An Ally

Lyra POV

I could physically feel the heavy, burning stares of everyone in the living room locking onto me in absolute shock. The silence that followed my declaration was thick, tense, and suffocating. I couldn't blame them for looking at me like I had suddenly grown a second head. After all, this fierce, unyielding declaration wasn't the kind of confident statement the old, naive me would have ever dared to make. But my internal resolve remained entirely firm, anchoring me in place. I would absolutely never allow Varn to become the Alpha of my family's pack in this new life. I would not watch my legacy be stripped away and handed to a traitor. I would be the one to step up. I would be the one to take over for my father.

"What suddenly changed your mind?" Varn's father, Alpha Thorne, demanded loudly, his voice slicing through the heavy tension. He looked at me with open disdain, his face twisting into a scowl. "You always refuse to learn how to be an Alpha. Now, you know absolutely nothing about leading a pack. What is so wrong with letting Varn help you manage your own territory?"

I kept my expression perfectly smooth, even as my mind flooded with dark, painful memories. The first time this happened, in my past life, my complete naïveté and blind trust had easily allowed Varn to seize power. My father had always spoiled me, completely convinced that I could spend another few years just being his innocent little girl, perfectly shielded from the harsh realities of the world. Because of that, I knew nothing about what it truly took to run a pack. That weakness meant all the power was handed over to Varn without a second thought when my father passed away.

But I had desperately wanted my pack to survive. To thrive. That desperation ultimately forced me to frantically learn how to run our territory from the shadows just to keep the pack financially afloat. I had to learn everything the hard way because it was all too much for Varn to handle on his own. Every serious issue, every crisis, every looming disaster—I was the one who quietly solved it.

Now, armed with the harsh, agonizing memories of my previous life, I knew entirely better. I wasn't that clueless little girl anymore.

I smiled sharply at him, stepping forward to close the distance. "I find it highly amusing that you would question my ability to lead," I stated, my voice echoing clearly off the living room walls. "Especially when your own pack is currently suffering in a severe financial crisis under your direct leadership."

Alpha Thorne's jaw dropped. Before he could sputter a defense, I detailed his failures aloud for the entire room to witness. "Your pack's income relies entirely on your hard-working farmers, yet you have zero risk management in place. You spent lavishly. You completely wasted the taxes you collected from those farmers over the last few years. And now? You lack the basic funds to make up for the devastating crop losses caused by this harsh winter."

I didn't stop there. I contrasted his miserable failure with our own strength. "Meanwhile, our pack is thriving. We are fully prepared for emergencies. We have made absolutely sure that we have enough money put away to get us through any crisis, and we ensure that the funds our people need to do their jobs—jobs that keep our pack safe and healthy—are always available to them. We know our people. We help them through their struggles, and it makes our pack stronger." I tilted my head, my eyes locking onto his with assertive dominance. "I firmly suggest it is a lesson you would do well to learn."

Rendered completely speechless and utterly humiliated by my ruthlessly accurate financial read, Varn's father just stared at me. He looked like he wanted to yell, to scream, but the absolute truth of my words trapped him in a corner. Furious, he aggressively grabbed his wife, Opal, by the arm. The two of them didn't say another word as they hurried out of my house, desperate to escape the embarrassment.

Varn immediately stepped right in front of me, his facial expression perfectly twisted into a pained, deeply victimized look. "What is going on?" he asked, his voice dripping with manufactured hurt. "Why are you purposefully embarrassing me like this in front of my family?"

I looked at him honestly, my face a mask of innocence. "I am not trying to embarrass you," I stated, keeping my tone entirely reasonable. "I simply think it is important for me to learn to lead my own pack. After all, you will definitely want my capable help once we are married, won't you?"

I watched his eyes shift as he processed my words. I knew with absolute certainty that he would swallow this convenient excuse. Presenting a strong, independent Alpha heir as a bride would only serve to significantly bolster his upcoming political campaign for the Alpha King selection. He needed the world to see a unified, immensely powerful front. He would never pass up the chance to use my new ambition as a massive political asset.

"I'm sorry for how poorly things have gone today," I murmured, raising a hand to my temple and feigning a sudden, intense headache. The suffocating, toxic tension in the room was beginning to make my skin crawl, and I desperately needed to escape. "I am really not feeling well. I need to rest."

"Are you sick?" Vesper asked quickly, stepping closer.

"It is only a headache," I replied weakly.

