Lyra sat there with her mouth still hanging open and her eyes wide as she tried to process everything Willow had just told her.
She blinked several times, shaking her head like she was trying to clear it, but the shocked expression didn't leave her face.
Willow watched her friend struggle to find words and felt her stomach sink because, maybe she shouldn't have said anything at all.
"You're the Alpha King's mate," Lyra finally said and her voice came out as barely more than a whisper. "You're the mate of the most powerful wolf in all the packs,"
Willow nodded, feeling fresh tears starting to build up in her eyes even though she thought she had cried them all out already.
"You're his mate and he still treats you like this ?"
Willow nodded once again, her lips quivering. Before she could say anything else, Lyra pulled her into a tight hug and held her while her shoulders shook with silent sobs.
Lyra's arms were warm and comforting and she smelled like the kitchen herbs she must have been working with earlier. It was such a simple human comfort that Willow had been missing for so long.
"I'm so sorry this is happening to you," She whispered into her hair while she rubbed soothing circles on her back.
"Nobody deserves to be treated this way, especially not by their mate who is supposed to love and protect them above all else."
They stayed like that for several minutes until Willow's breathing finally evened out and she pulled back from the hug to wipe her face with her sleeve.
Her eyes hurt from all the crying and her head was pounding, but having someone who actually cared about her feelings made everything feel a little bit less hopeless than it had before.
"I can't believe you're actually the Alpha King's mate," Lyra said again and this time there was something else in her voice that sounded like fear.
"Do you understand what this means? Being connected to him in any way is dangerous even if he doesn't want you as his Luna."
Willow wrapped her arms around herself and nodded because she understood perfectly well what it meant.
She was tied to the most powerful and ruthless man in existence and he saw her as nothing more than a vessel to carry his heir before he discarded her like trash. The thought made her stomach turn and she had to swallow hard to keep from being sick right there on the bed.
"You should be terrified," Lyra continued. Her brown eyes were serious as she looked at Willow.
"The Alpha King is not known for his mercy or kindness and if you're carrying his child then you become even more valuable, but also more vulnerable because there are people who would kill to have that kind of connection to him."
"I am terrified," Willow admitted, her voice small and broken. "Every time I close my eyes, I see his face when he said I belong to him now and I hear his voice threatening to take my baby away if I try to run. I don't know what to do. There's nowhere to go and no one who can help me."
Lyra reached out and squeezed her hand, but Willow could see the worry written all over her friend's face. "And what about Lady Carin? Everyone knows she's been trying to become Luna for years. If she finds out that you're his mate, then she'll probably try to kill you."
"She already hates me," Willow said, remembering how Carina had tried to slap her and how angry she had looked when Dorian stopped her.
"She doesn't know about the mate bond yet but she knows something is different because he protected me from her and that never happens with slaves."
"This is bad. This is really really bad," Lyra muttered, running her hands through her hair, causing more curls to escape from her bun. "You need to be so careful. If you make one wrong move, you could end up dead or worse."
Willow could feel herself starting to panic again as Lyra listed all the ways this situation could go wrong. Her breathing started to speed up as her chest felt tighter and tighter.
Her hands were shaking and she could feel her wolf stirring restlessly inside her even though her wolf was weak and could barely make herself known most of the time.
Lyra must have noticed that she was getting agitated because she quickly grabbed both of her hands and held them firmly.
"Hey. Hey, breathe, okay? Just breathe," she said in a calming voice. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you more than you already are, but I'm just worried about you."
Willow focused on taking deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart while Lyra continued to hold her hands and speak in soothing tones.
After a few minutes, she felt stable enough to nod and show that she was okay even though she really wasn't at all.
"Look, I want to stay and talk more, but I have to get back to the kitchen. They need help with breakfast prep for tomorrow," Lyra said, looking genuinely sorry to leave.
"Martha will have my head if she finds out I've been visiting instead of working, and you know how she gets when people don't follow the schedule."
Willow nodded because she understood even though she desperately wanted Lyra to stay. Having someone to talk to had made her feel less alone but now that she was leaving, the weight of her situation came crashing back down on her shoulders.
"Will you be okay?" Lyra asked, her eyebrows furrowing with worry as she stood up from the bed and straightened her dress.
"Yes, I'll be fine." Willow lied because what else could she say when they both knew she was anything but fine.
Lyra gave her one more quick hug before heading to the door. "Try to get some sleep. I'll come check on you tomorrow if I can." She promised before slipping out into the corridor and leaving Willow alone in her tiny room.
The silence that followed Lyra's departure was deafening, and Willow sat on her bed staring at the wall while her mind raced with thoughts she couldn't control.
She thought about everything Lyra had said about how dangerous it was to be connected to the Alpha King and how Carina would probably try to kill her if she found out about the mate bond.
She thought about Magnus and his strange apology that still didn't make sense. She thought about Dorian and how he would call for her again soon, and she would have to go to him because she had no choice.
The walls of the small room started to feel like they were closing in on her and she couldn't breathe properly as anxiety clawed at her chest.
She needed to get out even if it was just for a few minutes. If she stayed in this room any longer, she was going to lose her mind completely. She stood up on shaky legs and made her way to the door before pausing to listen for any sounds in the corridor.
It was late enough that most of the slaves were asleep or at least in their rooms so the hallway was empty when she stepped out.
She didn't really have a destination in mind, but her feet carried her away from the servants' quarters and into the main part of the palace where the air felt less suffocating.
She walked quietly through the shadows and tried to avoid any guards or servants who might still be awake and working.
She was so focused on staying hidden that she didn't notice the person coming around the corner until it was too late.
She collided with a body and stumbled backward with her heart jumping into her throat.
When she looked up to apologize, the words died on her lips because standing in front of her with a look of pure hatred on her beautiful face, was Lady Carina.