THE FATED ALPHA'S CAPTIVE

CHAPTER THREE

LYRA

“Rose will be here” My foster mother chanted,the statement a familiar routine as she and her husband left the house. I let out a long sigh, reaching for my notebook—the only thing that felt constant in my life.

“Eighteen years.”

Today marks eighteen years since I was born, and I have never seen the world beyond these walls. My gaze drifted to the window, my only connection to the outside world. I pressed my palm against the glass, hoping—just maybe—to catch a glimpse of something, anything. But, as usual, the tall fence blocked my view. It seems like the builder deliberately made it this tall to keep me from knowing what lay beyond.

“Happy birthday, Lyra!” Arya’s tiny voice squealed behind me. I turned to see her holding out a small flower, her innocent smile warming my heart. I couldn’t help but return her smile as I took the flower from her delicate hands.

“Thank you,” I whispered, ruffling her soft black hair. “Where did you get this?”

“I got it at the store when Dad took me with him,” she said with a secretive smile. “He didn’t know I bought it too. Don’t tell anyone, okay?” She placed her pinky finger on her lips, her eyes wide with excitement.

“I won’t” I promised, bringing the flower to my nose and inhaling its fresh scent. “It smells so nice. Are there lots of these outside?” My curiosity slipped out, my brows knitting together.

“Yeah, these are tulips,” Arya said proudly. “There are others too. I’ll get you more next time, okay? I promise.” She held out her pinky finger, and I linked mine with hers, sealing our promise.

“Yesterday I..”Before she could finish her sentence, she sneezed. “Yesterday, I—” Another sneeze interrupted her, followed by a soft cough.

“Are you alright?” I crouched down beside her, worry creeping into my voice. Arya nodded, but the sneezing and coughing continued, growing worse by the second.

“What do I do?” Panic started to rise in me as I watched her small body struggle with each breath.

Just then, the door swung open, and as usual, Rose entered, her face immediately shifting to concern.

“Good morning—oh no, what’s wrong with Arya?” she asked as she hurried over, placing a hand on Arya’s forehead.

“I don’t know. We were just talking, and she started sneezing out of nowhere,” I explained, my voice shaky.

Rose checked her quickly, her brows furrowing. “She’s got a nasty cold. It’s getting worse fast.” She rummaged through the medicine cabinet but nothing seemed to help. Arya’s coughing worsened.

“Damn” Rose muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing with urgency. “Lyra, I need your full cooperation,” she said, her tone intense as she locked eyes with me. “Arya’s getting worse. I need to take her to the hospital immediately. Her mom will be back soon, so just stay put until then, okay?”

I nodded, giving her a tight-lipped smile. “I will.”

Rose paused for a long moment, her gaze lingering on me as if trying to convey something deeper. It was the kind of look that said ‘don’t even think about leaving’. With one last glance, she hurried out, carrying Arya in her arms.

I watched the door close behind Rose, the house falling into a suffocating silence.

And for the first time ever,I was alone in the house

With nothing to do, I pulled out one of the few books I owned. I flipped through the pages, but the words didn’t seem to stick.

I tossed the book onto the bed, lying back against the pillows with a frustrated sigh. The quietness of the house felt heavier without Arya’s giggles or Rose’s light chatter. And with my foster parents still gone, the usual restrictions seemed looser somehow.

Then, a thought crossed my mind, nagging at me like a persistent itch I couldn’t scratch.

What if I just stepped outside?

I shook my head, trying to push the thought away, but it kept coming back, stronger each time. I hadn’t seen the outside world in what felt like forever. The idea of fresh air, of stepping beyond the confines of these walls, suddenly became intoxicating.

“I’ll be back before they return”

I whispered to myself, sitting up. My heart raced as I stood, looking out the window again.

Without thinking twice, I grabbed a hoodie from the closet, pulling it over my head to cover my face. My hands trembled slightly as I zipped it up

Just for a moment

I promised myself.

Just to feel what it’s like.

With a deep breath, I headed toward the door.