"I'll make you some tea," my mother said softly, quickly leaving the room to head toward the kitchen. My father patted my shoulder supportively, flashing me a look of quiet pride, before following her out. That left me completely alone with Varn and Vesper.

"I should just excuse myself and retreat upstairs," I sighed. "I'm sure I'll feel better after a little rest."

"I'll come with you," Vesper eagerly insisted. "I don't want you to stumble on the stairs."

I forced myself to smile at her, despite the betrayal burning in my chest. "I'm fine," I insisted.

"We'll both walk you to your bedroom," Varn declared, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I knew I wouldn't be able to convince them otherwise without causing a scene, so I nodded. As we walked up the staircase, Varn placed his hand on the small of my back to guide me. I had to physically force down the bitter bile rising in my throat. I clenched my teeth, desperately masking my deep disgust at his touch. My skin crawled with absolute revulsion, every nerve screaming at me to shove him away.

When we finally reached my bedroom, I immediately walked over and sat on the edge of my bed, creating distance between us. "I'm fine now," I said firmly. "Thank you."

Varn looked hesitant, lingering in the doorway, but he didn't try to argue further. "I'll talk to you soon," he said softly, stepping out into the hallway and clicking the door shut behind him.

The moment the lock clicked, my exhausted facade dropped entirely. I immediately jumped up, rushed to the door, and pressed my ear completely flat against the solid wood. I held my breath, desperately hoping to catch them engaging in a compromising conversation in the hallway.

"I honestly have no idea what is going on with her today," Vesper muttered in a confused, highly annoyed tone.

Varn replied with heavy frustration, letting out a sharp sigh. "None of today went the way I had imagined. It was far from the romantic, perfect proposal I had meticulously planned."

Their footsteps slowly faded away, leaving nothing but deafening silence behind. I stepped back to the center of my bedroom, a heavy sigh escaping my lips. I ran a hand over my face as I realized I had a major problem on my hands. Whether they were actively having a physical affair right now or not, they were being incredibly careful and calculated around me.

Exposing their vile betrayal to the public was the absolute only way to cleanly break this marriage engagement without putting my father's pack at a massive financial and social risk. If I broke it off without undeniable cause, the political fallout would destroy my family's standing. But I knew I would never catch them easily before the wedding day arrived. They were just too smart and too guarded.

I also knew I could not rely on my parents for help. I loved them, but they would never believe such a wild, scandalous story about the man they trusted and the girl they viewed as a second daughter. Not without concrete, undeniable proof.

I fully realized I could not execute this revenge alone. I needed outside power. I needed leverage.

Suddenly, my cell phone beeped loudly with a news alert. The sharp sound broke through the quiet of my room. I reached into my pocket, pulled it out, and glanced at the screen. It was a headline from the city's major news outlet. The screen flashed a crisp image of a very familiar, exceptionally handsome man: Alpha Kaelen.

I stared at the image, my heart beginning to race as the gears in my mind violently shifted. Alpha Kaelen. He was famously known across the entire realm as Varn's absolute biggest rival for the upcoming Alpha King election. He was powerful, influential, and incredibly popular. The entire realm knew the only reason Varn ever stood a real chance against Kaelen's massive influence was because our marriage merged our territories. Marrying me instantly granted Varn immense political power and unshakeable financial backing.

If I took myself out of the equation, Varn would lose absolutely everything. His campaign would crumble, and Kaelen would inevitably become the Alpha King.

Therefore, Kaelen had everything in the world to gain from my marriage falling apart.

I scrolled through the brief article, my mind racing with calculated, strategic plotting. Kaelen was widely known to be a little unserious and reckless in his personal life. He was a formidable bachelor with a penchant for finding trouble. I distinctly remembered the future media scandals that would eventually derail his campaign in my past life—scandals that ultimately handed Varn the ultimate victory on a silver platter.

But I realized that if Kaelen had my strategic support and my specific future knowledge, I could seamlessly steer him safely through those upcoming pitfalls. I could warn him before the traps snapped shut. Not to mention, I possessed highly classified, incredibly damaging information about Varn's pack finances that Kaelen could easily weaponize against him.

I desperately needed powerful help to take Varn down and ensure he never sat on the throne. I needed someone strong enough to crush him completely.

I smiled at the phone screen, the cold fire of vengeance burning brightly in my chest. I realized there was absolutely no better ally to be found than Alpha Kaelen.