drag me away. I pushed myself to my feet and gave everyone in the room one last look before quietly following them.

Back in the dungeon, I couldn't stop thinking about Hayley. I had never shared a real sisterly bond with her.

She had always seen me as the sister who had everything she believed should have been hers, my luck, my love, my place beside Mason.

The door was suddenly shoved open, and a guard thrust a cup of water into my hands. I reached for it with trembling fingers. My stomach had been aching for a while, but I had tried to ignore it, hoping it was only hunger and exhaustion.

I drank it in one desperate gulp, but the moment I lowered the cup, my stomach twisted violently. I doubled over as I vomited, my body shaking with the force of it.

My breath caught when I saw streaks of blood.

My hand flew to my stomach. “My baby…”

Panic surged through me as the dungeon began to spin. I reached for the wall, but my fingers slipped against the cold stone while darkness crept into the edges of my vision.

“Moon Goddess…” I whispered, pressing a trembling hand against my stomach. “If you're still listening… please. I haven't even had the chance to meet my baby yet.”

My eyelids grew heavier as my strength drained away. “Please… don't take my baby.”

Darkness swallowed everything.