THE FATED ALPHA'S CAPTIVE

CHAPTER SEVEN

LYRA

“Thank you,” I whispered to the maid who had just brought me my clothes—the same ones Elera had practically ripped off of me earlier.

She nodded but lingered at the doorway, not moving to leave.

“Huh?” I raised an eyebrow, confused. “Are you supposed to stay here with me?”

“Yes. The Alpha instructed me to remain and never leave the room.”

Alpha? I thought, suppressing a laugh. That's quite a title for him. After waking up back in this room—thankfully without Elera's presence—I realized this maid was far easier to handle. But still, the unease never left me.

Then it hit me. My notebook.

Panic flared through me. I had taken it with me the day I snuck out. Frantically, I patted my pockets, searching for it. No...where is it?

“Uhm...” I hesitated, not knowing her name.

“Freya,” she supplied, her voice soft.

“Freya, did you happen to find a small notebook when you washed my clothes?”

“Yes, I did, but I didn’t think it was important.”

Not important? My pulse quickened. That notebook is everything to me. It holds my thoughts, my memories—the only reflection of myself that I can fully grasp.

“It’s really important,” I said, feeling my heart race with dread at the thought of losing it.

Freya smiled sympathetically. “I’ll help you look for it later.”

Later? My throat tightened. I needed it now.

“Can you please find it now? It’s urgent.”

Her smile faded, and she hesitated. “The Alpha told me not to leave your side, and I—”

“Please,” I interrupted, my voice breaking with desperation. “You’ll be back before he even notices.”

She paused for a moment, clearly torn, but after a tense silence, she finally nodded. Begrudgingly, she agreed—but not before making me swear that I wouldn’t leave the room in her absence.

“Thank you,” I said, letting out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.

As she slipped out the door, I glanced around the room, anxiety still buzzing in my veins. I needed that notebook like I needed air, and the thought of what could happen if I didn’t get it back in time sent a fresh wave of dread through me.

It's been almost three minutes she left and I suddenly felt the wave of the “Escape” feeling wash through me. It makes no sense that I was held captive here and if there's an chance to escape, it'd be now.

I hurried toward the door and quickly turned the knob, locking it with a soft click. I paused, straining my ears for any approaching footsteps, but the silence reassured me. Satisfied, I let my eyes scan the room, searching for any possible means of escape.

My gaze landed on the bed.

Without wasting time, I scurried over, grabbing the blanket and some discarded clothes. My hands worked quickly, twisting and curling the fabric into a makeshift rope. It wasn’t perfect, but it might just be long enough.

I rushed to the window and peered outside. The drop was daunting, but there was no one below. A small sliver of hope sparked inside me. I carefully let the knotted blanket dangle out of the window, securing the end around the bedpost.

As I was about to climb out, his voice echoed in my mind.

"Don’t dare think about fleeing. No matter how much you try,you can't hide from me Lyra. And right,the patrol unit had been informed to hunt down a ‘weird looking lady dresses in black”

A chill ran down my spine. Part of me believed him, that maybe there really were people waiting to capture me if I escaped. But the other part, the one that had been suppressed for too long, was too determined to stay. I couldn't let myself be locked in again, not like before.

“I have to do this,” I whispered to myself, gripping the makeshift rope tightly.

I can’t stay in this prison any longer.

As I tugged at the blanket, ready to slip out the window, the door suddenly burst open.

I thought I locked it.

"Stop! Please!" Freya's voice rang out, desperate and panicked. “Please don't do this!” She cried out

But I wouldn’t have it. I had come too far. My legs swung over the windowsill, and with one final breath, I slid down the makeshift rope. The ground rushed toward me faster than expected, and I hit it with a heavy thud.

Pain shot through my ankle, and I winced, but a strange sense of satisfaction swelled within me. The pleasure of almost being free beat the sharp sting in my bones. For a brief, fleeting moment, I thought I had done it. I had escaped.

But that relief was short-lived.

Just as I turned, ready to dash, my heart stopped cold.

There they were—those piercing green eyes, staring at me with an intensity that made my breath catch in my throat.

He had found me. He was in the company of four other men.

“I told you not to let her out of your sight.” His voice was ice but the statement wasn’t for me. His piercing gaze shifted behind me.

Freya.

I turned slowly, realizing she had followed me down the window. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with fear.

“I’m sorry, Alpha,” she whispered, her voice trembling as her knees seemed to buckle. “I only went to get her notebook. I didn’t know she’d try to escape. Please, forgive me.”

The fear on her face was something I’d never seen before—utter terror. It was unsettling, watching someone so terrified of another human being. Though I had little experience with people, I knew this level of panic wasn’t normal.

He said nothing. His silence hung in the air like a looming storm, and I realized it was far more terrifying than anything he could have said. His gaze darkened, his green eyes now swirling with something dangerous.

He extended his hand toward one of the men, and within seconds, a sword was placed in it.

My heart stopped.

Before I could even comprehend what was happening, there was a flash of steel—a swift, brutal motion—and then silence. Freya’s body collapsed to the ground, her head rolling away in the dirt.

I stood frozen, my entire world spinning. My breath hitched in my throat, my legs trembling as bile rose in my chest.

This couldn’t be real. It couldn’t be happening.

My mouth opened, but no sound came out. Sweat trickled down my spine, my hands shaking uncontrollably as I stared at the blood pooling at my feet. The image of Freya’s lifeless eyes seared itself into my brain, her final plea echoing in my head.

“You—” I finally managed to choke out, my voice barely a whisper, “You shouldn’t have killed her.”

I wasn’t sure why I said it. The words tumbled out before I could stop them, before my fear could clamp my mouth shut.

“You shouldn’t have killed her,” I repeated, the shock clinging to every word, my gaze locked on the him, his expression remained as cold and unmoved as ever.

He turned his head slightly, considering me for a moment. Then, with a wave of his hand, he gestured to the men beside him.

“Take her to her room,” he ordered, his voice as calm as if he hadn’t just committed murder in front of me. “And make sure she never comes out.”

Two of the men advanced, grabbing me by the arms as I struggled weakly in their grasp, my mind still too numb to fully process what had just happened. Freya was dead. And it was because of me.

“You could’ve killed me instead!” I screamed, my voice raw as I struggled harder, desperate to break free, to do something—anything.

His eyes flicked to mine, a faint smirk curling on his lips as he watched my futile attempts to escape. He tilted his head slightly, as if considering my words. Then, in a voice so calm it chilled my bones, he muttered, “That would’ve been so much easier.”

And my lips went fully shut.