A MATE FOR A CURSED LYCAN

Lyra’s POV

I opened my eyes slowly. For a moment, everything around me was a blur. White walls. Faint shadows. The soft movement of someone beside me. Then a sharp pain shot through my head. I winced and instinctively raised a hand to my temple.

“My lady, you’re awake.”Esther’s voice reached me, trembling with relief. Her fingers tightened around mine as though she was afraid to let go. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the pain to ease. My head felt unbearably heavy, as if someone had filled it with stones. I tried to sit up. A wave of dizziness washed over me, and I swayed.

“Careful, my lady.” Esther quickly slipped an arm behind my back and helped me upright before arranging a pillow behind me.

I took a slow breath and opened my eyes again. That was when I recognized the room. The pack’s royal treatment room. My fingers tightened around the blanket.

“How am I here?” I asked in a weak tone.

“The parole guards found you just close to the pack 's border.” She said, “What happened in the woods, my lady?” Esther’s question hung in the air. I stared at her without answering.

The woods. Something stirred at the back of my mind. The sound of my own hurried footsteps, the fear I felt.

A lycan. I had seen one. I was sure of it. The memory flashed through my mind so suddenly that I flinched. I remembered its terrifying presence, but everything after that was nothing but a blur. What had happened? How was I still alive? I lowered my gaze to my trembling hands.

I tried to force myself to remember, searching through the broken pieces of my memory. Pain exploded behind my eyes.

“Mate.” The word echoed inside my head. My breath caught. A sharp pain suddenly stabbed through my skull, and I winced, clutching my head as the memory surfaced again.

Mate. How is that possible? Could it have been a mistake? How could a lycan be my mate when I was still married to Mason? And besides, lycans and werewolves weren't supposed to mate. It was forbidden. Against nature itself. So why had he called me his mate?

“My lady.” Esther's hand touched my shoulder. I jerked, snapped my eyes open and looked at her. Her brows drew together as she studied my face. “Why are you crying?”

Crying? I lifted a hand to my cheek. My fingertips came away wet. I hadn't even realized I was crying. I quickly wiped the tears away and looked down, refusing to let Esther see what was happening inside my head.

“Good morning, Luna.” A deep male voice came from somewhere across the room. I turned sharply. A man in a white coat stood near the table, a stack of papers in his hands. Doctor Richard. The pack's royal physician.

“We're relieved to see that you're finally awake,” he said, giving me a small smile. “You've been in and out of consciousness for…”

“How long have I been unconscious?” I asked with a frown on my face. Doctor Richard glanced at his papers.

“A week.” My stomach tightened. “You were conscious for a few minutes on some days, but you would lose consciousness again. You don't remember any of it?” I shook my head. Then something flickered through my mind. Mason. He was sitting beside my bed. His fingers were gently rubbing ointment against my head.

The old me would have smiled and felt loved instead my blood ran cold. That same man had been the one stabbing me. How dare he come close to me? Using my emotions to keep a good husband's reputation. I forced the memory away before my anger betrayed me.

“Surprisingly, I couldn't sense your wolf's energy,” Doctor Richard continued. “And your wounds weren't healing as quickly as they should have.” My heart tightened remembering the absence of my wolf. “But thankfully, you didn't suffer any permanent memory loss. The blow to your head could have caused much worse damage.” He scribbled something on the paper. “Regarding your wolf, I can give you an energy-restoring herb. Perhaps the fall and everything you went through traumatized her.” I nodded slowly.

“Thank you, Doctor.” My fingers tightened around the blanket. I couldn't tell him the truth. I couldn't tell anyone, not even Esther. My rebirth story wouldn’t make sense or convincing to her. I have to figure this alone. And if the pack discovered that their Luna was without a wolf, I would become vulnerable overnight. My enemies would smell weakness. Mason would know. I couldn't afford that. Not now. I had survived too much to let my secret destroy me. I needed to find a way to bring my wolf back.

“The Alpha will be so happy to hear that you're awake. He has been beside himself with worry. He hasn't even left his room since he heard about your condition.” Esther's cheerful voice pulled me from my thoughts. I slowly turned to her.

“Mason hasn't come to see me?” The words barely left my lips. Esther shook her head.

“No, my lady.” I stared at her.

“But…” The rest of my sentence died in my throat. I had seen him. I was certain of it. I could still remember his arms around me. His fingers gently rubbing ointment over the wound on my head.

It had felt so real. My hand moved to the back of my head. My fingers brushed over the stitches. A shiver ran through me. Was I hallucinating? My heart began to pound. I looked around the room, suddenly feeling as though the walls were closing in on me.

Too many things weren't making sense. Without saying another word, I pushed the blanket aside and carefully climbed out of the bed. My legs trembled beneath me, but I forced myself to stand as I walked to my room. I couldn't help but think, why are so many things happening at once? What should be my next step? What am I missing? How could I carry out my revenge when I couldn't even trust my own memories? I needed to know what had happened in those woods. Who was the lycan? Why did he call me his mate? Who had been beside me when I woke up in that memory?