Midnight Howling Book 1

Chapter 34: Lyra

Lyra stood at the door to her father's office, her hand hesitating on the handle. The familiar knot twisted tighter in her chest. The past few days had been a whirlwind of confusion and tension, leaving her restless. She pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Alpha James sat behind his desk, looking up as she entered. His sharp blue eyes softened when they landed on her, and for a moment, Lyra's heart clenched. The bond between them was still new, fragile in its own way, and she was still adjusting to the fact that her father was the Alpha she had grown up hearing about. He wasn't just her Alpha now; he was family.

"Lyra," he greeted, his voice warm but serious. He gestured for her to sit.

She slipped into the chair across from him, folding her hands in her lap. Her thoughts were a mess. Her heat had passed days ago, leaving her in a strange limbo. Most nights, she went back to her own room, needing space. But sometimes, she found herself drawn back to Alex's bed. He never questioned it, never pushed her to talk about why she came to him in the middle of the night, or why she left before dawn.

That should've made things easier, but it didn't. The silence between them, the way he was patiently waiting for her to decide where they stood—it only made the knot in her chest tighter. And now, sitting in her father's office, she could feel that weight pressing down on her.

Alpha James's voice broke through her thoughts. "We've put this off long enough," he said gently. "It's time for your first hunt."

Lyra blinked, her heart skipping a beat. Her first hunt. The rite of passage that every wolf went through after their first shift. It was tradition, a way to connect deeper with your wolf and prove your strength to the pack. She knew it was coming, but hearing it aloud made it real.

Her pulse quickened. Excitement bubbled under her skin, but it was laced with something else—uncertainty.

Onyx stirred in her mind, her voice a low rumble. We are ready. The wolf's confidence was absolute. We will hunt. Show pack our strength. You and me.

Lyra swallowed, the excitement tempered by hesitation. She wanted this, but there was more to the hunt than just her and Onyx. There was Alex. And the idea of sharing something so intimate, so symbolic, with him made her nerves spike. She hadn't made any decisions about them yet—hadn't figured out how to handle the bond that was pushing them together, or the doubts that were pulling them apart.

"Tonight?" she asked, her voice a little shaky.

James nodded, watching her closely. "Tonight. You've had some time to adjust after your shift, and I wanted to give you that. But your wolf is ready, and I think you are too."

Yes, we are, Onyx growled in agreement. We hunt tonight.

Lyra's heart raced, but before she could respond, her father's expression softened. "There's something else, Lyra."

Her stomach flipped. "What is it?"

James leaned forward, his elbows resting on the desk. His gaze was steady but gentle, the way a father might speak to his daughter when he knew something was weighing on her. "Because you found your mate at the same time you shifted, it's customary for him to join you on your first hunt."

Lyra froze. Her breath caught in her throat. Alex. Of course, it had to be Alex.

Her chest tightened with an odd mix of excitement and hesitation. She knew the mate bond meant they were supposed to share moments like this, but everything between them felt so unresolved. Alex had been giving her space, respecting her need to figure things out, but the distance only left her feeling more confused. This hunt... it felt like too much too soon.