4. Night With The Alpha

Lyra POV

Lucian stood up and made his way over to me. “Now that you've spent some time in that enclosed room and changed into new clothes, I hope you're ready to take on your duties as I expect,” he said, curling a strand of my hair around his finger in a disturbingly playful way.

I felt rooted to the spot, even though my body screamed for me to step away. His warm breath brushed against my cheek, sending a chill down my spine. The closeness wasn't what unnerved me, it was the weight of his demand. What exactly did he want from me?

“I should've known that it was you who possessed the power,” he murmured in my ear, the smell of alcohol strong on his breath, creating a queasy feeling in my gut. I took a step back, feeling an unexpected wave of disgust instead of fear, despite him having saved my life.

He turned and went back to the table, downing the contents of his glass in one swift motion.

“What do you want from me?” The question slipped out before I could stop myself.

He chuckled darkly. “You’ll kill for me. You’re just what I need to get revenge on my enemies.”

A shiver ran through me as his words sank in. My mind flashed to the memory of my mother’s body and the cruel faces of my stepfather and stepbrother, their accusations echoing in my head. “No, I can’t. I won’t kill anyone,” I said, my voice breaking.

Lucian's expression darkened, his eyes cold. “You don’t have a choice, and I wasn’t asking for your opinion.” He clicked his tongue, almost mockingly. “I saved your life, which makes you mine. If you refuse, I won’t hesitate to end your life myself.”

Tears slipped down my cheeks as I shook my head. “No, please—”

In a swift motion, Lucian stepped closer and gripped my arms tightly, his face inches from mine. The pressure of his hold was painful, but I forced myself to meet his gaze, searching for any trace of mercy.

“Understand this,” he said in a low voice, his fingers digging into my skin. “You will do exactly as I say, or you will regret it.”

Kill for him? How was I supposed to do that when I hadn’t even hurt a fly in my entire life? Just the thought of following his command made me feel sick, as if it would turn me into exactly what they had always believed me to be. I didn’t want to become that.

“Please,” I whispered, my hands clasped tightly together, tears streaming down my face. “Don’t make me kill anyone. I don’t have the strength for this. They’ll kill me instead. Please.”

He chuckled, reaching out to cup my chin, tilting my face up toward him. “Oh, but I know exactly what you’re capable of. Tomorrow, you’ll start with the Moon Pack. I want you to wipe them out, one by one.”

The words hit me like a dagger to the gut. Moon Pack? My eyes widened in shock as I stared at him. He wanted me to attack my own people, the ones I had grown up with, my family, even if they hadn’t treated me as one of their own.

“No,” I choked out, my voice barely above a whisper. “Please, not them. They’re my pack.”

Lucian's gaze hardened. “They’re your pack? They were the ones who rejected you, and almost killed you. Do you think if they had the chance to kill you again, they'll think twice?” His grip on my chin tightened painfully. “They didn’t want you. I’m the one who saved you from them and now you'll repay me for my kindness.”

I could feel my heart breaking, but his words slithered into my mind, filling me with doubt and anger. Maybe he was right. They all hated me and called me all sort of names, I was never accepted by them. But the thought of killing them, of becoming the monster they believed I was, made my stomach churn.

“Tomorrow, you'll go hunting and I'll tell you exactly who to start with,” he repeated, releasing his hold on me and stepping back. “If you try to go against my order, or try to run. I'll hunt you myself and ensure you don't see the next day.” He slowly removed his hand from my chin and went back to the chair. “Bethany will show you to your room. You can now leave.“

I slowly turned and walked out of the room, my mind filled with the thought of what Lucian had asked me to do and his threat if I go against it.

********

The bed felt too uncomfortable as I tossed and turned, my mind racing with thoughts of escape. I longed for a life where I could be free, like any other wolf, focused on finding a mate and living a peaceful life instead of one full of pain and blood.

I closed my eyes, trying to drift into sleep, but the hope of escape lingered. Suddenly, just like the day my mother was killed, a faint, rhythmic sound filled my ears, each thud growing louder, until it became almost unbearable. My senses sharpened, and my eyes began to glow. I found myself rising from the bed, every instinct urging me to move toward the source of the sound.

Could Bethany have crossed the line, and was Lucian punishing her? The thought sent a chill down my spine, stirring up memories of being too late to save my mother. I couldn’t let that happen again. I had to save her, or whoever was at the mercy of that relentless beating.

I hurried out of my room, following the noise as it grew louder and clearer. It echoed down the stairs, leading me to the second floor, and soon I could tell it wasn’t just someone being hurt. It was more intense, like metal clashing against something solid, accompanied by a haunting melody.

I pushed open the door to the source of the noise, but as I stepped inside, a sharp, sword-like dagger flew toward me. I instinctively dodged, pressing myself against the nearest wall just as the blade pierced into it, inches from where I stood.

Fear tightened in my chest as I looked up at the man before me, a muscular, tattoo-covered figure, his body glistening with sweat. His gaze was fierce and unyielding, filled with an anger that made my blood run cold. But then I noticed something that caught me off guard. His eyes glowed with the same red iris as mine.