Aries
Chapter 27.4

Last chapter from Cain’s pov. Next would be from Miguel’s pov after which Lyra’s story will continue.

Next chapter could be considered pretty important for a few characters who will appear in the next book are introduced.

That being said, Enjoy:)

Fifteen-year-old Lyra yelped when she touched the hot pan by mistake. Immediately she rushed to the sink to wash her finger in the cold running water.

Cain frowned as he saw this. This Pulsar had slept through the heat of the cosmic fire and now she was cooling her finger?

It is the way, Cain, Luna said.

Way of what?

First, she is to pose as a human, the last daughter of Moon said, through the link he had with her. Then, she will be introduced as a shifter. Only after that, would she know she is a pulsar.

Cain frowned. Why so?

A step by step progress.

Cain hummed and stared at his sister intently. After she washing it, she wiped it in a cloth and began cooking herself some scrambled eggs.

Although Lyra’s cooking was not as amazing as their father’s, it was not as terrible as Rhaze’s. He swore that girl went to a cooking school on how bad to cook.

The front door opened and Cain felt two people enter. As much as he wanted one of them to come in, he hated the other.

Liv had a bag that contained various things while Ethan who came behind her was munching an apple.

He immediately rushed to help Liv. She should not be carrying heavy things.

Liv glared at him. She had told him a thousand times that she was perfectly fine. But he was not willing to risk anything.

Ethan laughed. “Why so hurry? Liv can take care of herself.”

Cain bit back his scowl. If only people knew that they were mates. If they did, they would not question them anything.

“It is not proper to make a female carry things, Ethan,” Cain said.

Ethan put his free hand up. “Oh! I know. But to argue with Liv? I like having my head on my shoulder, you know?”

Liv grinned. “Good.”

Cain blinked at her. “You are siding with him?”

Liv cooed. “Don’t feel so betrayed.”

Cain shook his head and took the grocery to the kitchen. “Why did you buy it?”

Liv shrugged. “I was at the supermarket to buy corn flour while your mom was purchasing a few things. Someone called her and she had to rush out. You know, being the Beta Female?”

Lyra turned and gave Liv a huge smile. “Hey there!” And when she saw Ethan, her smile dropped. “Ethan.”

Ethan smiled at her. “Lyra! How do you do?”

She pursed her lips. “Good?”

Ethan’s green eyes shone. “That’s good.”

An awkward pause fell over them. While Lyra turned to resume her work, Ethan watched her intently.

Cain resisted the urge to growl. Ethan liked her. There had been instances he had scented arousal from Ethan when he was with Lyra alone.

It sickened him. Had Lyra been twenty or something, he would have felt a little better. But lusting after a fourteen-year-old? And forcing her to develop a crush on him?

It was a good thing Ethan never acted on his hormones. And once during a party, a drunken Ethan had confessed how much he wanted Lyra as his mate. Wanted a young adolescent as his mate. Wanting her to be his mate for love was different than wanting her for her flesh.

As if.

Not that he did not know of Lyra’s crush on Ethan.

But what that girl had was something every female would have had at some point in their life. It was very hard to resist the charm of a high ranking wolf.

In a world that valued the survival of the fittest, mating with the strongest wolf was what every female would want. Seeing the fact that Luna had given Lyra a simple human form, she was bound to be trapped by Ethan.

And not to mention, if a high ranking wolf had set their mind on a potential mate, they could literally influence that said person’s feelings.

Cain had no doubt that Ethan was forcing his aura to make Lyra like him. If Ethan was not of Alpha blood and did not exert that charm, Cain was sure that Lyra would never bat her eyelid to the likes of such a male ever in her life. Or if Lyra matured as Luna called it, she would not think about Ethan at all.

She had high standards. And in some aspects of her life, it was very high that even he found it difficult to reach.

He chuckled softly. Who would be paired with this female? But whoever it was, that person was one lucky soul.

“Lyra!” Liv said before Ethan was about to open his mouth. “How are the studies going?”

Lyra set the oven and turned with a grin. “Amazing. It was our class who did gene therapy.”

Liv blinked. It was hard to impress his mate.

“Gene therapy?” Liv wondered. “They allowed you kids to do it? What were they thinking? You know a single mistake could-”

“Save it, Liv,” Lyra said in a sing-song voice. “By the way, I am the only fifteen-year-old in that class. Everyone is at least forty plus.”

