Chapter 10: Breaking Point
960 Words
Lyra's mind raced. She could not tell Kael the truth. If she did, if he knew what the plant was really for, he would realize she had royal blood. He would know she was a threat.
"I cannot," she said breathlessly, still pressed against the wall. "The physician has not examined me yet. You know the rules. Darius said –"
"I do not care what Darius said," Kael interrupted, his hand moving to the fastenings of his pants. "She belongs to all three of us. Not just to him."
He pinned her more firmly against the wall, his body completely blocking out the world. His arousal was obvious, pressing hard against her thigh. She could feel the heat of him, the raw need radiating off his body in waves.
Lyra opened her mouth to scream.
The sound tore out of her throat, raw and desperate, echoing through the stone corridors. She screamed for help, screamed for anyone to come save her, screamed until her voice went hoarse.
None of the guards moved.
They just watched, their expressions a mix of arousal and indifference. This was entertainment to them. This was what happened to Omegas who did not obey.
Then there were fast and furious footsteps.
Asher appeared around the corner with a guard at his heels, and his blue eyes went cold as ice when he saw Kael pressed against her.
"Get off her," Asher said, his voice deadly quiet.
"Come now, little brother," Kael said, not moving. "Do not be a bully. She was just about to show me how grateful she is for my attention."
"You are the bully," Asher replied. "And you are violating our agreement."
Kael laughed, but there was an edge to it now, a frustration that came from being interrupted. He stepped back from Lyra and grabbed her by her hair, dragging her to the ground in front of Asher. She hit the stone floor hard, the impact knocking the air from her lungs.
He dropped the root at her side.
"What is this?" Kael demanded, looking at his younger brother with challenge in his eyes.
Asher picked up the plant, turning it over in his hands. He stood beside Lyra, who was gasping for breath, barely able to think past the fear coursing through her veins.
Their eyes met.
For a long moment, Asher just stared at the root. Lyra could see the recognition flash across his face. He knew what the plant was. He knew what it was used for. He had to know.
His expression darkened.
"It is just an ordinary herbal weed," he said quietly. "Nothing of importance."
Lyra's entire body went still. He was lying. He was protecting her.
Kael's face twisted with displeasure. He had clearly expected a different answer, and had wanted Asher to confirm his suspicions so he would have an excuse to take her right there in the hallway.
"How disappointing," Kael said. He turned away, but before he left, he brought his fingers – the ones he had used to touch her so intimately –to his mouth and licked them slowly.
Lyra could not stop the shiver that ran through her body at the sight. Pleasure and shame mixed together in a way that made her feel sick.
Kael laughed when he saw her reaction. "Still pretending you do not want this?" he called out as he walked away with his personal guard. "Your body tells a different story, little liar."
Then he was gone, his footsteps fading down the corridor.
Asher stood there for a moment, staring after his brother. When he turned back to Lyra, his expression was unreadable.
"Come," he said, his voice tight.
He grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet, then practically dragged her back to her room. She had to stumble along beside him to keep up, her body still shaking from what had almost happened.
She could feel the anger radiating off him in waves. It poured from him like heat from a fire, making the air around them feel suffocating.
"What is wrong?" she asked quietly. "Asher, please –"
"Do not speak," he said coldly.
They reached her room, and he threw her inside so hard she stumbled and fell onto the bed. He slammed the door shut behind them and locked it.
"Why were you trying to take your own life?" he demanded, his voice rising. "Why would you do such a thing?"
Lyra stared at him in shock. "I was not –"
"Do not lie to me!" he shouted. "This plant in those quantities – drinking it boiled – it would cause severe blood loss. It would kill you. Is that what you wanted? Death?"
She tried to speak, to give an explanation but he kept talking, his words coming faster and faster, each one louder than the last.
"How could you do this?" he yelled. "How could you even think about ending your life? Do you understand what that would do to –" He stopped abruptly, his jaw clenching.
"To what?" Lyra asked, her own anger beginning to rise. "To you? Why would it matter to you what happens to me?"
"Because I –" Asher started, then cut himself off. He ran his hand through his hair, pacing back and forth like a caged animal. "You cannot do this. You cannot just decide to end things."
Something inside Lyra snapped. All the fear, all the humiliation, all the pain of the last days came pouring out of her like a broken dam.
"Why not?" she screamed at him. "Why is it so terrible for me to want to die? Is it not better than being a slave to men who treat me like trash?”
- Writer
