Chapter 3

Over the years, Vivienne and Darius indulged Lyria without restraint.

They praised her for every careless decision, excused every mistake she made, and convinced her that, as the future heiress of the Blackwood bloodline, the world would one day bend to her will.

She grew into a proud young she-wolf who believed her lineage alone entitled her to power.

She had little patience for discipline, no understanding of leadership, and even less desire to earn the respect of those beneath her. While the heirs of neighboring packs spent years studying ancient laws, mastering negotiations, and proving themselves through hunting trials and territorial patrols, Lyria dismissed such responsibilities as beneath her station.

Had she been any ordinary wolf seeking a place within my household, she would not even have qualified to serve as an apprentice among my stewards.

Naturally, I never said any of that aloud.

Instead, I smiled as though I shared their confidence.

"A mere steward's position?" I asked softly. "Why should my daughter settle for so little?"

The three of them looked at me expectantly.

"Lyria is my only heir. One day she will inherit everything I possess."

I paused long enough for those words to sink into their hearts.

"I have already made my decision. I will send her beyond the Eastern Sea to study among the ancient Moonstone Clans. Once she returns, every territory, every trading house, every silver mine, and every title belonging to the Blackwood Pack will pass into her hands."

The moment those words left my lips, delight spread across Vivienne's face.

Her eyes shone so brightly that she almost forgot to hide her excitement.

"Exactly!" she exclaimed with a delighted laugh.

"Our Lyria was born beneath a fortunate moon. She was destined to stand above everyone else."

She reached over to squeeze Lyria's hand proudly.

"One day she'll become the most respected Luna in the northern kingdoms."

Then, as she always did, contempt crept into her voice.

"She was blessed with a fate far greater than that short-lived little she-wolf I gave birth to."

Darius smiled with unmistakable satisfaction.

Lyria lifted her chin proudly, already imagining the future that had yet to arrive.

Watching the three of them bask in their triumph, I smiled as well.

They believed I was too blind to see the web they had spun around me.

What they never realized was that I had long since learned how to weave one of my own.

**

While preparations were made for Lyria's journey, I brought her to the Blackwood estate each day.

From sunrise until dusk, I patiently guided her through every corner of the territory.

I showed her how disputes between neighboring packs were settled before the Moon Goddess's altar, how caravans carrying moonstones and medicinal herbs were managed, how alliances were maintained through honor rather than intimidation, and how every decision made by an Alpha or Luna could determine the survival of thousands.

I hid nothing from her.

Every ledger.

Every treaty.

Every secret path crossing our lands.

Every sacred duty entrusted to my bloodline.

She listened with only half her attention.

Whenever the lessons became tedious, she would yawn openly or drift into idle conversation with Vivienne, who accompanied us whenever she could.

Neither of them understood that knowledge offered freely was not always knowledge truly gained.

The day Lyria departed finally arrived.

Before dawn had fully broken, Vivienne came to the manor carrying several heavy trunks.

She had sewn winter cloaks lined with silver wolf fur, embroidered protective runes onto Lyria's traveling blankets, packed dried herbs against illness, and even slipped polished moonstones blessed beneath the last full moon into her luggage.

She fussed over every detail with the anxious devotion of a mother sending her only child far from home.

"Remember to wear your cloak after sunset," she reminded Lyria for what must have been the tenth time.

"The eastern mountains are colder than our forests."

"And don't forget to meditate beneath the full moon every month. A she-wolf must never neglect her bond with the Moon Goddess."

Lyria laughed helplessly.

"I know, Vivienne."

Still, she allowed Vivienne to straighten her collar and brush imaginary dust from her sleeves.

Standing beside them, I quietly watched the tenderness they believed no one else noticed.

When the carriage carrying Lyria disappeared beyond the forest road, Vivienne remained where she stood for a long while.

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she stared after it until the sound of the wheels faded into silence.

Only then did she lower her head and wipe her face.

Anyone watching would have believed they had witnessed a mother's reluctant farewell to her beloved daughter.

In truth...

That was exactly what it had been.

**

After Lyria left for the eastern kingdoms, Vivienne no longer visited my manor as often as she once had.

Darius, however, found more reasons than ever to leave.

Some days he claimed the neighboring Alphas had invited him to discuss territorial matters.

Other times he insisted he was training with the pack's veteran warriors to keep his strength from declining with age.

Whenever those excuses became too repetitive, he simply sighed with convincing melancholy.

"I've never spent so many seasons apart from Lyria," he murmured one evening.

"I raised her with my own hands. Without her laughter filling this manor, everything feels unbearably empty."

"If I remain here doing nothing, I'll lose my mind."

As he spoke, the sweet fragrance of freesia lingered faintly upon his cloak.

It did not belong to the forests.

Nor to the herbs growing within our territory.

It belonged only to Vivienne.

I recognized it the very first time she stepped into my life twenty-three years ago.

I noticed it every time Darius returned home after one of his mysterious outings.

Yet I merely smiled and pretended not to understand.

"Lyria will complete her studies soon," I said gently.

"When she returns, our family will be together again."

Darius looked at me with an unreadable smile.

"Yes," he replied quietly.

"Our family of three will finally be reunited."

Only he and Vivienne knew which three he meant.

**

Three years slipped away beneath countless full moons.

When Lyria finally returned from the eastern kingdoms, Vivienne appeared at my manor before sunrise, just as she had done so many times in years past.

She stood beside Darius and me as we traveled to welcome Lyria home.

The instant Lyria stepped down from the carriage, Vivienne's composure shattered.

She rushed forward without caring who watched.

With tears streaming freely down her face, she threw her arms around Lyria and held her so tightly that it seemed she feared losing her all over again.

The two clung to one another for several long moments before finally parting.

Only then did Lyria turn toward me.

"Mother," she said confidently.

"I've returned."

There wasn't the slightest hesitation before she asked her next question.

"When will you hand the Blackwood Pack over to me?"

Her eagerness was impossible to miss.

I answered with the same calm smile I had worn for more than twenty years.

"There is no need to wait."

"I have already summoned every Alpha, Elder, merchant lord, and pack representative."

I looked directly into her bright, expectant eyes.

"Today, before the entire northern kingdom, I will place everything I own into your hands."

Joy flashed across the faces of Darius and Vivienne before either of them could hide it.

They believed the moment they had dreamed of had finally arrived.

**

The Great Moon Hall overflowed with guests.

Representatives from every major pack had gathered beneath its towering stone arches, while merchants, nobles, and respected Elders filled every seat surrounding the ceremonial platform.

The sacred Moonstone resting upon the central altar bathed the hall in a gentle silver glow, silently witnessing everything that unfolded beneath the Moon Goddess's gaze.

Standing before the assembled crowd, I announced that my daughter would succeed me as the future ruler of the Blackwood territories.

The High Elder personally brought forth the ancient inheritance scrolls.

Before the eyes of every witness, I pressed my blood-mark upon the sacred parchment.

One by one, the ancestral lands, the silver mines, the merchant caravans, the hunting forests, and every possession belonging to my bloodline were transferred into my daughter's name.

The Moonstone shimmered, acknowledging the ceremony.

Thunderous applause echoed throughout the hall.

Many Elders nodded approvingly, praising the depth of a mother's love.

More than one Luna wiped tears from her eyes as they watched what appeared to be the peaceful passing of a family's legacy from one generation to the next.

Every gaze resting upon Lyria was filled with admiration...

and envy.

None of them realized they were witnessing not the beginning of an inheritance—

but the final move of a game I had been patiently preparing for more than twenty years.