The Alpha Weredragon's Favorite
CHAPTER 53

Ryan

I watched Lyra as she rested, her chest rising and falling with each breath. My soldiers and Harbringer had left to their respective homes. Wista had gone to the pick more herbs from the forest to aid in Lyra's recovery. Before she left, she gave Lyra a foul-smelling drink to help her heal even faster. The concoction seemed to be helping as there was color in Lyra's cheeks and her side was no longer bleeding.

Alone with my beauty, I was free to trace the delicate contours of her face, committing every feature to memory. The gentle slope of her nose, the fullness of her lips, the way her long lashes brushed against her cheeks as she slept. Each detail was a masterpiece in its own right.

As I studied her, my mind drifted to the suffocating darkness that had consumed me when I thought she was dead. The mere idea of losing her had left me gasping for air, drowning in despair. It was a feeling I never wanted to experience again.

I had learned from my mistakes. I knew now that hiding the truth from Lyra would only drive us apart. It was time to bare my soul to her to tell her about the night I escaped...

But there was one secret I would keep hidden, at least for the time being:

My dragon. The beast that lurked beneath my skin, waiting to be unleashed.

That part of me was too dangerous, too unpredictable to reveal until I knew she was truly mine.

Once she became my mate, once our souls were bound together for eternity, then and only then would I share with her the truth of my dragon. For the moment, all I could focus on was the beautiful woman lying before me, and the future we could build together.

I reached out, gently brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. She stirred slightly, her lips curving into a soft smile. My heart swelled with love for her, a love that burned brighter than any flame my dragon could conjure. One day I would tell her what Jacques told me... when she was stronger and ready to face it.

There was a soft moan from her lips as her eyes fluttered open. "Ryan?" she murmured, her voice thick with sleep.

"Hey, sleepyhead. How are you feeling?"

She stretched, wincing slightly as she moved. "Better. Still sore, but better."

My eyes fixed on Lyra's face. Despite the ordeal she'd been through she looked peaceful. I reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair from her forehead.

She tried to sit up more, but I placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't. You need to rest." When she settled back against the pillows, I asked gently, "Can you tell me why you went into the woods?"

She frowned. "I was looking for answers about Jacques' death."

"I'm sorry, Lyra. I shouldn't have doubted you."

She squeezed my hand. "It's okay. I know I haven't been entirely honest with you."

I shook my head. "That doesn't matter now. What matters is that you're safe."

Lyra smiled and reached up, her fingers brushing my cheek. "Ryan, I..."

I gently silenced Lyra with a kiss, our lips meeting in a tender embrace. The moment our mouths touched, a spark ignited within me, setting my soul ablaze.

As the kiss deepened, a wave of emotions crashed over me, each one more intense than the last. Desire, fear, and hope all swirled together in a dizzying dance, threatening to overwhelm me. I clung to Lyra like a lifeline, my hands tangling in her hair.

Her scent, a heady mixture of honey, wildflowers, and something uniquely her, filled my nostrils. It was intoxicating, drawing me in and making me crave more. I wanted to drown in her essence, to lose myself in the taste and feel of her. Pulling back was damn hard, but I had to. "Lyra," I began, my voice heavy with what I was about to say. It was time to let go of my resentment. My hurt. Even though she told her stepmother the truth about me, and changed my life forever, I forgave her. 100%. "I need to tell you something."

She nodded, her expression a bit dazed after our kiss. I have her a moment to focus, then I continued by taking a deep breath to steel myself. "When I was held captive by your father, I was given a chance to escape. I took it." Hurt flickered across her beautiful face, and tears welled up in her eyes. "I always knew you had left me behind," she whispered.

"It was more than that, little one. I had to," I replied, hating myself for causing her pain. But this was a wound that needed to be cleaned, a poison that needed to be drawn out. "The night I escaped, your stepmother... she told me that you had confessed my real name... that you told her everything."

Her face paled and her voice shook with anger and disbelief. "Vivian hurt me that night too. I had already packed my bag to leave, and since you had the key... I thought we should go that night... not wait for the new moon to hide us." Her eyes filled with unshed tears. "Vivian questioned me about you, but I would never betray you like that, Ryan. I never told her a word... even after she hurt me so badly that I limped for a week."

A wave of guilt and shame washed over me as I realized the depth of my mistake. "You never said... you never told your stepmom..." I echoed, the truth dawning on me.

After a minute of stunned silence, we spoke at once.

"She was always sneaking around-

listening to us." Lyra finished, her mouth curling into a snarl.

The years of misunderstanding and pain between us vanished as if it had never been as the truth was finally out. We had both been wronged. Betrayed not by each other, but by a sneaky, slimy brat:

Viola.