The Warrior’s Broken Mate novel Chapter 49

Lyra POV

I stared at Elias, who stood frozen in the middle of the kitchen, surrounded by shattered glass all over the floor.

“Who the hell told you that?” he finally asked, his voice low but tense.

“No one told me,” I replied steadily. “They didn’t have to. At first, I thought it was Luke’s baby. But there’s no

reason for him not to be in her life or the baby’s. You, though–you do have a reason. Me.”

“You figured it out on your own?” he asked, sounding more surprised than anything else.

“That, and the fact that everyone around me starts acting really awkward whenever I bring up the baby,” I said. “And it only gets worse when I say that it’s Luke’s.”

“s**t,” he muttered. “Look, there’s no actual proof it’s mine. She just said it was. I don’t even know for sure.

And back then–before I met you–there were a lot of girls coming and going through my house.”

“I know that. I’m not naive, Elias. I just want to understand–why did you lie to me? Why didn’t you trust me enough to just tell me the truth from the start?” I asked, my voice tight with frustration.

“Because I was scared,” he admitted, his shoulders dropping slightly. “I was terrified you’d leave me. And I thought maybe you’d believe that I’d put that baby before us… like he’d become heir to the pack or something.”

“That hadn’t even crossed my mind,” I said, shaking my head slowly. “All I’ve been focused on is the lie. I never expected you to be celibate. I know you’ve had other women before me–probably a lot. And I’ve come to terms with that. But what I can’t wrap my head around is why you kept lying, even after I asked directly.”

“I just… I didn’t know how to tell you. I didn’t want to hurt you. Like I said, I was scared of losing you. I’m sti Il scared of losing you,” he said, voice cracking just a little.

Right then, Luke walked through the front door, immediately halting when he saw the mess and the tension thick in the air. He clearly wasn’t sure if he should even be here.

“It’s okay, Luke,” I said quickly. “I was just heading out to train.” I pushed back from the table and made my way out the back door, heading straight into the woods.

I heard them start talking again behind me, but I quickened my pace until their voices faded. I didn’t want to hear Elias’s excuses. I didn’t want to listen to any more explanations that came too late.

Mates were supposed to mean everything to each other. But if I truly meant that much to him, he wouldn’t have kept such a huge lie from me. Hiding the fact that he might have a child with another woman–and letting me think it was Luke’s baby? That was beyond cruel. That was betrayal.

I knew I needed a clear head for what I was planning to do tonight, but clarity wasn’t going to come easily after what just happened.

I stood alone in the middle of the forest, my heart pounding, my breath uneven. I could feel my emotions bubbling right beneath the surface–ready to explode. But the worst part was, I couldn’t even tell which emotions were rising. Was it rage? Was it sorrow? Was it betrayal? I genuinely couldn’t tell.

And that kind of emotional confusion? That was dangerous–especially for what I was trying to practice.

So I forced myself to admit that now wasn’t the right time to work on my powers. Not like this.

“It’s okay to feel hurt by this,” Noir said softly in my mind. “Elias lied to you. He lied to both of us.”

“Then why do I feel so jealous?” I whispered, feeling the lump in my throat growing.

“Because he’s our mate,” she answered calmly. “He belongs to us, just as much as we belong to him. That connection–those instincts–they don’t go away just because we’re angry.”

“I feel like I don’t even have the right to be this pissed off just because he had a life before me,” I admitted.

“It’s not fair of me, is it?”

“You’re completely justified in feeling jealous,” Noir said firmly. “Especially when one of those women literally tried to kill you, and now another is carrying his child. That jealousy is valid–because they’re still close to him in ways that you can’t ignore. Don’t suppress what you’re feeling. You’ve spent your whole life doing that. But you’re not living under your father’s control anymore. You’re allowed to feel. You’re allowed

to be angry with him.”

“I used to get beaten whenever I got mad. I don’t even remember how to be angry anymore,” I admitted quietly.

“Yes, you do,” she said. “You’re starting to feel it again right now. You just don’t recognize it, because it’s been so long since you last let yourself feel it.”

“So what the f**k am I supposed to do with this?” I demanded. “Am I just supposed to accept it all and move forward with Elias? Or am I supposed to reject him completely? Just tell me what I’m supposed to do.”

“I can’t answer that for you,” she said gently.

At some point, I noticed I’d been wandering deeper into the forest without realizing it, and I didn’t want to spend the entire night doing this.

