WILDFIRE OF THE ALPHA

WOUNDED PRIDE

LYRA'S POV

“Bring in the healer. Right now!”

I heard the panic in Elder Lorne’s voice before the guard even reached me. It cut through the morning air, sharp and urgent, and something in my chest tightened.

Something terrible was happening.

“What’s going on? Is anyone hurt?” I asked the guard holding me, my voice tense.

“Keep quiet and keep moving,” he snapped.

Bastard. I muttered under my breath, my boots crunching against the forest floor as we hurried through the camp. The sunlight spilled over rows of tents and stone paths, carrying the scent of flowers that had been meticulously planted.

Everything here was clean, ordered, and beautiful,so unlike the dark, damp corner where I had been thrown like a caged animal. The contrast made my stomach churn.

“Is she here?” a voice called.

I froze. Elder Lorne. Respectable, calm, authoritative Elder Lorne. His voice carried worry, urgency, and a hint of… desperation.

The guard said nothing, only gestured for me to follow.

“Come with me,” Elder Lorne said when we reached a small building nestled near the center of the camp. “This is a matter of serious urgency. You must handle it with care.”

I scowled. Handle it with care? I had handled blood, death, and pain countless times. Nothing in my life had been gentle. And yet there was a sharp edge in his tone that made me tense.

He opened the door. I stepped inside.

And there he was.

Alpha Keenan.

He lay on a bed, a blanket draped over him, shivering faintly. The ruthless Alpha, the destroyer of my pack, was weak, human, exposed.

My chest tightened,not with fear or pity,but with a dark, satisfying relief. Finally, he was vulnerable. Finally, he was not untouchable.

I stared, arms crossed, resisting the urge to smirk.

“Take me back to my cage,” I said firmly, my voice sharp. “Or you people kill me. But one thing is certain,I will not touch him.”

Elder Lorne stepped forward, his expression solemn. “Lyra… we wouldn’t ask you if we didn’t desperately need your help. He's been adamant to get that wound treated for days now, and this is the result.”

I glanced at him, then at Keenan. He shivered beneath the blanket, chest rising unevenly, his face pale and strained. My pulse quickened, not from fear , but because I realized the situation was serious. If I didn't treat him, he'd die.

Was this how I was going to get justice?, because his life was in my hands right now. I could just stand there and watch him suffer to death.

But would I gain satisfaction from that? I wanted him to suffer but this death looked easy.

“You’re asking me to… save him?” I spat the words out like venom. “After everything he’s done?”

Elder Lorne’s gaze was steady. “Yes. He is our Alpha. And without him, the High Shadow Claw Pack will fall. Only you have the skill to prevent this from turning fatal.

Only you can do it, Lyra. Please.”

I clenched my jaw. The man had destroyed my pack, murdered my people, and now I was expected to save his life. My hands itched to walk away, to leave him shivering and alone.

“I will not….” I began, but then I caught the subtle trembling in his hands, the way his body shook beneath the blanket, the grim line of pain on his face. He was human. Mortally human. I could save him and then find a means to get justice, something that would shake him to the core.

I felt relieved with my decision.

“You have no choice,” Elder Lorne said softly. “Do this, or others will die as well. You can save lives, Lyra,not for him, but for the pack. Do this for them.”

I stared back at him,anger roared inside me. Even though I was satisfied with my plan, the mere thoughts of touching him revolted me. I wanted to leave. I wanted to see him suffer.

With a sharp exhale, I finally said, “Fine. I’ll do it. But one thing is certain,I will not touch him lightly. I will not pity him. I will do only what is necessary to keep him alive.”

Elder Lorne’s expression softened slightly. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “We owe you this much.”

I stepped closer, keeping my eyes firmly averted. My hands ached to remain to myself, to avoid any unnecessary contact. I would stay detached, professional. I would not care about the Alpha of the High Shadow Claw.

“Please,” I said, my voice firm. “Tell me what medications he's taken so far”.

The elder said quickly: “nothing, absolutely nothing.”

I knelt beside the bed, careful not to look at him directly. The smell of blood and disinfectant made my stomach churn. I could have turned away. I almost wanted to. But I could not. Saving lives was my duty, not a favor for him.

“Bring me clean water, bandages, and antiseptic,” I said, voice tight.

Everything was provided swiftly. I worked methodically, keeping my movements precise, clinical, avoiding unnecessary touch. I would not let him see me hesitate. I would not let him think I cared.

He groaned as I cleaned the wound.

“f**k you”,I cursed under my breath.

“You heal well,” a low voice said suddenly.

I froze. Not out of fear, but because he had spoken. He looked weak, but still commanding.

“I’m not here to please you,” I said flatly. “I’m here because you need saving. Not because I care.”

“I don't expect you to care, just do your damn job,” he muttered, almost under his breath.

I clenched my jaw and focused on the wound. My hands moved deliberately, keeping contact to a minimum, avoiding any hint of gentleness. I would not give him satisfaction.

Hours passed. I cleaned, dressed, and treated the wound, each movement calculated. Every flinch he made reminded me that he was human, that he could be hurt, that he could die,and I felt a dark, unrelenting satisfaction.

I stepped back finally, wiping my hands on a cloth. The room smelled sharply of antiseptic and iron. I glanced at him, cold and unflinching.

“It’s done,” I said. “He’s very fragile and we have to watch him closely. If he survives the night, then I can complete the treatment by morning.”

Elder Lorne exhaled, relief etched on his face. “Thank you, Lyra. You have done what no one else could.”

I turned toward the door. “Take me back to my cage,” I said. My voice was flat, unwavering. “I will not touch him again. I am done here.”

“No wait, you said he needs to be watched, that's your duty and no one else”, Elder Lorne said.

I hated him. How could I spend the night in the same room with him?

I sat down on the chair close to the bed where he laid asleep.

Son of the devil.

And I would not forgive him.

But deep down, a small, infuriating part of me knew that saving him had changed something. Not in him,he was still the ruthless Alpha, still the destroyer of my pack, but it had changed something in me.

And that hate, which was dark and simmering, was far from over.