Chapter 196

Chapter 196
LYRA’S POV

I watched as the shadow approached and stopped just before the light could make sense of his features. “Luna, you should eat. It’s been three days now. The Alpha is worried that you’d hurt the pup and yourself this way.” He gently placed another tray of food on a table that had been brought in some days back.

“Who are you? Who is your Alpha? Where am I, and why have you people taken me?” I asked, noticing how sweat broke down my back with every word I spoke. I was very weak. At this rate, I would be endangering my child, but I was angry. Angry that I had been taken. Angry that I was defenseless. Angry because I should have simply stayed by Ryker’s side despite my discomfort. I was angry that someone had the effrontery to take advantage of me—of my weakness.
The man didn’t say anything. He studied me for a moment and placed a chair by the table and moved it closer to the light.

“What’s that?” I asked, noticing a glass jar of a bluish liquid.

“That would help you regain your strength from the meal. Enough for you and the pup to be okay for as long as you are in here.

“So there is something here suppressing my strength,” I rasped and forced myself to sit up straighter as sweat trickled down my back further. The man simply bowed and slipped into the shadows. I followed him with my eyes until I couldn’t see him again and listened with my ears.

Was I really in a room? I pondered.
The darkness around me spanned into nothingness. Then it occurred to me.

I was in a barrier. Only people with strong power could come through. Perhaps someone like my father, or Ryker. But I hadn’t marked him yet. Since I hadn’t marked him, there was no way he was crossing this barrier. A small smile curved my lips as his features came to my mind.

I bet he was worried about me and our baby and was going crazy uncontrollably right now.
I pressed my palm to my belly and closed my eyes and waited…

Yes, I could feel the faint pull of my powers protecting our pup. Fine, I didn’t know how long I was going to be here, but if I wanted to get out, I needed my strength. I dragged my tired body to the chair just a little away from the light. Noticing how the moment I stepped farther away from the light, a little bit of strength returned in my belly. A thought formed in my mind, and I looked towards the bed where the moon-like light shone.

Could it be a magic stone? A stone that suppresses my powers?

I decided to eat quickly. The moment the food melted in my mouth, hunger returned with full force; there was no time for etiquette. I was ravenous and ate with the energy of one starved for months. By the time I was done and drank the bluish liquid from the jar, I felt strength return. It turns out the liquid was water but laced with something, obviously.

After sitting for a while, I rubbed my tummy and then looked up at the light. It was blinding, I couldn’t figure out if it was a stone or not, so I decided to try out my theory and stood up. I walked into the light and stayed still, anchoring to the power inside me.

”Just for a minute, baby, let me lean into the power for a moment.” I murmured, and I felt a pull. It felt as though there was a force draining out my powers. I let out a loud gasp and staggered back towards the dark, and noticed how the pull stopped.

“Impossible,” I muttered. But then, every powerful had its kryptonite, and it appeared that mine was whatever that thing was emitting the light.

You must have prepared well. Whoever this person was knew me, and everything about my powers that I didn’t even know about myself.
I steadied myself and took in clear breaths in the darkness and sat. I moved the chair further from the light to regain my strength.
From previous timing when the man in the shadows brought my food, I created a clockwork. Making sure I was in bed just before the food came. I couldn’t afford for them to realize I had noticed that this room and its center were draining my powers enough to keep me weak and useless.

However, the nights were worse. There was an icy chill on the floor that made it impossible for me to sleep. Most times, I would settle on the chair and sleep off, but I would feel aches in parts of my body that made the whole process seem useless.

On one of the evenings when the man in the shadow brought my food, I used my weak voice to speak again.

“How long have I been here?” I asked, noticing how he paused. He was probably wondering if he should tell me.

“Please…I beg you. You’ve refused to let me leave here and confined me to this room. I need a change of clothes and perhaps a way to make the light over my bed dim. It affects my sleep.” I used the best weak voice I could muster. Having experienced the weakness myself.

“You’ve been here for a week. As for the others, I’d have to ask the Alpha—”

A week! Goddess! I needed to find a way out of here.
“Ask him now. I fear my pup might not last long. I need a doctor. Please,”

A moment passed between us, and I could see his eyes lose focus.

He was mind-linking.

That means I could. Just that every time I tried, all I got was a scrambled connection whenever I felt a little bit of strength and a static line when I was lying down in this bed.

“The Alpha says he will see you soon. Hang in there, Luna,” He responded, bowed, and left.
As soon as he left, I felt a small movement in my belly and rubbed my tummy.

“Okay, baby. Let’s see who our captor is,” I murmured and got out of bed to take dinner. Tonight, I would have to lie under the lights.