Chapter 99: No Formal Mark Yet, But She Was Mine

Vander’s POV

Not lost, not missing—dead.

Lyra’s absence left a void in the pack, in me.

For six months, I buried myself in the Alpha King election, fighting to reclaim my candidacy after the Assembly’s reassessment, forging alliances with Duskward packs, and rallying support.

But through it all, one truth anchored me: I love Elara.

Choosing her as my mate wasn’t a fleeting impulse. It was a decisi