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“I have, and you know what it entails, Dad,” Lyra replied.
“Yeah, I do. All the more I know that you should take it, even if it’s just for a while. You need it, more than anyone else.”
Lyra let out a sigh, knowing he was right. If a wolf was away from its pack for too long, without being ostracized and sent to Omega status, it made life a lot harder for the shifter. The way it was making life hard for Lyra. Nothing seemed to be working, and Orson had given her the offer to return home. Even if it was just for a while.
He wanted her to bring Adam over to Ridgeshire, even if it was just for the summer break. He would spend time with the boy, and they would reveal to the pack that she had a son. If she spent time in the pack, she would be able to get her bearings again. Things would feel better for Lyra, she just had to be with the people she was closest to.
“Dad, I don’t know if I’m ready. What if they reject him? He’s not like that, Adam’s different,” said Lyra, pausing. “How do I tell the pack that his father’s a dragon?”
“The same way you told me—you just say it, and hope for the best. The pack cares for you, we all do. You being away, we feel incomplete and we want you back with us. It’s your choice, as Beta. But as your father, I want you home, honey.”
Lyra sniffled and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “Alright, I’ll come by for the summer break, but if things start to feel better, I’ll leave the moment it’s over.”
“No one has ever stopped you from making your choices, honey,” Orson replied, whispering as he spoke. “If you fear that the pack will no longer accept you for what you did, I understand.”
Lyra could easily hear what he said. Her shifter physique allowed her to pick up on sounds that were inaudible to the average human. “But…”
“But…I will always love you, and Adam. You are my child, and my grandchild. You’re denying me a chance to play a load of catch with the little sport, so come on. Bring him over. I promise, everything will be fine.”
“Alright,” Lyra gave in. “We’ll be home soon.”
“Yeah, that’s what I like to hear. Now, I have to go. We’re heading out to look for Caleb. He stormed off angrily two days ago, and he won’t respond to any of our calls.”
Lyra laughed, recalling Caleb. He was a young shifter, headstrong with his own opinions and always wanted to have his own way. “I guess things really haven’t changed much, right?”
“You got that right, sweetie. I’ll see you soon. Love you.”
“Love you, Dad,” Lyra replied, ending the call.
She tossed the phone into the passenger seat and stared at the dashboard. Her car was a 1994 Chevrolet Impala which had belonged to her father and had been handed down to her as a gift. He didn’t have much to offer her, but Orson had done a stellar job of raising her.
Lyra’s mother had died giving birth to her, and sometime around when Lyra had just turned ten, Orson had been bitten by a werewolf. It was one of the most traumatic periods of her life, watching her father struggle with the bloodlust that came with his transformations. While Orson did his best to keep it away from her, Lyra had spent nights hearing her father screaming and growling in agony in the basement, where he had locked himself away so he wouldn’t hurt her or anyone.
She had spent her entire childhood with Orson, watching as he faced off against werewolves from rival packs and other supernatural creatures. As she got older, Lyra tried to separate her life from his, and decided to head into the city to lead a different life.
But she had been kidnapped and attacked by shifters who were enemies of her father’s, in a bid to get to him. Orson was able to save her, killing everyone who had been dumb enough to believe that taking his daughter would make things easier for them. But in the end, Lyra was going to die.
She could recall being in the backseat of the car, praying for the pain to stop. Lyra had wanted death, as the shifters had mauled her badly. She would have died in the next few moments, but Orson had made the ultimate play, one which he knew would save his daughter but would change her life forever. Orson had bitten Lyra, knowing that no hospital would be able to save her in time.
Her father had saved her, and now she was alive because of him. At first, Lyra believed that her life had been ruined. But as time went on, she began to appreciate the advantages that came along with being a werewolf, and embraced it fully, fighting side by side with her father until he became the Alpha of his pack.
“Hey!”
Lyra turned to see one of the workers from the diner. His name was Carl or something. He had been looking for an excuse to talk to her. Lyra had overheard him psyching himself up to ask her to dinner, and she was definitely not interested. The man had snuck up to the car, hoping to surprise her, but Lyra had heard him from the moment he stepped out of the store.
“Hi Ca—” Lyra began, then drifted off, knowing it would be awkward to call him by the wrong name.
“What are you doing out here?” he asked, smiling. “You’re not going to come in? Boss is going to get mad.”
Lyra looked up at him, smiling to herself. She was working for a little above minimum wage, and no one cared about her here, save for Carl. Lyra’s life wasn’t here in the city, it was back in Ridgeshire, and she knew it. If she ever did come back, she couldn’t come back to any of this.
“No, I don’t think I’ll be coming in today, Carl,” Lyra replied.
“Carl? My name’s Chase.”
Lyra smiled, starting the engine of the car. “Chase. Sorry, yeah. I don’t think I’ll be coming in.”
“I can talk to the boss, I got you. I don’t want to be here all of the time every day either. I’ll give him your story till you’re back tomorrow.”
