The Crippled Wife They Tried to Erase - Chapter 14: Chapter 14

He sat a few rows ahead, propping his head on his hand as he gazed out the window. My heart skipped a beat.
Banished and Betrayed, But She Walked Again—And Rejected Him
I stumbled to my feet, my legs unsteady as I moved toward him. When he turned and saw me—or rather, Celeste's body—his eyes darkened with suspicion.
But I couldn't hold back. I threw my arms around him, burying my face in his shoulder. "Zephyr, it's me. It's Lyra," I whispered, my voice cracking.
He tensed, pulling back to study me, his gaze sharp. "Lyra?"
"Yes," I said, tears spilling down my cheeks. "She swapped our bodies. I don't know how, but it's really me. Please, Zephyr, you have to believe me."
He stared at me for what felt like forever, his hand hovering near my face. Then, finally, his expression softened.
"I feel it," he murmured. "The bond. It's you."
I nodded, clutching his hand like a lifeline. "She told me you were dead. She said Xavier wiped out the pack."
His jaw clenched. "Xavier attacked us, yeah, but we held our ground. We fought them off."
Relief washed over me—only to be replaced by cold dread. "She's not finished, Zephyr. She wants to destroy you, your pack… everything."
His arms tightened around me, pulling me close. "Not if we take her down first."
First order of business? Ditching the tracker. Zephyr helped me cut the damn thing out of the back of my neck. Hurt like hell, but it was worth it. No more surveillance, no more Celeste tracking my every move.
Zephyr held up the tiny device, turning it over with disgust before crushing it under his boot. "She won't be tailing you anymore."
"Good," I muttered. "I'm done playing her puppet."
Stepping into Zephyr's pack felt like coming home—even if I was wearing Celeste's face. As much as I wanted to let my guard down, I knew better.
Lilith, though? She wasn't convinced. When we first arrived, she ducked behind Zephyr, peering at me like I was some kind of monster. Couldn't blame her—I looked like the woman who'd ruined everything.
"Hey, Lilith," I said softly, crouching to meet her eyes. "It's me. Lyra."
She didn't answer, just stared at me like I might vanish any second. My chest ached.
But over the next few days, things shifted. I made sure to treat her just like before—reading her favorite stories, playing silly games, listening when she rambled about her day. Slowly, she started to trust me again.
Then one night, as I folded laundry, she tugged on my sleeve.
"Are you really Lyra?" she asked, her big eyes searching mine.
I smiled. "I really am."
Her tiny arms wrapped around my waist, and I had to swallow the lump in my throat as I hugged her back.
"I knew it," she whispered. "You're my mommy."
Hearing that again? It wrecked me. Whatever came next, I'd protect her and this pack with everything I had.
I threw myself into training, pushing my limits, clawing back control of my power. It wasn't easy—Celeste had stolen more than just my body—but I refused to quit. I sharpened what I still had. Zephyr trained me himself, his steady patience keeping me grounded even when I wanted to punch a wall in frustration.
Meanwhile, Celeste—in my body—was making her move.
She went crawling back to Xavier. Zephyr's spies confirmed it. The idiot was over the moon to have "me" back, completely clueless about the s
"She's playing him," Zephyr said one night after sparring. "Using your face, your power…"
My stomach churned. Celeste wouldn't stop until she had it all. And Xavier?
"He never cared about me," I said bitterly. "Just what I could do for him."
Zephyr met my eyes, his voice softening. "I care about you, Lyra. Not your power. Not your past. Just you."
The way he said it made my chest tighten, but I couldn't afford to break down. Not yet.
"We'll stop her," I said, steel in my voice. "We'll stop both of them."
For now, I focused on getting stronger, on guarding the people who'd taken me in despite everything. Celeste and Xavier wouldn't see me coming.
But Celeste? She was good. Too damn good.
According to Zephyr's intel, she was playing the perfect version of me—sweet, submissive, the ideal Luna Xavier had always wanted.
"She's marrying him," Zephyr dropped over breakfast like it wasn't a knife to the ribs.
I froze, toast halfway to my mouth. "She what?"
"Convinced him to make it official," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Your 'return' inspired him, apparently."
Rage burned through me. Of course. First my power, then my title, now my whole damn life.
"She's trying to use your healing ability publicly," Zephyr added. "But there's a hitch."
I raised a brow. "What kind of hitch?"
"It's not working right."
That got my attention.
"Tried to heal one of Xavier's warriors at some pack event," he explained. "Barely managed it. People are starting to notice."
Good, I thought. Serves her right for stealing what wasn't hers.
But it also meant time was running out. If Xavier's pack turned on her, she'd get desperate. Maybe even come for me again.
That's when it hit me.
"We're crashing that wedding," I said, slamming my toast down.
Zephyr's brows shot up. "You're serious."
"Dead serious."
I started pacing, my mind racing. "We expose her. Show everyone who she really is."