Liv sighed and sat on a chair. “If you keep this up, I will have trouble explaining to the Alpha why I should allow a sixteen-year-old in the science sector.”

Lyra grinned at her and then at Cain. “If I do that, Rhaze would cry.”

Cain could not help but laugh. “That she would.”

Ethan looked surprised like he did not expect Lyra to have brains. “Wow, Lyra! That’s amazing!”

She gave him a tentative smile. “Thank you, Ethan.”

He shook his head. “No! You are very clever. I will speak with my father on this. You deserve to work in the science sector.”

Cain’s heart clenched. Could he see Lyra in the same office where Warren once sat?

Liv sent a wave of comfort through the bond they had. She was perfect.

“You are majoring in?” Ethan asked.

Lyra took in a deep breath. “My main aim is neurogenetics.”

Ethan’s eyes widened. Cain huffed internally. Ethan probably would not have even know the existence of such a word.

The main door opened again and a group of people entered the house.

Lyra was perplexed. “What is happening?”

Liv grinned. “I called a few people.”

Mike was arguing with Andrew, and Sam was discussing the plot of a movie with Cheryl very seriously. Reece, Aurelia and Cat commented on the scent of food while Brent was the one who came silently.

“A few?” Lyra raised her eyebrows.

Cheryl plopped on the seat next to Liv and rested her head on Liv’s shoulder. Cain resisted the urge to growl.

Calm down, Cain, Liv said. Cheryl’s not going to kill me.

He grumbled something unintelligent via their link. Lyra frowned at him and then at Liv but then she shrugged and laughed at the boots Aurelia was wearing.

This pulsar was very perceptive.

Immediately, Cheryl leaned back and gave Liv a long look. “Girl, where did you get lucky?”

Everyone paused whatever they were doing. Liv was a saint to them.

Cain internally smirked. Only he knew how high her sex-drive was. Until he mated her, she had sworn she never felt that way, but once they had mated, it was like a switch was turned on.

There had been so many instances where he was so late to work. But did he complain? Nah. He existed to please his female.

As much as what Liv said made sense to him, Cain hated it. He would proudly announce to the world that he was the father, but until Lyra matured, he was targeted. And everyone associated with him would be.

Cat gaped. “Liv?”

Cheryl grinned. “Who knew? This girl would be getting laid?”

Aurelia smirked. Congratulations, Cain.

She was the only one who knew about their mating in this pack. Carter suspected it but never said anything.

Not to mention, Aurelia had once literally walked on them making out. With both their marks exposed. Explaining to her was awkward and her laughter after that was worse.

She was happy for them. In fact, Liv considered Aurelia as her good friend.

Thank you, he replied.

“Wait!” Reece said. “She just slept with someone. What’s a big deal in that?”

Cat gave her a long look. “Had it been anyone in this room, I would not be surprised. But this is Liv we are talking about.”

Cheryl quipped. “I meant she is pregnant.”

Cat literally fell to the floor. “What?”

Liv suppressed her grin. “I am.”

Lyra squealed. “I won!”

That was when everyone looked at his sister.

“What do you mean by you won?” Cain asked.

Lyra grinned at him. “Symptoms of pregnancy are obvious, Cai. I made a bet with Rhaze. I won. She said she couldn’t smell anything and I told her that Liv was.”

Liv laughed. “You are sure perceptive.”

Lyra shrugged and winked. “If I am not, how else would I be the youngest scientist of West Pack?”

Reece turned to Aurelia. “Aurelia, dear scientist who works with brains, can you be kind enough to tell me where my intelligence has run to?”

Aurelia coughed. “I am not sure, but I can guarantee you that it has taken an express and travelling away from you at the speed of light.”

Your goddaughter is damn clever, Liv said.

That she is, Cain replied.

“So...” Cat drawled. “Who’s the lucky guy?”

Liv bit her lip. “I don’t know.”

Sam blinked. “Little miss goody shoes had a wild night with a stranger, got pregnant? I am replaceing this hard to believe.”

Cain gritted his teeth, but he maintained a smile out. As much as he was proud of his unborn kid, his child could not be born with a target on his head.

“I second that,” Ethan commented. “Common, Livvia. Tell us. We are your friends.”

