Chapter 11:
RAGNULF
The silence in the tavern lingered long after Lyra walked out. Her words burned in my ears, her rejection cutting deeper than I cared to admit.
I stormed out, ignoring the whispers that followed me. The soldiers and she–wolves had seen too much. It wasn’t just my pride wounded; it was my reputation.
The ride back to the packhouse felt longer than usual. My thoughts turned with frustration, and unease.
Lyra had always been fiery, but tonight she had been different. Stronger. Unyielding. She had stood before me not as my Luna, not even as my mate, but as someone untouchable. It made me nervous.
As the packhouse came into view, a servant ran out to meet me. His face was pale, and his breath ragged as he bowed hastily.
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“Alpha Ragnulf,” he stammered. “The Luna… she’s gone.”
I dismounted swiftly, my boots crunching against the gravel. “Gone? What do you mean she’s gone?”
The servant fumbled with his words. “She left, Alpha. Her belongings… her carriage… everything was packed and ready when she returned from the tavern. She s taken half the gold from the Rogue war s loot and half of the wealth from the treasury.”
I froze, my blood running cold. “Half the treasury?”
“Yes, Alpha,” he said, his voice
trembling. “It’s what she is entitled to by law, as your Luna. But she… she‘ s never claimed it before, not in all her years by your side.”
My fists clenched as his words sank in. Lyra had never asked for anything, never taken more than she needed. She had
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always deferred to me, leaving the power, the wealth, the glory in my hands. But now… now she had taken it all.
The servant’s voice broke through my thoughts. “She left a message, Alpha.”
“What message?” I snapped.
“She said…” He hesitated, his gaze darting to the ground. “She said you can give the rest to Jeanette since she’s won.”
The words hit harder than I expected. I turned on my heel and strode into the packhouse, ignoring the stares of my guards.
Inside, the treasury door stood ajar. I entered, and the sight made my stomach churn. Shelves that had once held piles of gold and silver were now glaringly empty. What was left barely amounted to enough to cover the pack‘ s needs for the coming months.
I ran a hand through my hair, my breathing
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heavy. Lyra had left me, walked away without hesitation, and taken everything she was owed. But where had she gone? What was she planning?
I entered the bedroom and it felt colder
than usual..
Then my eyes strayed to the letter placed on my pillow.
I crossed the room, my boots heavy on the wooden floor. Picking up the letter, I recognized her elegant handwriting on the front: *Ragnulf*. My jaw tightened as I unfolded it, the paper creasing under my grip.
“Ragnulf,
I knew. From the very first day, I knew. You thought you were clever, that you could hide your betrayal from me, but the truth was clear. Every glance, every whisper, every stolen moment with her I saw it all. And I endured it. Not because I was weak, but because I believed that love could still
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heal what was broken.
But I see now that I was a fool. Not for loving you, but for waiting so long to love myself.
You’ve taken so much from me, Ragnulf, but no more. Tonight, I have taken what is mine, so, consider what I’ve taken a fair exchange for the years I wasted on you.
Do not look for me. You won’t find me.
Lyra.”
I crumpled the letter in my hand, the sound making a noise in the quiet room.
The audacity of her to leave, to reject me, to take what was mine and claim it as her
due infuriated me.
I turned to leave, my mind set. I would find her, bring her back, and make her understand the consequences of her actions. She belongs here with me.
But as I reached the hall, a guard approached, his expression tense.
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“Alpha,” he said, bowing low. “Urgent
news.
“What is it?” I barked, still reeling from
the letter.
“It’s Jeanette,” he said, his voice. hesitant. “She’s been arrested.”
I stared at him, my thoughts derailing.
“Arrested? For what?”
The guard shifted uncomfortably. “She was caught conspiring with a rogue faction. Evidence was found in her
quarters–letters detailing exchanges of information and… plans to overthrow your leadership.
I curled my hands into fists. Betrayal. Again. The woman I had risked everything for, the one I had chosen over my own mate, had turned against me.
The betrayal was suffocating. Jeanette had played me for a fool, and now Lyra had walked away, knowing the truth about us all along.
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“Where is she?” I demanded.
“In the dungeons, Alpha.
For a moment, I stood frozen, caught between fury and disbelief. Then I straightened, my resolve hardening.
“Double the guards. No one is to speak with her until I say so.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
As the guard departed, I was left alone in the hallway, my chest tight. Everything I had built was crumbling around me.
And for the first time, I wondered if Lyra had been right to leave.
