Chapter 9 The Escape
LIRA POV
I ran blindly through the packhouse, my chest tight with pain and humiliation. Behind me, I could hear Nessa's cries growing more urgent and desperate.
Finally, I found myself in the old cellar where I'd spent twenty years. The familiar stone walls offered no comfort now, but at least I was alone with my shame.
Selwyn whimpered in my mind, wounded by the rejection. The mate bond felt like poison in my veins, connecting me to Kael's pleasure with another woman.
"This is who he really is," I whispered to the darkness, my voice breaking. "This is what I am to him."
The morning sun felt like mockery against my face as I emerged from the room given to me by Kael. I hadn't slept. Every time I'd closed my eyes, I'd heard Nessa's cries, felt echoes of Kael's pleasure through the cursed mate bond.
My body ached with exhaustion and something deeper—a hollow feeling where my heart should be.
"Lira?" Aria appeared at the top of the stairs, carrying a breakfast tray with careful steps. "Alpha Kael asked me to bring you food."
"Did he?" My voice came out rougher than I intended, scraping against my throat. "How thoughtful of him."
Aria studied my face with the healer's trained eyes, her expression growing concerned. "You look terrible."
"I feel worse." I accepted the tray but didn't eat, my stomach churning with nausea. "Aria, what do you know about the Silvermoon Pack?"
"Not much. They were destroyed twenty years ago during the territory wars." Aria settled beside me on the stone steps, her movements gentle. "Why?"
"Because that was my pack. My real family." I set down the untouched food, my fingers tightening against the tray until my knuckles went white. "I need to know what happened to them. What became of the survivors."
"Lira, the past—" Aria began softly, her brow furrowing as though she could already sense the danger in my words.
"The past is the only thing that's truly mine," I cut in, my voice sharp as my chest rose fast with building emotion. "Everyone here tells me who I should be, what I should accept, where I belong. But no one asks what I want."
Aria leaned forward, concern etched across her face like worry lines. "What do you want?"
I exhaled shakily, as if admitting the truth would unmake me. "I want to go home. I want to see the lands my parents died for. I want to know if there are others like me still alive."
Aria's expression grew troubled, her hands knotting in her lap with nervous energy. "That's dangerous thinking."
"Everything about my existence is dangerous," I replied bitterly, my throat tight with unshed tears. "At least this would be my choice."
Heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs, and Kael appeared in the doorway. He looked remarkably well-rested for someone who'd been up most of the night. His dark hair was damp from a bath, and his scent—satisfied and sharp—rolled through the room like a cruel reminder.
The mate bond twisted in my chest like a knife.
"Good morning," Kael said casually, his gaze sweeping over me as though nothing had happened. "We need to discuss security arrangements."
Aria rose quickly, gathering the breakfast tray with hurried movements. "I'll leave you two alone," she murmured, ducking out with obvious relief.
When the healer was gone, Kael stepped closer as I forced myself not to flinch, though my skin crawled under the weight of his nearness.
"You ran off rather abruptly last night," he observed, his tone deceptively mild.
"I got the message," I said tightly, my nails biting into my palms.
"Did you?" Kael tilted his head, studying me. "And what message was that?"
"That I'm nothing more than a political convenience," I answered coldly, lifting my chin in defiance. "A bloodline to be managed."
Something flickered in his storm-gray eyes, though his tone stayed steady. "Is that what you think?"
"It's what you showed me," I said, my voice tight with anger that threatened to spill over. "Very clearly."
"I showed you reality," Kael snapped, his tone edged with command that made my wolf submit. "I'm an alpha who's been denied basic pleasures for eleven years. That has needs that must be met."
My chest tightened, sparks flickering faintly around my hands. "And I'm just supposed to accept that?" I demanded, my voice tight with anger.
"Accept it?" He let out a rough laugh, taking another step closer, his storm-gray eyes burning with intensity. "No, little Luna. You're supposed to understand it. Do you think I don't want to fuck you right here, right now? I do. But I know you're not ready for me. Because if I did take you…"
He leaned in, lowering his voice to a husky growl that sent unwanted heat through my body. "It wouldn't be for a few stolen rounds. I'd need the whole day. I wouldn't stop until you were dripping, pleading, and so well-spent you could barely whisper my name. I don't do quick tastes. I'm a man of stamina. Endless stamina. Just so you know." He winked, slow and deliberate, the gesture as mocking as it was seductive.
My breath hitched despite myself, heat coiling low in my belly. My thighs pressed together, betraying the unwanted ache the bond stirred. My face flushed hot. "You—" I muttered under my breath, struggling to keep control. "What an asshole."
Kael's lips curved in a dangerous smile, satisfaction flickering in his eyes like flames. "Maybe," he said roughly, straightening with alpha arrogance. "But I'm your asshole. Don't forget it."
"And I'm just supposed to accept that?" I demanded, the silver light sparking faintly around my hands.
"You're supposed to understand your place," Kael growled, his voice laced with command that made my teeth grit. "Which brings me to why I'm here. Word of last night's attack has spread. Other alphas are making offers."
My eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What kind of offers?"
"To take you in for your protection," Kael said, his jaw tight with tension. "Keep you safe while I deal with the threats hunting you."