Liv gave Ethan a helpless look. “I wish I knew.”

Cheryl pouted but then grinned. “This is going to be amazing.”

Cat’s eyes sparked. “We are going to have so much fun!”

Brent cleared his throat. “Am I missing something? How is it going to be fun?”

Reece literally bounced in her seat. “Baby shower! First birthday! So many things to organise.”

Andrew gulped. “No!”

Cheryl looked at him sharply. “Why no?”

“Be-because,” Andrew began. “If you want to organise anything, you will make us, males to do the work! Unfair!”

“If you have half brains to organise, why would we ask you to do things, Andrew?” Cheryl asked.

“Hey!” Andrew protested. “I am clever!”

“Of course, you are,” Cat snorted. “You are a freaking scientist. But clever when it involves common sense and organising parties? You suck at it, Andrew.”

Before Andrew could open his mouth, Brent intervened. “Don’t waste your energy trying to deny the truth.”

Ethan chuckled. “This is going to be amazing!”

***********

Raoul was a silent boy. Unlike so many tales he heard from his mother how much loud Cain had been in his infancy, his son was opposite.

He simply could not believe how silent his kid turned out to be. Not to mention, Raoul looked nothing like him. Except perhaps his forehead and eyebrows, they shared nothing.

Liv had said that they would share their likes and dislikes together. Cain hoped that they would.

Currently, Lyra and Rhaze were playing with his three-year-old boy in the next room.

Liv sighed next to him as she drank her orange juice next to him.

Cain pulled her suddenly and made sure she was sitting on his lap. As she melted in his arms, he buried his nose in her neck and breathed in her heavenly scent.

“Cain,” she moaned, as she set her empty glass on the seat next to them.

“Yes, love?” he murmured as he placed feathery kiss down her neck.

“Cain,” she breathed again.

The bond between them grew stronger. The bond that had been weeping because they were close yet apart.

Laughter erupted from the room as he heard a high pitched squeal along with his son’s laughter.

The couple broke apart.

“Was... was that Raoul?” Liv asked.

Cain nodded. “It seems so.”

Silence fell over them as they simply basked in each other’s presence. It was a curse sometimes. To love someone and yet be apart from them. No one in the pack could say anything against him, the Beta’s son, but if whoever killed Warren came to know who Liv and Raoul were to him, they might as well be dead. For that star already knew his existence.

Liv sighed as she broke the stillness. “I... I can’t believe that Luna had planned him to be the one who would break this curse.”

He was thankful for the Moon. Had Liv not been this understanding... he did not know what he would have done. Would he have given his mark as a Hunter? Probably. Given up Lyra, he could not answer that.

“He is not the chosen one, Liv,” he muttered.

Liv turned. “What?”

Cain moved her hair from her face. “Luna... she told me.”

Liv frowned. “Told you what?”

Cain took a deep breath. “Yes. Amaris did plan Raoul to the one to break the curse, but Luna intervened.”

Liv licked her lips. “So what happens? Lyra breaks it?”

Cain shook her head. “No.”

“Cain,” she said testily.

“Luna thinks she cannot burden us with more danger by making Raoul the one to break the curse. And Lyra is a Pulsar. She won’t be the one to break this curse, though many might think that she would.”

Liv blinked. “That’s considerate of Luna.”

Cain chuckled and wound his hands over her waist a little tighter. “But Lyra will be related to someone. When Lyra matures and she shifts, that person whom she is related to would also shift. That person would be the one to break this curse.”

As laughter erupted again from that room, Liv gave him a look of curiosity. “Cain! Answer me properly.”

Cain licked his lips. “Lyra’s life is not a comfortable path to walk on, Liv. Luna knows that. Even I know that. It is foolish of me to stall the inevitable. In her life, she would meet so many people and she would have to learn the hard way to know who to trust and whom not to. One such person who Lyra would meet is a dormant shifter. Luna said Amaris sanctioned the release of three hidden shifters. Lyra will meet one of them. And when Lyra would mature, it would trigger shifter’s genes and whoever that shifter is, they would be the one to break the curse.”

“Not a comfortable path to walk on?” Liv whispered. “Cain! She is barely eighteen! Still a child, if you ask me. You are saying she would have to walk a path dangerous than-”

“Not dangerous,” Cain said, caressing her shoulder with his lips. “Difficult.”

