Swapped By Lies, Bound By Fate

Hera's POV

When I woke up, I was in Lyra's hospital room, as if I’d simply taken a nap. My hand instinctively went to my chest, where my heart was—or where it should have been pierced by an arrow. The memory was so vivid, so raw. The pain of Rowan’s betrayal had felt too real to be just a dream.

My brows furrowed as unease crept in. Something wasn’t right. I couldn’t feel my wolf. Why can’t I feel her? What’s happening?

I stood, scanning the room, my pulse pounding in my ears. Just then, the door swung open, and the doctor walked in, holding a paper in his hand. His expression mirrored my confusion as he handed it to me.

“Luna, you need to see this,” he said, his voice tense.

I took the paper, my gaze locking onto the paper. It was the same test result that Lyra was not my daughter.

Was I trapped in some cruel illusion? The same thing was happening.

I blinked, my confusion obvious, and the doctor must’ve noticed. “I know this is shocking, Luna, but we can run a second test to confirm—”

“No,” I said quickly, forcing a small smile to mask my turmoil. “That won’t be necessary. Leave me to process this.”

He nodded, hesitating for a moment before leaving the room. I glanced at Lyra, lying unconscious on the bed as my mind raced as I stared at her fragile form. Did I… come back in time?

I tried reaching out to my wolf for answers, but there was nothing. Just silence. It was as if she’d been ripped away from me. Panic clawed at my throat as I bolted out of the hospital, running blindly into the forest. I tried to shift, desperate to feel her presence, but no matter how hard I pushed, nothing happened.

I dropped to my knees, the grass cold and damp beneath me. My chest heaved as questions swirled in my mind. Is my wolf… gone?

I needed answers. The pack sage would know.

When I reached Sage Hermes at the Moonshadow pack, his expression was grim the moment he saw me. “What happened, Luna?”

“I… I don’t know,” I stammered. “I can’t feel my wolf.”

His face darkened with worry. “What did you do, Luna?”

“I didn’t do anything!” I shot back, my voice cracking.

He shook his head, his fingers gripping my wrist as he felt for my pulse. “Your wolf… she’s gone. It’s as if… she traded herself for your life.”

His words hit like a thunderclap, and I stared at him, unable to breathe.

“My wolf… traded her life? No. That’s impossible.”

Hermes nodded solemnly. “It’s rare, but it can happen. Tell me the truth, Luna. What really happened to you?”

I was silent, the weight of his words crushing me. My wolf—my constant companion since I was twelve—was gone.

But I knew why. She had sacrificed herself… for me. For something I needed to do.

“You can’t tell anyone,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “I trust you, Hermes. This stays between us.”

He hesitated but finally nodded. “I understand. But know this—if your wolf truly traded her life, the Moon Goddess won’t return her.”

“Is there any other way?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But I’ll find out.”

With that, I left Moonshadow and returned to the Blackthorn pack, where Rowan was waiting.

“How’s Lyra?” he asked, his voice laced with fake concern.

“She’s getting worse,” I replied, my tone heavy with feigned worry. “I don’t know what’s happening to her, Rowan.”

He nodded, his face sinking into a perfect mask of sorrow. “You look tired, my love. I’ll have the servants bring you some milk to help you rest.”

I bit back the urge to claw his smug face. That milk—it would be laced with something to make me unconscious.

“Thank you, Hon,” I said with a soft smile, playing the role of a grateful Luna.

When the servant brought the glass to my room, I waited until they left before dumping it out and refilling it with plain milk.

Not long after, Rowan came in, his eyes flicking to the untouched glass. “You should drink it before it gets cold,” he said, his concern dripping with false sincerity.

I lifted the glass and drank it, watching as satisfaction flickered across his face.

“Rest well, my Luna,” he said, brushing a hand over my hair. “I’ll be handling some pack matters.”

As soon as he left, I slipped out of the room. My destination was to the hospital.

With the help of a Moonshadow healer’s potion, I saved Lyra from the poison coursing through her veins and took her out of the hospital under the cover of night. Denerus, one of the pack’s loyal warriors, helped me hide her where Rowan wouldn’t find her.

When I returned to the pack house, I climbed into bed, forcing myself to feign sleep.

Not long after, I heard Rowan’s footsteps.

His voice echoed down the hall, "Hera! Our daughter...she...she's dead!"