My hand hesitated on the doorknob, trembling as my pulse quickened. For a moment, I imagined my foster parents bursting in, catching me in the act, their furious faces looming over me but I shrugged it off,my resolve already strong.

With a quiet twist, I turned the knob and opened the door just wide enough to slip through. The cool breeze hit my face, sending a shiver down my spine and the scent of freshly cut grass and distant flowers drifted toward me, and for the first time in my life, I breathed in the outside air.

I pulled the hood over my head tighter, glancing around.

One step at a time

I told myself, slowly walking toward the gate. My heart pounded with every step I took further from the house, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts. What if someone saw me? What if Rose came back early? What if this was a huge mistake?

But despite the questions swirling in my head, my feet kept moving, taking me closer to the gate. When I reached it, I paused for a moment, my fingers grazing the cold metal. This was it. One more step and I’d be free, even if just for a little while.

Taking a deep breath, I unlocked the gate and stepped out.

The world outside felt different. The air tasted fresher, cleaner. My heart leapt in my chest, not just out of fear, but out of excitement. I couldn’t help but smile. I had done it. I had stepped outside.

I adjusted the hood to make sure my face stayed hidden. I started walking, not sure where I was headed.

I glanced around wide-eyed, trying to take it all in at once,the beautiful blue sky,bird chirping nearby,the rustling of the wind.. everything was so unfamiliar.

I kept walking down the road. My excitement knew no bounds when I saw people. A lot of people that weren't my foster parents,Arya or Rose and not faceless figures from the books I used to read but actual, living, breathing people.

Group of children played on the sidewalk,their laughter filling the air. They chased each other, darting in and out of the gaps between parked cars. One of them tripped and the others laughed at him.

I couldn't help but laugh too.

I walked away from them and saw an elderly couple sitting on the porch sipping tea.

Woah,so people can actually feel comfortable taking tea outside of their home?

The old woman looked up from her cup and smiled at me. I didn't know what to do. So I waved back with a smile

I kept moving.. people walked their dogs,some jogged past with their headphones in,while others simply strolled

And it was all so much better than Rose's story and the description from the books I read.

I wondered why they kept me hidden from the outside world. I thought I'd get eaten by a monster the moment I step out but none came. Why then did they keep me locked away from this beautiful world? I couldn't wrap my head around it.

"Watch it, fucker!" a sharp voice broke through my thoughts. I turned to see a group of teenagers walking past me, one of them bumping into me as they passed.

They laughed loudly at something one of them had said. I couldn’t help but smile too. There was something infectious about their energy.

Fucker?

What did that mean? It sounded strange, but with the way they all laughed, it must have been a good thing.

I made a mental note to look it up later when I got back home.

The world unfolded before me in ways I’d never imagined as I walked further. Brightly colored toys lined the windows of shops, delicious smells of food and snacks wafted through the air. My fingers itched to reach into my pocket, but I had no money.

Another time

I walked past the store with a little sigh.

As I continued down the street, something caught my eye.

A man walked briskly ahead of me, his coat flapping in the breeze. Suddenly, something fell from his pocket and landed on the ground. I hesitated for a moment before hurrying over to pick it up.

It was a strange, shiny object—small and round, with intricate carvings that I couldn’t quite make out. I turned it over in my hands, admiring its craftsmanship. I’d never seen anything like it before.

"Hey!" The man’s angry voice cut through my thoughts, startling me. "You thief!" He was glaring at me, his eyes blazing with fire.

I froze, panic flooding my chest. "No, I—" But before I could finish, my hands moved faster than my mind, and I dropped the object back on the ground.

Without thinking, I turned and sprinted. My legs carrying me as fast as they could. The man’s shouts grew fainter behind me, but I didn’t dare look back. I ran until the pounding in my chest was from exhaustion rather than fear.

Finally, when I was sure he wasn’t chasing me anymore, I stopped, leaning against a wall to catch my breath. I burst into laughter. This was fun. I had never felt so alive. The thrill of it all—the rush of running, the freedom, the chaos—was exhilarating.

I gaze around me and my laughter faltered, a cold realization crept in. I had no idea where I was. Worse, I had no idea how to get back home.