I spotted a tree that looked easy enough to climb. I jumped up to grab the lowest branch and pulled myself onto it, then made my way up a few more branches until I reached one that felt strong and stable. From there, I had a full view of the entire village. I leaned my head back against the trunk and sat silently, breathing.

From up here, the sky was wide open, and I stared up at the moon, wondering if the Moon Goddess might send me a sign–or anyone, really. My mother crossed my mind. But there was nothing. No voice, no warmth. Just silence.

I had never felt so alone in my life.

I heard someone moving through the woods and I already knew it was Elias, even before his scent drifted to me. I held my breath, blocking it out, and remained completely still in the tree.

He walked slowly, scanning the area, stopping near the base of my tree. He must have picked up my scent -he knew I was close. He was going to find me soon.

“Do you not get the hint when someone wants to be alone?” I called down flatly.

He looked up and spotted me sitting there in the branches.

“I didn’t expect to find you up there,” he said, surprised.

“Well, here I am,” I replied, not even looking down, just keeping my eyes on the sky.

“Can you please come down so we can talk?” he asked.

“I like it up here. It’s quiet,” I answered simply.

Instead of arguing, Elias started climbing the tree himself. He reached the same branch where I was sitting but found a place on the opposite side, leaving space between us. He didn’t sit against the trunk like I was.

“What do you want me to do about the baby?” he asked after a pause.

“I don’t know, Elias,” I said honestly. “All I know is that there’s a woman carrying your child, and she’s going through it alone. And somehow, that makes me feel sorry for her… even though I hate her. And I hate feeling like this–feeling both things at once.”

“Look, there’s a real chance that the baby isn’t even mine,” he said. “It could be Luke’s. He was sleeping with her around the same time I was. And she was also hooking up with a few other guys in the pack.”

“Oh, well that makes me feel so much better,” I said, my voice thick with sarcasm.

“I know it doesn’t make the situation okay,” he replied. “But she’s the only one who’s actually claimed the baby is mine. I’ll get another DNA test done just to be sure.”

“Wow. This just keeps getting more and more wonderful,” I said. “People look to you and your pack for safety and leadership. I doubt they realize this place is just as screwed up as anywhere else.”

“They don’t,” he said. “No one knows what really goes on here. And that’s exactly why.”

“There’s a war coming,” I said.

“With the witches?” he asked, looking at me closely.

“That’s what we’ve been told,” I said. “That witches will turn the humans against us because they blend in better than we do. But what if it’s not them? Werewolves can blend in just as easily.”

“You think the werewolves are the real threat?” he asked.

“I think my father is the threat,” I said. “And I think he’s using witches to carry out his orders. I don’t think they’re doing it by choice–just like I never had one. And I think I need to find a castle.”

“A castle?” he repeated, confused.

“The royal castle,” I said. “It’s been empty for decades. No one’s gone near it because my mother and her family never saw themselves as royalty. They lived like ordinary werewolves, mixed in with regular packs. But the royal castle is out there. That’s where everything started. With the original royal family.”

“We would’ve heard about a place like that if it really existed,” he said.

“Exactly,” I said. “No one wanted it known. But I know it exists. And I have to find it.”

“How are you going to do that?” he asked.

“I don’t know yet,” I said. “But we also need to start recruiting.”

“You’re saying we need to bring people into the pack?” he asked.

“No,” I said. “To the castle.”

“Recruit werewolves to help fight this war. And make the castle our base,” he said.

“Exactly,” I replied.

“That’s actually a solid plan,” he said. “But we still don’t know where this castle is.”

“I’ll figure it out,” I said. “I just… can’t do it right now.”

“Why not?” he asked gently.

“Because when I use my powers, I need to be calm, focused. And I can’t be that way right now,” I told him.

“Alright,” he said quietly. “Then I’m going to sit right here with you until you know that I’m not leaving. I’m with you–no matter what.”

“And what if I just want to be alone?” I asked.

“You’ve already spent too much of your life being alone,” he said softly. “It’s time to let someone be there for you–especially when you’re hurting. Even if that someone is the one who caused the hurt.”

I didn’t say anything. I just kept my eyes on the sky above me. He reached across the branch and gently took my hand in his. I didn’t look at him, but I didn’t pull away either. Deep down, I knew he was right. I’d spent my whole life trying to handle everything alone. With no one to lean on. But that part of my life was ending.

Having a mate meant I wouldn’t be alone again. And no matter how hard it was to admit it, I needed to start letting people in. Even when every part of me wanted to shut them out.