Liv sniffed. Cain blinked and checked her face to see for tears. His mate was a strong female, who rarely shed tears. What was making her cry?

To his surprise, he did not see any tears strolling down her face, but her eyes held the unshed liquid.

“Why?” she said her voice barely above a whisper. “Why should she?”

“I don’t know,” Cain choked. “I am stalling the pain and hurt as much as I can. But I know she has to face it. I understand if you say sooner the better, but I can’t do that to a girl I watched her grow. You know what’s worse?”

Liv buried her face in the crook of his shoulder. “What is?”

“I-I have to be one of the many to hurt her,” he said, his throat painfully tight. “I have to be one of many who would hurt her. She trusts me with her life, Liv. If anything goes wrong, she will come to me to solve it and you know what? I would do anything for her. I would ignore my brain trying to tell me that it would be Lyra’s fight and I can’t intervene. I would do it all for her. Only... only if I hurt her, she would not ask for my help. Only then, she would leave this pack and go on to become who she is meant to be.”

Liv sniffed again. “Should you?”

“I should,” he affirmed. “I should. But I should also protect her until the moment that would make her take that difficult path. Or until... until she meets Aries.”

Liv moved a bit back. “Aries? As in the Warrior?”

Cain nodded. “Yes. Luna said that Lyra is to represent Aries. Lyra apparently has the flame to match Aries.”

Liv was silent for a few minutes. The digital clock blinked in red, showing the time to be three fifteen in the afternoon. But the grey winter clouds gave an illusion of the time being somewhere in the late evening. The steam that rose from the pot contrasted against the gloomy day.

It was the second time the steam rose. When it rose for the third, Lyra would come out to switch off the stove. Unlike many people, Lyra did not believe in automatic switch off when it came to cooking. She did everything manually.

The scent of tapioca filled the air as the pot’s lid quietened down again.

Liv’s laughter broke the silence. “What did Luna mean by matching a pulsar with a star?”

Cain shrugged. “I don’t know.” He shifted her on his lap. “Said something about how each pulsar is to match a star.”

“Match?” Liv giggled. “How is she planning to match?”

Cain blinked. “She said she is not the one to match. Something about their souls is assigned to each other. I hope it does not involve any mate bond. If it does, Luna and I would have a very long conversation about it.”

Liv continued to laugh. “Why don’t you ask her and confirm? I have a huge feeling that it would involve mate bonds.”

“Never!” he snarled lowly. “I... I don’t even know this Aries! I can’t have him bond with Lyra!”

Liv sniggered at his obvious misery. “Did you now say that you have to protect her until she meets Aries?”

“Shit!” he swore. “I won’t let her meet Aries!”

Liv then flicked his nose. “How long do you plan on keeping her a celibate?”

“Forever?” he asked.

“You are impossible!” she exasperated. “I never want a daughter, if you are going to be like this!”

She... she was willing to have another child? She wanted another child? His primal instincts roared to life as his cock became hard.

“Cain,” Liv moaned as she rubbed herself on him.

“Shit, Liv!” he gritted his teeth. “You keep doing that, and we will have to explain to Rhaze why it smells like sex here.”

“Who got turned on in the first place?” Liv fired.

“Aren’t you always-”

“Cain!” she hissed. You are my mate. Am I not supposed to be turned on in your presence? I replace you sexy. I want you with me all the time. Even with our son, I want you next to me each night, making me scream your name in pleasure. I... I still replace my libido high in your presence. Even after we had a son. In fact, I replace it even higher when you spend time with Raoul. I can’t feel that? “Answer me.”

He was aware of how painful his hardness had become after her words she uttered via their link. Darn it! She would be the death of him.

How could she talk like that expect him not to-

The clock blinked a time of three-thirty. Hearing that, Liv jumped off his lap and he took a pillow to hide his arousal.

Lyra came out of the room and gave them both a weird look as she moved to the kitchen. Just as she entered, the third steam rose and Lyra turned it off.

She came out, looking at them as though she was checking a new animal in the zoo. “Liv?”

Liv was still arousal as hell, but she managed to pull herself together. “Yes?”

“Can you call me after ten minutes? The tapiocas have to cool.”

