Chapter 1
Lyra's POV
CRACK!
The silver whip slashed across my back, tearing through skin as searing pain shot through my entire body like lightning.
"Ahhhh—!" I couldn't hold back the scream.
On the execution ground, the entire pack surrounded me, their eyes filled with disgust and rage.
"Seducing her own stepfather—absolutely shameless!"
"Disgrace to the pack! She should be executed!"
I was bound to the punishment post, my back exposed, blood trickling down my spine. The fifteenth lash had already fallen, and my back was becoming a bloody mess.
Why did it come to this... why...
CRACK! CRACK!
The sixteenth and seventeenth lashes followed in rapid succession, each one more agonizing than the last. I opened my eyes in pain, desperately searching the crowd with my last shred of hope for that familiar figure, but found nothing.
He really didn't come.
Tears blurred my vision again as despair crashed over me like a tide.
Dad... why... why won't you save me...
Three days ago
"Dad will be so proud!"
I excitedly cut off the precious antlers of the silver-horned deer, clutching them tightly as I raced back toward camp.
The bonfire blazed as I burst into the center of camp, and the pack's cheers erupted instantly.
"My God! Lyra actually hunted a silver-horned deer!"
"That's a sacred beast—only seen once in a decade! Alpha Magnus will definitely be impressed!"
I didn't stop, my mind focused on one thought—Dad will be so proud of me... I have to be the first to tell him this good news.
I practically ran toward the large black tent deep in camp. Moonlight spilled across the tent roof as my steps grew more urgent.
What kind of surprised expression will Magnus have? Will he pat my head like when I was little?
But as I approached the tent, the sounds coming from inside struck me like lightning.
"Ah... Magnus... you're so strong..."
A woman's sultry moans pierced the night air, stabbing straight into my heart.
My blood froze instantly.
"Vivienne... you're always so tempting..."
Magnus's deep, magnetic voice emerged, carrying a PRIMAL DESIRE I'd never heard before.
No... this can't be...
I trembled as I moved to the side of the tent, peering through a small gap—
FUCK!
In the flickering candlelight, Magnus was half-naked, his muscular torso glistening with sweat drops sliding down his chest, while that damned Vivienne—the sexiest female warrior in the Blackstone pack—was riding him, hair disheveled, body undulating, making sounds that made my face burn.
"Magnus... I want you... harder..." Her voice was sickeningly sweet.
"As you wish..." Magnus's large hands caressed her waist, his eyes burning with HEAT I'd never seen before.
I felt my entire world collapsing, my chest pierced as if by a silver blade.
What... what am I seeing... God... they're actually...
I wanted to run, to disappear, to pretend nothing had happened. But just then—
"SNAP—"
The damned branch broke under my foot.
The sounds inside the tent stopped instantly.
"Someone's outside!" Magnus's voice immediately became alert.
Shit...
"Who's out there?" His Alpha authority pressed down like a crushing weight.
My legs went weak, my voice trembling: "Da... Dad... it's me, Lyra."
Dead silence.
A few seconds later, rushed sounds of dressing and rustling came from inside the tent.
Then Vivienne emerged from the tent, clothes disheveled, hair messy, cheeks flushed, lips swollen, her entire being radiating the SCENT OF HAVING BEEN FUCKED.
When she saw me, her eyes gleamed with triumph.
"Oh, it's little Lyra." She deliberately smoothed her hair, her tone clearly provocative. "Coming to see your stepfather so late—don't tell me you want some SPECIAL ATTENTION?"
My face flushed red: "What did you say?"
"Oh my, did I say something wrong?" Vivienne walked up to me, sneering. "A STEPDAUGHTER IS JUST A STEPDAUGHTER. Remember your place. Never fantasize about things you can't have."
This bitch!
She looked at my pained expression with satisfaction, then gracefully left, leaving me standing there alone, heart shattered.
"Lyra, come in."
Magnus's deep voice came from inside the tent.
I took a deep breath and trembled as I lifted the tent flap and entered.
The air inside still held the lingering scent of their LOVEMAKING, candlelight casting dancing shadows on Magnus's powerful form. He wore a loose white shirt, but the buttons weren't fastened properly, revealing his solid chest muscles marked with SCRATCHES Vivienne had left.
Damn... this close... he smells like sweat mixed with that woman's scent...
"Dad, I didn't mean to interrupt..." I kept my head down, not daring to meet his eyes.
Magnus slowly walked toward me, making my heart pound like thunder.
"Afraid of me?" He stopped in front of me, looking down.
How could I not be afraid... you're someone I can never have...
"No... no..." I forced myself to look up, only to find he was mere inches away.
Magnus's gaze fell on the silver-horned deer antlers I clutched tightly, a flash of surprise in his eyes.
"Silver-horned deer antlers?" He reached out, gently stroking my hair. "My daughter really impresses me."
"My daughter"...
Those four words lashed across my heart like a silver whip.
This close... his scent... and what he just did with Vivienne... while I'll forever be just his daughter...
"Yes, Dad." I struggled to keep my voice from shaking. "I wanted... wanted to be the first to tell you this good news."
"Well done." Magnus smiled, his hand still resting on my hair. "The silver-horned deer is important to the pack. You've done great service. Your mother would be proud if she knew."
Mother...
That was eight years ago, the rainy night after Mom had just died. I held her belongings, crying my heart out.
"Dad... Mom's gone, do I have no family left? Do I... not belong here anymore?" I'd cried and asked him then.
Magnus held me tight, his large hand gently stroking my back: "Don't be afraid, Lyra. You'll always be my daughter. I'll protect you forever."
Those words were like my lifeline then, giving me all the security I needed. I thought being his "daughter" was the most precious identity I could have in this world.
"Yes... Mom would be proud of me." I forced a smile, but bitterness welled up in my heart.
But now I understand—"daughter" isn't salvation, it's a cage.
It's like an invisible wall that will forever separate him and me. No matter how much I love him, no matter how much I long to be the woman in his eyes, I'll forever be just his stepdaughter.
