Chapter 4 The Forced Bride
1523 Words
Silence filled the shattered bathroom.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
The only sound came from the storm raging outside and the slow dripping of blood across the broken tile floor.
At the center of the destruction stood Alpha Kael Draven in his enormous wolf form.
Black fur.
Silver eyes.
Blood dripping from his jaws.
Terrifying.
And completely still.
His gaze remained locked on Lyra Nightbane’s glowing crescent moon mark.
The air changed instantly.
Something ancient moved behind Kael’s eyes now.
Recognition.
Shock.
Possession.
Lyra’s pulse pounded violently beneath her skin.
The wolf stared at her like she was no longer just a girl.
But something far more dangerous.
Vivian slowly stepped backward.
Fear drenched her face.
“No…” she whispered under her breath.
Kael’s wolf growled low in his throat.
The sound vibrated through the entire room.
Protective.
Warning.
Deadly.
Lyra could barely breathe.
Then suddenly—
Kael shifted.
Bones cracked violently.
The massive wolf disappeared as his human form emerged from the darkness.
Tall.
Bare chest streaked with blood.
Rainwater dripping from his dark hair.
His silver eyes never left Lyra.
Not once.
The mate bond slammed through her again the moment he stepped closer.
Heat rushed beneath her skin.
Kael noticed immediately.
So did Vivian.
Panic flashed across her face again.
“Alpha,” Vivian said quickly, forcing calm into her voice, “you misunderstand what you saw.”
Kael ignored her completely.
His attention stayed fixed on Lyra’s shoulder.
The glowing crescent moon mark pulsed softly beneath her torn dress.
Ancient symbols faintly shimmered around it before fading again.
Kael’s jaw tightened sharply.
“Where did you get that mark?”
Lyra swallowed hard.
“I… I don’t know.”
Kael stepped closer.
Too close.
His scent wrapped around her instantly.
Rain.
Smoke.
Danger.
“Don’t lie to me.”
“I’m not.”
Kael stared at her silently.
His wolf was losing control again.
Everything inside him screamed to touch her.
Claim her.
Protect her.
Especially now.
Because he recognized that mark.
Every Alpha did.
Legends were told about it in whispers.
The mark of the Moonborn Bloodline.
A bloodline believed extinct.
A bloodline feared by even the strongest Alphas.
Impossible.
Kael’s expression darkened.
“How long have you had it?”
Lyra shook her head weakly.
“It just appeared tonight.”
Vivian quickly interrupted.
“She’s confused. The girl is unstable after the rogue attack.”
Kael finally looked at Vivian.
Coldly.
“You knew.”
Vivian’s heartbeat visibly quickened.
“Knew what?”
Kael stepped toward her slowly.
The room instantly became smaller.
More dangerous.
“That mark.”
Vivian forced herself not to step backward.
“It means nothing.”
Kael’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
“Careful.”
One word.
That was all it took.
Fear spread across Vivian’s face instantly.
She knew exactly what Alpha Kael was capable of.
Everyone did.
Before Kael could question her further—
Damon suddenly appeared in the doorway.
His expression darkened immediately at the sight of the dead rogue.
“We secured the estate,” he said before noticing Lyra’s shoulder.
Then he froze.
His eyes widened slightly.
“Alpha…”
Kael didn’t look away from Lyra.
“Get everyone out.”
Damon hesitated briefly.
But he obeyed.
Within moments the servants and guards disappeared from the hallway, leaving only Kael, Lyra, Vivian, and Damon behind.
Kael turned back toward Lyra.
“What did the rogue mean?”
Lyra blinked.
“What?”
“He called you the Hybrid Queen’s daughter.”
Fear twisted inside her stomach again.
“I don’t know.”
Kael studied her carefully.
She looked genuinely confused.
And terrified.
Which meant someone had hidden the truth from her.
His gaze slowly shifted toward Vivian.
Rage flickered behind his silver eyes.
“You’re going to explain.”
Vivian straightened quickly.
“There’s nothing to explain.”
Kael moved so fast Vivian barely saw him.
One second he stood across the room—
The next his hand wrapped around her throat.
Violently.
Vivian gasped in horror as Kael slammed her against the wall.
The bathroom cracked from the impact.
Lyra flinched.
Damon remained silent.
Because this was merciful compared to what Kael usually did to liars.
“You will not lie to me again,” Kael said softly.
Which somehow sounded far more terrifying than shouting.
Vivian clawed weakly at his wrist.
“You… don’t understand…”
“Then help me understand.”
Fear flooded Vivian’s eyes.
Not fear for herself.
Fear of the truth.
Kael’s grip tightened slightly.