Liv nodded and Lyra went back to the room and shut the door behind her.

Cain took in a deep breath. Good thing Rhaze did not come out. She was a strong wolf who would have figured out before he could open his mouth.

“That was close,” Liv whispered.

Cain coughed. “It was.”

“Are... are you not going to allow her to see Aries, then?” she asked.

“Not as long as I live!” Cain grumbled.

Liv hit him hard. “Cain! She is not a creature of this world! Of course, she would be paired with someone out of this world.”

Cain could not take it. “She-she is still a kid!”

“Eighteen!” Liv protested. “Girls her age date, Cain. It is a wonder how she is not seeing any males.”

“But-” he began.

“Ask Luna,” Liv said. “Ask her about Aries and ask her if he is worth Lyra.”

“Oh! That I will.”

“And if he is not?” Liv asked.

Cain gritted his teeth. “I will replace another way to keep Lyra safe. Aries cannot be the only powerful being.”

With that, he opened the link he had with Luna.

Luna? He called.

Yes? Her reply came immediately.

What do you mean my Lyra being assigned to Aries?

Is that your sole concern now, Cain?

Please? He asked.

Lyra is a pulsar who is to represent Aries. That’s the bond they would have. The bond of being the mirror image yet completely apart. They would neutralise each other’s energy. That’s all. But... if they fall in love, I would not be the one to give them the Soul-Bond.

He frowned. Luna, what are you trying to tell?

I am trying to tell you that both are first-generation souls, Luna said. If they fall for each other, I can’t give them the bond for they are stronger than me. But if they do not love each other, no such Soul-Bond will be given. You worry too much, Cain. First, they have to meet. Communicate and get comfortable. Only after that, they can decide if they want to take it another step.

That made little sense to him. But Luna! How is Aries? Is he... is he any good for my sister?

I would give nothing but the best to my twelve Pulsar souls, Luna said. Trust me on this one. They would be a perfect match for each other.

A perfect match? He asked alarmed.

Luna just cut the link between them, not before letting him hear her chuckle.

*************

Even after two years, the conversation he had with Luna that afternoon haunted him. He still searched everywhere, and everything he could replace about this Aries.

Was this warrior really any good?

He did not know. And he could not tell. Rhaze was walking away crying and Lyra was glaring at him.

Cain knew that Rhaze’s heart had been broken by her false mate. But he did not know how or by whom. From the way Lyra was seeing him, he knew that Rhaze must have confession something to her.

Don’t female talk to each other about this kind of stuff?

“You’re not going to help me are you?” he asked.

“She had a bad day today,” Lyra replied cooly.

“Who?” he asked, walking towards Lyra. “Who was her mate?”

“Why?” she asked.

Cain snarled lowly. “Whoever he or she is had fucked with my sister. They left her from what I perceive. Left her in pieces. I am going to hunt the mate who rejected her.”

Lyra laughed and there was nothing sweet in that. “What a hypocrite you are!”

He sat next to her. “What do you mean by that?”

Lyra took in a deep breath. “You are willing to hunt your sister’s mate, just because he rejected her. What about Ethan’s true mate, our true Alpha female? What if she is your sister? Would you defend her or abandon her? She is a female too.”

Cain, Luna whispered. It is time.

Now? Cain asked.

He could barely breathe. He was reunited with his sister only now and Luna was asking him to play the bad guy because her path would change tonight? Could she not have given him a few more minutes?

Cain stiffened. Lyra always made sense. “You don’t know anything about Ethan to speak like this. And I have only two sisters. One who met her mate and the other who does not have a mate. Why should I bother?”

Hurt was painted on her face. As much as Lyra said she never wanted a mate, Cain knew how much she wanted someone to love deep down. He hoped she would replace her love.

“Here I thought you had your own mind,” she said.

“Ethan’s true mate-” he started and then Ethan linked him.

Cain! Ethan said via the link. I am back!

“Our alpha and his female are here. Ethan and Harper are here.”

***********

He stared at his hands as his father and Aurelia were kneeling on the Alpha’s floor.

This hands he used to drag Lyra to throw her in the Dungeon. In a place, she of all people did not deserve to go.

If he chopped this hands, would it be a better punishment? Or would squeezing his soul until he could not even scream in agony would be the perfect one for him?

