Chapter 7: Pack Alliance Document

Lyra's POV

The room had fallen silent again.

The lingering scent in the air was gradually dissipating.

I was completely awake now, my skin still marked by what had just happened between us.

Drax stood shirtless, his muscular physique clearly displayed, and across that expanse of skin were the scratch marks and hickeys I'd left behind.

Then there were the clothes scattered messily across the floor.

Regret and frustration surged through me.

I hated Vern even more now—if it weren't for him, things wouldn't have become this terrible.

And there was Drax, still waiting for my answer.

I answered him as lightly as I could. "My scent is unstable. I told you that before, remember? So... I go into heat at unpredictable times."

Will he believe me? What if he's already caught Vern's scent? Elle was restless inside me, pacing back and forth.

I carefully observed Drax's reaction.

He didn't seem enraged at being deceived, nor did he show any excessive response.

Those blue-gray eyes remained as unfathomable as ever, impossible to read.

"I see..." His tone carried something meaningful. "Let me have a doctor come examine you."

My heart nearly leapt out of my chest.

I hurried to stop him. "No... that's not necessary! I'm much better now, and I don't like dealing with doctors. I can't stand the smell of herbs and antiseptic."

If a doctor came, my lie would be exposed on the spot, wouldn't it?

I swallowed involuntarily, staring intently at his reaction.

His gaze remained deep and inscrutable.

He didn't react strongly, only saying, "Alright, as long as you're fine."

It seemed he believed my explanation.

"However..." He paused.

That intense pressure gripped my heart once again.

"It seems... we're quite compatible. Your scent is unstable, and I have sexual addiction. It's a perfect match, wouldn't you say? You need me to help you deal with your uncontrollable heat responses. Don't you agree?"

The corner of his mouth curved up in an expression somewhere between a smile and not.

I even felt like he was asking this question deliberately.

How should I answer?!

Of course I wanted to deny it, but I couldn't.

"Yes... yes, I suppose so..."

I dug my nails hard into my palm, forcing out what I hoped looked like a docile, harmless smile.

But inside, I wanted to cry.

Because Vern had activated the mark, triggering my heat, I'd gone from a situation where I could still make excuses to one where I had to passively accept the fact that we would have to have sex.

But it really felt amazing, Elle said in my mind, her tail wagging like she hadn't just been thoroughly satisfied.

I didn't deny it.

Drax's cock was bigger and harder than Vern's, and he'd known exactly where to push me over the edge.

That pleasure that had made my whole body shudder seemed to still linger in my body.

Just thinking about his touch and caresses... I couldn't think about it.

Heat pooled low in my belly all over again.

I suppressed the urge.

Though we were not mates, my instincts kept drawing me toward him again and again, stirring a raw longing for him.

That inexplicable sense of familiarity clinging to him was impossible to ignore.

What could have severed the bond that should have existed between us?

Then again, we were not true mates. Perhaps we simply shared an unusual compatibility in this regard.

"Alpha." A knock sounded at the door.

"Enter."

Drax was definitely doing this on purpose!

I hurried to grab my clothes and put them on.

At that same instant, the door was pushed open.

A man in a black suit walked in and respectfully placed two files on the desk.

"The Alliance has completed the review. These are the Pack Alliance Documents, stamped and filed."

"Given the special circumstances, I had them rush the process."

With that, he bowed his head slightly and quietly withdrew.

My gaze fell on those two files.

These were marriage contracts recognized by the Pack Alliance.

Partners like us, bound together merely for the political alliance between packs—this was the only legal proof of our relationship.

At the bottom of the pages, two names were written side by side:

Cynthia Collins

Drax Hollister

I stared at those lines in a daze, feeling strangely unreal.

I'd stayed by Vern's side for four full years.

He had never given me any legal status—strictly speaking, I was not Vern's Luna.

All he'd left me with was that burning mark on the back of my neck.

That mark had once made me believe I was loved.

It was also that mark that had sustained me for so long.

My youth, all my love, all my passion, my sincerity—I'd dedicated everything to him.

And now, my arranged alpha husband had given me legal status in the fastest time possible.

Although... the name on it wasn't my real name.

"The Pack Alliance Documents are effective with the Alliance. Our relationship is officially certified. Going forward, you are my legal mate. I hope you remember this status clearly."

"You don't have any relationships you haven't completely cut off, do you?"

He suddenly leaned forward, his alpha pheromones bearing down with overwhelming scrutiny.

His blue-gray eyes carried examination and pressure.

"Of course not!"

I forced out a smile, but my heart skipped a beat.

For a moment, I even felt like those sharp eyes had already seen through my lies completely.

Drax stared at me for a few seconds, his gaze heavy and suffocating.

"You'd better be telling the truth."

"Since you're already my wife, you should remember your identity."

He said it quietly. It still felt like a command.

"I don't like sharing the same thing with others."

"Especially things that belong to me."

When that last sentence fell, his lips curved slightly upward.

"After all, I don't share what's mine."

"Of course..."

My knees were close to giving out from fear of being discovered.

Just then, my phone rang.

The ringtone sounded particularly jarring and abrupt in that moment.

I reflexively glanced at my phone—it was Vern!

Damn it, why was he calling at such a tense moment?!

I was going to lose my mind!

I immediately declined, but the phone kept ringing incessantly.

Drax stood up. "Take your call," he said, then turned and left.

I breathed a sigh of relief and wanted to block that damned Vern, but accidentally hit the answer button instead.

"Lyra! Where did you go?!"

Vern's roar instantly came through the receiver.

In the past, just hearing his voice would have made me instinctively tense up, afraid I'd done something wrong and made him unhappy.

But now, I just held the phone quietly.

My heart still hurt.

But it wasn't like before anymore.

Like a wound that had been torn apart repeatedly, after bleeding out the last drop of blood, only numbness remained.

"What do you want?!"

No explanations, no attempts to please—only coldness and distance.

"Didn't you see the text I sent you?! I'm ordering you—come back right now!"

Vern's voice carried his usual dominance and authority, as if no matter what happened, I should obediently stand in place waiting for his summons.

"Otherwise, I'll cut off your sister's medical expenses! And... your mother doesn't want to continue treatment anymore?!"

I suddenly found it laughable.

My mother was already dead, and he was still threatening and controlling me with this.

I suppressed the grief and anger surging in my heart.

"I was serious about what I said before. Let me go. I have no interest in being part of whatever you and your stepmother have going on."

"When you agree, I'll come back!"

I forcibly ended the call.

I took a deep breath.

I'd actually said no. To Vern. And meant it.

I had submitted to him for all those years, yet all it took was one simple sentence to turn him down!

But, just as I turned around, I saw Drax standing there.

My heart contracted violently.