Cruel Deception

~•°•~

After putting Gael down, she made her way towards her father's log cabin. The thought of seeing Felix there eerily sneaked past her mind. She grimaced, not wanting to see him. Of course, she was happy that he was back, but if it were in different circumstances, maybe she would have already hugged him. Lyra couldn't deny the confusion in her mind and heart.

She had just discovered that her whole life was a lie. Did she even deserve the hate given by the wolves from her pack?

She isn't Christine and Todd's daughter. That would only mean her family must be still alive. Then she remembered Iggy's wolf. Lyra hoped she could trust him, if not she would still try and do everything she can.

The cabin appeared in her sight, the windows lit up with warm light. Her feet trudged through the door and she was greeted by a powerful scent. That of a wolf from the South. The scent was too powerful it made her nose scrunch.

"Edward?" she said. But no one answered. She let herself in and saw Felix sitting on a couch, his nose buried between the pages of a familiar book. "Lex, what are you doing?"

His grey eyes looked at her with surprise, making her mind leap back to Iggy. Why did they have to look so much alike?

He smiled, a simple on his chin showing up. "I was just reading, I guess I missed Ned's stories."

Slowly, she sat beside him on the arm of the couch. She took a look at the book in his hand and realized it was the storybook Edward used to read to them when they were still kids. Her heart was pinched when memories suddenly trickled back into her thoughts.

"Fairy Tales, huh?" she took the book from him.

Lyra stood up and looked at him, his eyes tracking her every movement. She stood exactly in front of him and turned the pages one by one.

"Edward used to read it to the three of us, I always wanted him to read The Three Musketeers." Felix smiled.

"Yeah, it was always nice when he got to get together. I think I kinda miss it."

She did miss it, especially because her family was complete. Just her, Iggy, Felix and Edward. Just the four of them. But now she couldn't even trust one of them. Their family was shattered and Lyra was afraid to hold onto one of them, especially Iggy.

Lyra felt the atmosphere shift. She felt suddenly cold as she sat there. The look on Felix's face made her feel for him. She wondered if he was still mad with Ignacios.

"I miss the old Ignacios. I miss my brother."

For a moment, Lyra watched him sullenly think by himself. He wasn't alone, she wanted Ignacios back too. But healing was now a bleak thought that only hang on the tip of her bewildered mind.

"But that doesn't matter now." He said as he shook his head.

She didn't answer, instead, she nodded lightly. She remembered what Ignacios said, don't believe Felix. Lyra wanted to know what Felix was doing here. She knew whatever the rift between the two brothers was, she wanted no part of it.

"What does matter, Felix?"

He looked at her, his hopeful eyes that reminded her of his innocence shined with hope.

"There are things more important than that now."

Lyra's answer stayed on her tongue as Edward appeared from the kitchen. His body lathered in some kind of oil. She looked unto him, trying to decipher the feeling that was growing in her chest.

"My daughter," he said as he kissed her cheek.

The Southerner's scent wafted into her nose as Edward embraced her.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"I gotta go and do a perimeter check, the Beta ordered every scout to hunt the area every night after the Alpha was attacked." He said.

She took leaned away from him. The smell was unsettling, somehow Lyra wanted to shift into a wolf and defend herself. The scent of the Southerner's Alpha hangs above the air like a grim cloud that made her grimace with worry.

"Ned, what's that scent?"

He raised a brow, cocking his head to his side. "What scent?"

"It's so foreign," she paused trying to pace her heavy beating heart. "I smell the South."

"Oh, that's probably just me. I've spent way too much time around Southerners it wouldn't be a surprise if I was starting to turn into one of them." Felix butted in.

'Don't believe anyone.' Ignacios' words came back to her for a second time. She nodded and played along.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." She said.

"If that's all it then, I better get going." Edward went for the door and disappeared into the woods.

Lyra sat with confusion plaguing her mind. She was no doubt afraid and frustrated. Either Felix was clueless or he was covering up for Edward.

~•°•~

Diego wrapped his arms around Lois' waist. She looked at him, his eyes made her lips quiver with nervousness. She didn't know what she was feeling. Her heart kept beating erratically when he was near her.

Lois touched his face, feeling his warm skin burn for her touch.

"Your hand is cold." He kissed her hand.

In the bed that they laid on, Lois felt safe in his arms. Slowly, she found herself trying to love him as he loved her. She knew things were about to change, especially now that Ignacios was back. But she tried to keep herself strong, having Diego her rock.

"You make me nervous." She whispered.

The string in her heart was tugged when he smiled, his brown eyes watching her with overflowing love.

"I sure hope so, that could mean so many things."

Lois lowered her head into his chest, the smell of his body making her squirm. His manly scent was enthralling. Her work slowly howled in bittersweet pleasure. It was already a week from the deed she had done to Gael and her wolf knew something in her body has changed. She was with child with Gael.

"It does." She answered with a low voice.

It was scary to think that their plan had worked. The plan she and Diego had planned out together. Lois felt the pain of regret shoot through her veins. She had involved an innocent wolf in their heinous plan. It made her shiver.