How could he agree with Luna to throw her in the Dungeon of all places? And that too in the last level?

His only consolation was that Cathara had promised him that she would take care of Lyra. That Omicron came from a strong line, that Cain was sure that even she did not know.

If anything goes amiss, Cathara would protect his sister. That Huntress of Kamaria would protect Lyra.

He had shown her everything through his mind the second Luna said Cathara was a mind reader. Even she had shed a tear when he went down to see Lyra. But she had also told him that Lyra had met Aries and how it was that Warrior who saved his sister from dying. Her heat had hit her and she was in oblivious bliss. That was enough for Cain to trust his sister to Aries. For now.

That phoenix shifter did not bother to turn around and that star in the other cell did not give him time to explain himself.

Cathara was the only one who allowed him to show what had transpired. She understood and promised him that Lyra would be safe. That was the only consolation he had now.

At least, Lyra was not suffering now. She was sleeping through it.

But as soon as she regained her strength, she would be released. Though the Dungeon does not know how to release people it holds as prisoners, Luna had suggested a male who was one of the strongest in the universe. He would help the release of Lyra, the Huntress, Phoenix shifter and that star. For that male, Zyon was not a normal male.

Alpha Charles and Violet were thrown in a prison and Liv had gone to look for them.

He snapped his head to the two people he loved. His father and his friend.

I must do this, Carter said to him via the link. I must do this for Lyra.

Not give up your life, Father! Cain nearly screamed.

My sacrifice is important, he said.

No! Cain protested. I could command Ethan to drop you-

And reveal yourself? Carter asked, calmly. No, son. You have to go on. Lyra would need all the support she needs. I should have listened to your words and controlled myself. But alas, anger got the best of me.

Dad... he whispered a word he had never uttered since he was five.

Rhaze and Evelyn rattled the cages that held them. Although they did not have a clear vision of what was happening in the room, they knew.

Cai, he said. Take care of the family. And... break the bond between Eve and me.

Dad... he could only whisper that word.

And... Carter inhaled sharply. Tell Raoul that his granddad loved him so much.

His father knew?

I know, son, Carter said. I bet even Eve knows. We raised you. You think I won’t recognise my son’s son?

Dad...

Compared to his father, Aurelia was rather passive.

Lia? He called via the link.

Goodbye, Cain, she whispered.

Lia-

I shut down the project, Aurelia said. Say this to Liv. She knows what to do. Only Lyra can open this project again. Only her. Even I took Liv’s name out of authorisation. Harper is mad at me for that.

Hearing that tinkle of laughter in her voice made him lose his mind.

You dare to laugh now?

I must, she said, tears streaming down her face as Harper raised her clawed hands above Aurelia the same time Ethan raised his above Carter. My mate has been dying. Liv knows I made her promise not to say this to anyone. My mate does not know that I exist. I stumbled across him in a hospital, when he was in a coma. I can literally feel him dying, Cain. Let me go. I will wait for him in whatever afterlife we have together. But... until he is alive, please help him.

Lia-

Take care.

That was all she said before the Alpha pair merciless slit his father’s and Aurelia’s throat. Fury like none other rose his blood. His beast demanding blood for killing his father. He nearly shifted if not the reasoning Liv was echoing in his mind.

If only his father had listened to him. He had told his father that this was necessary, yet Carter lost his temper to Ethan. Right now, his pain was not as important as the pain his mother would go through.

He had a sliver of a second to break the bond Carter had with Evelyn. Still, his mother cried out in anguish. His mother loved his father out of the bond.

He knew that if he stood there a second longer, he would lose it. Clenching his fist, he walked out.

Nira was standing there. In her expressionless face, a slight crack was seen in her eyes. “No one deserves to watch someone so close to them die. Harper is cruel.”

He walked past her.

Luna? He called. I did exactly as you asked me to do.

She took a while to reply. Then we wait.

I don’t like, I hate seeing my father die before me.

Anger is good, Cain. Remember it.

If anything happens to Lyra-

Nothing will. She promised.

I will hunt you down.

He felt her smile in the bond. Very well.

Cutting the link he had with her, he walked into the darkness, that he was forced to be friends with for the next phase of his life.

A/N: What do think of Cathara?

Anyone noticed the mention of the name Zyon?

Next update would be on 31st August.

Until then,

~Quill