At that moment, Orion seemed taken aback by my indifference. For a moment, his frustration gave way to a softer tone as he tried to explain. "Farrow's death was a big blow to Lilith. I was worried she might do something drastic if she was left alone, so I went to her. Is Lyra upset with me? I'll make it up to her when I get back. She's such a good girl; she’ll forgive me, right?"
If he had cared at all for our family, he would have known the horror that had befallen our daughter. But his world revolved around Lilith, and he hadn’t even noticed our daughter's death. "You don’t have a chance anymore," I said quietly, resuming my walk, my heart heavy with the finality of my words.
Orion reached out, his hand gripping my arm in desperation. "Why is there no chance? Okay, okay, I promise I’ll never do that again. You don’t have to be so mad about this, alright?"
For the first time, he seemed willing to lower his pride, to make amends. But his promises were too little, too late. If Lyra had survived the ambush, perhaps I could have found it within myself to forgive him. But now, the possibility of forgiveness has died with her.
"Let’s find a time to end this miserable mateship as soon as possible," I said, shaking off his hand with finality. My voice was firm, my resolve unshakable. I walked away without looking back, the weight of my decision settling over me like a shroud.
As I left, I could feel Orion watching me, a sense of something lost dawning on him. He frowned as he called his Beta.
"Beta Herbert," he said, his voice tinged with urgency, "prepare the most beautiful doll you can find and have it delivered to the pack house for my daughter. Ask her to help persuade her mother not to be angry with me."
His words were hollow, a desperate attempt to mend what was broken. But I was done waiting for him to realize everything. There was no doll, no apology, that could ever bridge the brokenness that had formed between us.
Just as I was about to leave the cemetery, my phone buzzed with a call from the gatekeeper, an Omega whose voice trembled with urgency. "Luna, someone is digging up your daughter's grave!"
Those words hit me like a lightning bolt, sending shockwaves through my heart. Panic gripped me, and without a second thought, I spun around and sprinted back toward Lyra's grave, my pulse pounding in my ears.