“Who is Lyra?”
Vivian’s breathing became uneven.
“She’s… nobody…”
Kael’s wolf snarled violently inside him.
LIAR.
Suddenly—
Lyra cried out softly.
Kael looked back instantly.
The mark on her shoulder glowed brighter now.
Silver energy spread briefly across her skin like moonlight beneath water.
Pain flashed across her face.
And Kael released Vivian immediately.
The moment he touched Lyra—
Everything changed.
The mate bond exploded violently through both of them.
Lyra gasped sharply.
A strange warmth spread through her body.
Kael’s eyes flashed silver.
Mine.
The pull between them became unbearable.
Lyra stared up at him breathlessly.
Why did touching him feel like drowning and breathing at the same time?
Kael gently brushed his fingers against the glowing mark.
The symbols surrounding it brightened instantly.
Then—
A vision slammed into his mind.
Fire.
War.
A woman with silver eyes standing beneath a blood moon.
Entire kingdoms burning.
And beside her—
A child.
Lyra.
Kael jerked backward instantly.
The vision vanished.
Damon noticed immediately.
“What did you see?”
Kael remained silent.
Because if the vision was true…
Lyra was far more dangerous than anyone realized.
Vivian slowly regained her breath against the wall.
Then suddenly—
Her expression changed.
Cold.
Calculating.
And Kael noticed.
She was thinking.
Planning.
Dangerous.
Vivian looked toward Lyra slowly.
Then finally spoke.
“If you truly want answers,” she whispered carefully, “then there is something you should know.”
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
“Speak.”
Vivian hesitated just long enough to make the tension worse.
Then—
“The marriage agreement was never meant for Lyra.”
Lyra froze.
“What?”
Vivian ignored her.
“The arrangement was for Selene.”
Kael’s expression remained unreadable.
Vivian slowly stepped forward.
“Our family promised Selene to you months ago.”
Damon frowned slightly.
“Then why send Lyra?”
Vivian looked directly at Kael.
“Because Selene is terrified of you.”
Silence.
Kael looked unimpressed.
Vivian continued quickly.
“She begged us not to send her to Shadow Fang territory.”
Lyra stared at Vivian in disbelief.
What was she doing?
Vivian grabbed Lyra’s arm suddenly.
“So we made a decision.”
Fear crept slowly into Lyra’s chest.
A horrible feeling.
Vivian’s nails dug into her skin.
“Lyra will take Selene’s place.”
The room went silent.
Lyra’s face drained completely.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“No—”
“You will marry Alpha Kael.”
Lyra stumbled backward.
“No!”
Panic exploded inside her chest.
Marriage?
To him?
To the most feared Alpha alive?
Vivian’s expression hardened instantly.
“You owe this family everything.”
“I owe you nothing!”
SLAP.
The strike echoed through the bathroom.
Lyra nearly fell from the force.
Kael’s eyes darkened dangerously.
Vivian pointed at Lyra furiously.
“You ungrateful little parasite!”
Tears burned Lyra’s eyes.
“You treated me like a servant my entire life!”
“And still gave you food and shelter!”
Kael stepped between them instantly.
Protective instinct taking over again.
“Touch her again,” he said coldly, “and you lose the hand.”
Vivian immediately stepped back.
Fear flickered across her face again.
But Lyra barely noticed.
Her world had shattered.
Marriage.
Leaving the estate.
Leaving everything she knew.
And worst of all…
A small broken part of her didn’t entirely hate the idea.
Because Kael protected her.
Even now.
And nobody ever had before.
That frightened her more than anything.
Kael looked down at her quietly.
“You do not have to agree tonight.”
Vivian interrupted sharply.
“She accepts.”
“No,” Lyra whispered.
Kael’s silver eyes met hers.
And suddenly the room disappeared around them.
“You fear me,” he said quietly.
Lyra’s voice trembled.
“I fear what happens if I don’t go with you.”
Something painful flickered briefly behind Kael’s eyes.
Then vanished.
Because he understood that feeling better than anyone.
Suddenly—
A loud crash echoed downstairs.
Followed by screaming.
Damon rushed toward the doorway instantly.
Another guard appeared moments later covered in blood.
“Alpha!”
Kael turned sharply.
“What now?”
The guard struggled to breathe.
“We found another rogue.”
Damon frowned.
“Alive?”
The guard nodded weakly.
“But before he died…”
Fear spread across his face.
“He said the Moonborn Heir must never reach the Blood Throne.”
Silence.
Kael’s eyes slowly shifted toward Lyra.
And for the first time since meeting her…
Even the great Alpha looked genuinely afraid.
- Writer
