Betrayed By One. Bound To Three-Chapter 21: Lyria

Selena.

I couldn’t tell how long I must have been there but I knew I was exhausted. A small smile lit up my lips when I thought of all that just happened.

It was wild. Uncontrolled. Intimate in ways I hadn’t known I could survive. And I loved it.

The warmth of their bodies still pressed into me, as if they were scared of losing me.

More surprising was the fact that Edris was now with us on the bed. When did he get here?

Edris’s hands traced my back in slow, careful circles, Kael nuzzled my hair, and Ronan’s arm draped possessively across my waist.

My chest rose and fell rapidly, my body still thrumming from the intensity, every nerve alive with residual fire.

"When did you get here?" I teased Edris.

"Shh," Edris murmured, his voice low, grounding. "Just sleep, mate."

I leaned into him instinctively, letting my forehead rest against his chest. His heartbeat was steady, deep, familiar now in a way that was almost comforting.

Kael’s fingers ghosted over my shoulder, brushing along the sensitive skin there, while Ronan pressed a light kiss to my temple.

The world was soft around us, quiet except for the lingering warmth and whispered murmurs.

But then something shifted beneath the afterglow — not fading heat, but something deeper. It felt less like something invading me and more like something answering.

Not just the heat from our bodies or the adrenaline from earlier, but a pulse, subtle at first, thrumming in the center of my chest.

I frowned, pressing my hands against it, feeling it thrum beneath my skin like a second heartbeat.

My mates immediately seemed to sense something wasn’t right with me as they sat up to look at me.

Ronan’s hand tightened around my waist. "Selena. Talk to me."

My pulse sped, and suddenly my vision caught something impossible.

Edris froze, his dark gaze sharp as he took in the change. "Selena..." His voice was low, wary but tinged with awe.

Ronan swore under his breath. "Selena... your eyes."

"Wait. What? What do you mean?" I asked unable to hide my panic.

Kael and Ronan exchanged glances, the edges of their lips twitching into something predatory, expectant.

"She’s pushing forward," Edris murmured, almost reverent. "Stop fighting her."

"Let it out, mate," Kael said, his voice coaxing, deep. "Shift. Feel it. Don’t hold back."

My throat tightened. Shift? Panic and excitement collided as I swallowed hard. But the urge was irresistible, crawling through my veins, demanding release.

I closed my eyes, letting the heat, the pulse, the energy inside me take over.

My body convulsed. For one terrifying second, I thought I was breaking apart.

Then I realized — I was expanding.

My muscles were tightening and stretching, bones shifting with a slick, unnatural ease. I felt my spine elongate, my hands curling into paws as fur sprouted along my skin.

My senses exploded—the smell of the cave, the lingering scent of the men, the faint trace of the forest outside. My hearing sharpened until every tiny scrape of stone or whisper of air was clear as daylight.

I opened my eyes—or rather, my new eyes—and the world glimmered in ways I had never known. I was a white wolf now, sleek and powerful, the soft glow of mystic energy rippling across my fur. My heart raced with exhilaration, raw, untethered.

A voice rumbled through me. "Hello, Selena."

My ears twitched. "It’s you... you finally came out," I said, heart racing.." I said, heart racing.

She rose within me, eyes sparkling. "I have always been here. You were the one who wasn’t ready."

I grinned. "What’s your name?"

The wolf tilted her head. "You haven’t named me yet."

True.

"Lyria," I breathed — and the name settled into my bones like it had always belonged there.

"I like it," she purred, a playful rumble vibrating through me. "I am Lyria."

"You’re beautiful," Ronan whispered behind me, shifting into his wolf form, massive and dangerous. Kael’s grin flashed, his own form transforming seamlessly, muscles coiling under glinting fur.

And Edris... Edris watched, calm but fire in his eyes, his human form still, yet his aura electric.

I laughed, paws itching to run. "Show me, Lyria. Show me what we can do."

Her eyes gleamed, the earth thudded beneath my paws, steady and loyal, heart pounding, unstoppable and free.

I started slowly — uncertain — and then instinct took over..

The forest welcomed me, wind whipping through fur, leaves crunching under paws, the thrill of raw freedom pulsing in every nerve. Behind me, laughter, growls, and the pounding of paws followed.

They were chasing me—not to catch, but to let me lead, to let me taste the exhilaration of power, of control, of being completely unbound.

The woods blurred past me, moonlight scattering across silver fur, my senses drinking in every scent, every movement.

I had spent my life learning how to endure.

Now I understood what it meant to dominate the night.

We slowed as my pack borders approached, the tension in the air thickening, the familiar markers of territory prickling at my mind.

I stopped, panting, ears twitching. My mates halted behind me, equally alert, their forms taut with protective energy.

The air shifted. It had nothing to do with the wind.

Lyria stilled inside me.

From the treeline, a voice carried, low but clear. "The alpha King coronation is in two days."

"Shame the princess was never found," another voice said.

"Doesn’t matter. The pack needs a king."

I froze, every instinct sharp as knives. Silas. He was moving, plotting, and the coronation was his trophy.

"It’s time to go home, Selena," my wolf purred silently in my head.

My excitement, my newfound power, the intoxicating freedom of the wolf—everything collided with urgency. My pulse surged, and I knew I had to act.

"My pack needs me," I said.

And for the first time, I wasn’t afraid of what that meant. For the first time, the crown didn’t feel like a threat.

Edris stepped closer, his gaze intense but steady. Kael and Ronan flanked me, their hands brushing my shoulders, their eyes asking silently if I was ready. I nodded, feeling the heat of power still thrumming in my chest.

This wasn’t just play. This wasn’t just discovery.

This wasn’t just war.

This was inheritance. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

My father’s legacy.

And I was no longer the weak princess who didn’t know how to shift.

My wolf howled silently inside me, anticipation and thrill mingling with the sharp edge of fear. But I was ready.

We shifted back to human form slowly, the forest settling around us. My heart hammered, still tingling from the wolf energy, still craving their closeness, their protection, their dominance.

But my mind was razor-sharp now. I had seen my power. I had felt it, raw and real. And now I knew exactly what I had to do.