Chapter 89
RYKER’S POV
The distant hum of music floated through the open windows, mingling with the scent of roasted meats and herbs. The pack was alive with celebration. She-wolves bustled through corridors, servants darted between rooms, and the Alphas and council elders were tucked away in their chambers.
I lay on the couch in my study, with one arm draped over my eyes.
Ezren and Lief entered quietly, and I opened my eyes briefly to peek at them.
“You two have been moving shady lately,” I muttered and adjusted my back on the sofa.
Ezren smirked. “We’re working on something.” He replied, sitting down and grabbing a little ball on the table. My gaze swept from Ezren to Lief, and he nodded too. “Can’t say anything yet. No proof.”
“You know I hate cryptic crap.” I groaned, eyeing them again, then looked away into space.
Ezren shrugged. “Just trust us. We’ll handle it.”
Tired, I sat up, rubbing his temples. “The Alphas and council are a pain in the ass,” I muttered. “Once this celebration is over, I’m going back to my life and…”
I trailed off.
Back to what?
Lyra was distant. I could feel it in the bond between us. There was a strain.
“Have you spoken to her?” Ezren leaned forward.
“She’s been avoiding me.” I wince, shaking my head.
Ezren frowned. “That’s perfectly understandable.”
“I don’t know what to say.” I sighed.
Lief chuckled—a rare sound. “You sound like a teenage boy. I can’t believe the mighty Alpha King is scared of a little wolf.”
Ezren burst out laughing. “She’s not just any wolf—she’s his undoing, his mate.”
I groaned in frustration, grabbing a pillow and tossing it at Lief. “You two are insufferable.”
Suddenly, Ezren turned toward the door. “Oh, Lyra. You’re here.” And my head snapped up. Suddenly alert. Eyes wide, heart thudding.
But there was a silence.
Followed by laughter.
“You bastards,” I growled again. This time, I threw a pillow at Ezren.
But before it hit, a soft knock echoed from the door.
The laughter died instantly.
Ezren’s eyes went wide, and Lief straightened as the door opened.
At first glance at those slender fingers, I knew.
Lyra…
Lief and Ezren exchanged a glance as Lyra entered the study. Without a word, they bowed and slipped out, leaving behind a silence that pulsed with history.
For a moment, neither of us said a word. We just stood facing each other. I watched as she bit her lips and looked away from me. Her eyelashes fluttered as she tried to consider what she wanted to say.
“I wanted to see you. If that’s alright with you.” Her voice, however low, was quiet and sharp.
“You don’t need my permission to see me, Lyra.” My voice was low as I replied while my feet guided me to her slowly.
“I do,” she replied. “You’re the Alpha King. I cannot disrespect that.”
My eyes softened. “You never have.” And her gaze met mine.
She stepped closer, heart pounding. “I need you to reject me.”
The words hung heavy.
“What?” Ryker blinked. “Why?”
“You’ve marked Vera. She’s pregnant. She’s your Luna. I need to be free. Well, at least free from the mate bond.”
“I cannot lose you. I love you, princess.” My hands touched the sides of her arms and traced her flesh with my palm.
She sighed slightly and slumped her shoulders.
“You don't love me,” I said. “It’s just the mate bond between us.”
“Don’t tell me what I do know, Lyra.” My gaze swept over her, lingering on her lips.
Gosh, I’ve missed those lips.
“Still,” she whispered, “I—You need to sever the bond.” She looked up at me again, and this time, I moved closer to her, closing the space between us while I deliberately drew out a line with my words.
“You think I can just cut you out?” My fingers trail her face, then her lips, and I watch as she closes her eyes and allows the feeling of what I was doing to sink deeper into her.
“I’m asking you to.” Her voice trembled,
“You still feel it,” I murmured, bringing my lips closer to her.
“I shouldn’t,” she said, but her body betrayed her.
Our lips met — fierce, aching, and inevitable. The study blurred around us as we gave in to everything we had denied.
Our bodies touched, and in a flash, I ripped her dress open and sucked her nipples hard.
She cried out loud, but arched her back closer, angling her nipple such that it was stuck in my mouth, like it was meant to be.
My body burned for her, and without delay, I lifted her and placed her on the table in my study, pushing away every document on the desk and sprawling her legs wide for my view.
“This doesn’t change anything,” she said. In between touches and kisses, as I inserted my full length inside her and gave her sharp thrusts.
She grabbed my shoulder hard and screamed my name.
“Yes—“ I groaned, “That’s it, baby. Call my name,”
“Oh, Ryker—Oh, it’s so sweet—Ahh”
Her moans ignited the hunger inside me, and my thrusts intensified, and all we could hear in the room were her moans and occasional groans, and the slapping of flesh.
Then, there was a knock.
“Alpha,” Lief’s voice called through the door. “The party’s about to begin. You need to prepare.”
My body shook as I clenched her butt and lifted her off the table, and placed her legs around my neck.
“You are mine, Lyra—“ I groaned. “Mine,” Her nails dug deeper into the table while I continued to hit her spot.
I didn’t bother to reply to Lief, but I trusted he knew I wasn’t to be bothered.
However, the door creaked open while I was still pleasuring Lyra, when she was at her peak, with her eyes rolled back and her mouth spread open slightly as she tried to stiffen her moan, Vera walked in.
Her eyes locked on me, tangled, bare, and intimate with Lyra. But I didn’t stop.
I couldn’t.
Not when not just my body and wolf craved Lyra, but my heart.