Accidental Claim

Chapter 1

Lyra's POV

I woke up with the dawn, feeling a surge of energy and determination. I had a long day ahead of me, and I was ready to tackle it head-on. First things first, I needed to get cleaned up. I headed to the bathroom, the cool water refreshing my skin as I washed away the sleep. After my bath, I made my way to the training grounds. The familiar scent of sweat and earth greeted me as I arrived. I was no stranger here; in fact, I was a regular. The pack warriors knew me, and they knew not to go easy on me. I was the alpha's daughter, after all, and I had a reputation to uphold.

As I began to warm up, a few of the pack warriors approached me. "Hey, Lyra! Ready to get your butt kicked?" one of them joked.

I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. "Bring it on, Liam. I'm not going down without a fight."

Liam, a tall, muscular warrior with a mischievous grin, chuckled. "We'll see about that."

We sparred for a while, our movements swift and precise. I was determined to prove myself, to show them that I was more than just the alpha's daughter. After a few rounds, another warrior, a quiet, brooding man named Thane, approached us. "Lyra, can I have a word with you?"

I nodded, curious. "What's up, Thane?"

Thane hesitated, his eyes scanning the surrounding area before focusing on me. "I'm still sad about what happened at the mate ceremony. I was really hoping you'd find your mate."

My heart ached at the mention of the ceremony. I had been hoping to find my mate too, but it hadn't happened. "Yeah, me too," I admitted. "But it's not the end of the world. I'll find my mate when the time is right."

Liam nodded in agreement. "You will, Lyra. And when you do, we'll be here to support you."

I smiled, feeling a sense of gratitude towards my fellow warriors. "Thanks, guys. That means everything to me."

Thane spoke up again. "We were all rooting for you, Lyra. We wanted to see you happy."

I felt a lump form in my throat at their kind words. "I appreciate that, Thane. It means a lot to me."

We continued to spar and train, our movements fluid and synchronized. I felt alive, connected to my pack and my purpose. As the morning wore on, I knew I had to wrap it up. I had to get back to the pack house, clean up again, and change into fresh clothes. I couldn't show up to the rest of my day looking like I just rolled out of the training grounds.