A Gift for the Three Alpha's

Chapter 9: Caught

Lyra waited until the sun began to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and red. The guards' shift change happened around this time, and she had noticed that for a brief window, the courtyard was less heavily patrolled.

She moved quietly through the corridors, her heart hammering against her ribs. Every shadow seemed to hide a threat. Every sound made her jump. She half expected someone to jump out and stop her, to demand to know where she was going.

But no one did.

The palace doors were heavy, but they opened easily enough. She slipped through into the cool evening air and moved quickly toward the base of the walls where she had seen the wolfsbane growing.

The plant was exactly where she remembered it. She knelt down and began cutting the roots carefully with a small knife she had stolen from the kitchen. The leaves were dark and beautiful, and the flowers glowed pale white in the fading light.

She worked quickly, stuffing the plant into the fold of her dress, pressing it close to her body where it would be hidden. Just as she stood, ready to head back inside, she heard heavy footsteps moving toward her with purpose.

She turned and ran for the doors, her hands shaking as she pulled them open. The moment she stepped back inside, the doors slammed shut behind her with a sound like thunder.

"Stop where you are."

Kael's voice cut through the darkness of the corridor like a knife. She froze, her entire body going rigid.

He stepped out of the shadows, his copper hair gleaming in the torchlight. His green eyes were fixed on her with an intensity that made her skin prickle. Behind him, several guards stood at attention, waiting for orders.

"What were you doing outside?" he demanded, moving toward her with slow, predatory steps.

"I needed air," Lyra said quickly. "I was feeling trapped in my room and –"

"That is not why you were brought to us," Kael interrupted, his voice cold in a way that was different from Darius's coldness but no less terrifying. His words hit like arrows, each one designed to wound. "You exist to serve us. Not to take walks. Not to get air. To serve."

He stopped directly in front of her, and she could smell his scent; smoke and wild herbs and something darker underneath. His eyes raked over her body, and she saw the moment his nostrils flared.

He could smell the plant on her.

"What are you hiding?" he asked softly.

"Nothing," she lied, but her voice wavered.

"Tell me what you are," he commanded, and she could not disobey the Alpha authority in his voice.

"I am an Omega," she whispered. "I am here to serve."

He studied her for a long moment, then nodded slightly. "You may go."

Relief flooded through her, but it was short-lived. Kael's eyes narrowed, and he leaned closer, inhaling deeply.

"You have been with a plant," he said, not as a question but as a statement of fact.

"No," Lyra said immediately. "I have not."

Before she could move, Kael's body was against hers, pinning her to the cold stone wall. His hands roamed over her body, searching methodically. He ran his fingers along her ribs, across her hips, down her thighs. She could feel every touch like fire against her skin.

And despite everything – despite her hatred, despite her mission, despite knowing exactly who he was – her body began to respond.

His fingers brushed against her breast, and she could not stop the small gasp that escaped her lips. He was so close, his massive frame blocking out everything else. She could feel the heat of him, the hardness of his arousal pressing against her hip.

A moan slipped out before she could stop it.

Kael pulled back just enough to look at her, and a cruel smile spread across his face.

"You are aroused," he said, his voice dripping with amusement. "Your scent is so sweet right now. So desperate."

Shame flooded through her, but it could not compete with the need building in her core. He was too close, too warm, too everything.

His hand dipped below her waistline, pushing past her undergarments. His fingers found her slick heat, and she could not help the way her hips bucked toward him.

"So responsive," he murmured, his fingers beginning to move. "Such a good little Omega."

He was rough with her, his fingers moving inside her with no gentleness, but it only made the pleasure sharper, more intense. She was shaking, her entire body trembling as he worked her toward something she was desperate for.

Around them, the guards watched with obvious interest, their own arousal scenting the air.

"What is the root for?" Kael demanded, his fingers still moving inside her. "Tell me the truth."

Lyra's mind was foggy with pleasure, barely able to form coherent thoughts. "It is for fertility," she gasped out. "A herb to help with fertility."

Kael's laugh was harsh against her ear. "Liar."

He pulled his hand out of her, leaving her gasping and shaking on the wall. She wanted to cry out in frustration at the loss of contact, at being left unfulfilled.

"Guard," Kael called out, his eyes never leaving hers. "Fetch Asher. Tell him I need his expertise on plants."

"What?" Lyra breathed.

"Asher knows plants," Kael said, his smile turning predatory. "He is good with them. If he says you are lying to me – and I already know you are – then I am going to f**k you right here in this hallway. In front of all these guards. And I am not going to stop until you break."

He stepped back from her, leaving her pressed against the wall, her dress disheveled and her body still aching with unfulfilled need.

"Do not move," he ordered.

Lyra stood there, trembling, as one of the guards hurried away to find Asher. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she was terrified of what was coming next.

But worse than the fear was the shameful part of her that wanted him to follow through on his threat.