"What's wrong?" Diego felt the distress in her body.

"It worked...I'm going to be a Luna."

"Oh." Diego looked at her with despair and sadness in his eyes.

"Are you mad?"

He shook his head. The way his eyes brightened with sureness caused a feeling of dread rise from her depths. She watched as he brushed off the sad expression that marred his face and smiled.

"No, of course not," he says, leaning into her face to plant a kiss into the tip of her nose. "We both know it would come to this."

Lois thought how selfish she was. She was afraid to hurt anyone that loved her, but there she was again. Taking Diego's love without giving out hers.

"I love you, Lois. I promised you I'd do anything for you, for us."

"I think I love you too."

At her words, Lois saw the happiness in his eyes. Diego was a good wolf, that she knew. His only downside was he was a martyr. He would love her even if he would get hurt by doing so. Was it cruel for her to pretend that she really did love him? She liked him, but that was it. She was hoping she would learn to love him and give him what he really deserved. Love...

With a smile, he tightened his hold on her and whispered into her ear. "Thank you for making me the happiest wolf alive, my wolf."

One swoop was all it took when his lips touched her. She gave herself up into his warm embrace filled with passion. Soon after, they were holding each other's naked body under the sheets. She laid in his arms, filled with uncertainty and loss. She wondered when will her cruel deception ever end?

She woke up and got dressed. It was time to talk with Ignacios. Lois silently moved through dark halls, her hand quivering with anticipation. She wanted to speak with Ignacios to try and discover what he knows. He was a danger to her plans. Even if she didn't mean for it to get this far, she knew it was trouble if he was let to run loose. She walked up to his room and opened it without knocking. He was sitting on his bed with a lit cigarette between his lips.

"You smoke?" Lois asked.

"And you open doors without knocking." He meekly replied, puffing out smoke. "My wolf is shutting me out because of you."

Lois nodded her head. His lack of reaction almost scared her. He wasn't the type of wolf that willy-nilly hurt people instead, Ignacios was a calculative wolf, a smart one. But Lois knew he was nervous and indecisive whenever he was around with Lyra. A weakness of his that she was never surprised off.

"I'm sorry about that."

Ignacios snickered, his sad stare making her look down.

"Years, I was trapped in my body. I guess we're too late for apologies."

"I guess we are," she said. She looked up at him, noticing her mark on his neck. She almost gagged. Her mark didn't belong to anyone. "but we're going to be stuck like this. We have each other's mark."

Ignacios stood, his tall body towering over her. He cracked his neck, shaking his head with disappointment. He dumped his cigar on an ashtray conveniently sitting on his bedside table. Slowly, he turned towards her.

"I've been thinking about that actually."

"What do you mean?" She raised her brows, noticing his grey colored eyes darken by the second. Her wolf clawed her sides. The terrible aura he emitted, filled with unkempt rage made her try and hide the trembling in her.

"I want you out of my pack." His cold voice made her shiver.

The clear sign of shock etched on her face made Ignacios look away. Lois stood with a shaky leg, her eyes staring at him with nervousness. If she was going to be kicked out, then what was the use of everything she had done so far?

"You can't." She whispered. "What will your people think?"

"My people don't know how you tricked me with your own Wolfsbane." He spat.

"They also didn't know you were cleaving yourself, so I suggest you keep your mouth shut." She was shaking, staring into his eyes. She tried to stay strong and denied the tears that were about to spill down her cheeks.

"You have no grounds ordering me around." He says, narrowing his eyes.

"Face it, Ignacios. You're not getting rid of me that easily."

"I can and I will."

Lois needed an excuse. Desperation was in swimming in her depths and then with one quick tick of her wits, she remembered he was still oblivious with what happened with his wolf. She took a risk and said:

"Would you really do that to the wolf carrying your future pup?"

With her words, his face turned pale as if all the blood was drained out of his person. Ignacios' heart beat faster. The revelation took the air out from his lungs. He started to sweat as despair slowly latched onto his heart.

"What?" He breathlessly asked.

"I'm carrying your child, Ignacios."

"Since when?"

"Your wolf, he said it was important for us to have an heir for the pack."

She was doing it again. The thing she promised herself to never do again. Enacting cruel deception to another pawn of her lifelike chess game.

"And you did this with my wolf's consent."

"Of course, what do you take me for?"

"I don't even know anymore, Lois." He shook his head in hopelessness.

Lois raised her chin, watching him quietly think of his actions. His grey calculating eyes never blinking as he stays silent.

"You know now why you can't just send me away."

He turned his head to look at her. His sharp gaze made her jolt, yet she remained unfazed. His square jaw locked and he breathed deeply, trying to contain the rage in him.

"How can you stand there and sound like that, how do you even sleep at night, Lois?" He asked.

With a frown, she answered him. "Soundly."

Lois turned for the door, closing it behind her. Rivers of tears appeared on her cheeks as she ran away from his room. She had no choice and she had to break him again.

I had to do it.

I had to do it.

"I had to do it." She said to herself. The winding steps of despair she took seemed never ending as she continued to have away.

~•°•~

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Yours truly,

—Jino 💕