“Lyra,” Rhys’s voice cut through the cold, damp air of the dungeon. It was firm, commanding, and ced with impatience.

  She didn’t bother to look at him. Instead, she continued to stare at the cracked ceiling, her fingers idly tracing invisible patterns on the rough stone floor. “And to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Alpha?” Her voice was smooth, dripping with sarcasm.

  Rhys smirked, folding his arms as he leaned casually against the cold iron bars. “I’m pleased to see you know who the Alpha is… Have you decided to come clean?”

  Slowly, she sat up, taking her time as she crossed her legs and faced him. Her golden eyes gleamed with mischief. “I’ve told you before,” she said zily, her lips curling into a taunting smile, “what Grandfather told me has nothing to do with the pack or you.”

  His patience snapped. With a growl, Rhys smmed his hand against the bars, the metal vibrating from the force. “If it’s not something of value, then why won’t you tell me? We’d save so much time if you weren’t so damn stubborn!”

  Lyra rolled her eyes, unphased by his outburst. “I don’t have to tell you anything,” she replied, stretching her arms above her head. “And besides, stubbornness is in my nature.”

  A low growl rumbled in his chest, his eyes narrowing at her defiance. She was infuriatingly calm, almost amused, like she was enjoying her captivity. Her rexed demeanour, her mocking smiles—it was all an act to get under his skin, and it was working.

  Rhys’s gaze hardened as he watched her, his mind whirling with questions. Her carefree attitude didn’t make sense, not when she was locked away in this dark, isoted cell. There was something she was hiding, and it was eating at him.

  “How did you do it?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

  Lyra gnced at him, her fingers brushing dust off her pants. “What now?”

  His eyes bore into hers, a flicker of suspicion and anger dancing in his irises. “How did you give birth while you’re in this cell?” His words were sharp, each one ced with accusation. “Where is the child?”

  For the first time, Lyra’s pyful demeanour wavered. Her golden eyes widened just a fraction, her body stiffening as his words sank in. She quickly masked her reaction, leaning back against the wall, but Rhys had already caught it.

  Her gaze drifted away from him, her mind reeling back to the woman she’d left behind. Delih. The human whose scent haunted her even now. It had been six months since that night. Six long months since she’d felt the bond snap into pce, tying her fate to Delih’s in a way that was irreversible.

  Had she given birth?

  Was the child safe?

  Rhys’s voice dragged her back to the present. “Don’t py dumb, Lyra,” he growled, his fingers tightening around the cold metal bars. “The pack book revealed it. An alpha was born, and the parent is you.”

  Lyra’s chest tightened, her pulse quickening. So it was true. Her child—her pup—was out there somewhere.

  A wicked grin slowly spread across her lips as she tilted her head, meeting Rhys’s furious gaze. “Looks like your throne isn’t as secure as you thought, little brother.”

  Rhys’s eyes fshed with anger, his cws digging into the bars. “You’ve endangered the pack by keeping this a secret. An alpha heir born outside our territory, vulnerable to any enemy who catches its scent.”

  Lyra’s eyes gleamed, her voice dangerously low. “If you touch my child, I’ll tear you apart.”

  Rhys’s jaw clenched, rage and frustration covering his face. “You can’t protect it from here. You’re powerless, Lyra.”

  She leaned forward, her golden eyes burning. “I may be in this cage, but I’m far from powerless. And if you threaten my pup, you’ll see just how dangerous I can be.”

  A tense silence hung between them, the air crackling with unspoken threats. Finally, Rhys straightened, his eyes cold and calcuting. “I’ll find the child. And when I do, I’ll decide its fate.”

  He turned sharply, his footsteps echoing down the stone corridor as he disappeared into the darkness.

  Lyra watched him go, her hands balling into fists. Her pup was out there—vulnerable and alone. And she was trapped in this cursed cell, unable to protect the life she’d brought into the world.

  Her eyes narrowed, a steely resolve settling over her. ‘I can’t stay here while Delih and the child are alone out there. Rhys is right, they’ll be in trouble if another pack finds him.’