"She's been struck down in a hunt-attack. Internal wounds. She requires emergency healing rites immediately. You must come at once—"
Kael interrupted her, his voice flat with annoyance.
"Is this another of Lyra's manipulations? She couldn't devise a better scheme, so she arranged to be run down?"
"What, the scene she caused this afternoon wasn't sufficient? Now she's staging something at night?"
The head healer seized the crystal. "Alpha Stormhowl, this is no deception! Your mate's injuries are severe—her life hangs by a thread! We require pack authority consent for the deep healing rites!"
Raven's laughter chimed in the background. "Kael, who contacts you?"
"Lyra. Claims she was attacked. Supposedly dying."
Raven giggled. "Then let her fade."
The healer's voice rose with urgency. "Alpha, you must take this seriously! She genuinely needs intervention!"
Kael scoffed. "Lyra, abandon this performance."
"You believe this will burden me with guilt? It won't succeed."
"If you truly were struck down, then your bloodline must have committed terrible wrongs in past lives. Fate finally collected its due. The Ashvale line deserves to end."
End.
My sire was dead. I had no littermates.