Caged by the enemy Alpha

The council

The salve burns like hell.

Rourke shoved a clay pot through the slot at midnight. His right hand was a mess of bandages with two fingers gone, and he wouldn't even look at me.

"Alpha's order for your wrists," he muttered.

I pried off the lid gently with my teeth. The paste inside was pale green and smelled like crushed herbs and something sharp like copper.

"Bastards know medicine". I thought

I bit down my lips untill the copper taste filled my mouth and the pain dulled to a distant throb.

My eyes watered, and I let them down since no one was watching.

Three hours later the door opened again

Four females came in , knives at their hips , Crossbows sling across their back. They didn't touch me , the one in front with broad shoulders and a scar that cut through her eyebrow unlocked my collar with a key that shook in her hands.

"Alpha ordered it. You walk free, and if you try to run, we put chains through your knees."

The weight gone from my throat made me dizzy while my wolf uncoiled for the first time in days.

"Where is he?"

"Waiting," one of them answered.

The Great Hall had been scrubbed.

Everywhere I looked was clean , no bloods in the corner, no ashes in the stones.

No sign that this place had been a slaughterhouse two days ago.

Kieran stood at the dais.

No armor today.

Just a black Henley, sleeves shoved up, forearms corded with muscles and crossed scars that caught the torchlight.

He didn't even look at me when they brought me in, but his shoulders locked because he scented me.

And God's help me , I scented him too. Pine , storm and iron. It made my wolf sit up and bare her teeth.

I kept my face empty because I had vowed to say nothing.

The priest called, "Lyra of Blood Moon, Luna of Nightbane."

I walked up with measured steps, trying not to limp or show my wrists and looked at Kieran.

I took my place one step behind his shoulder.

The Luna's place.

The lie we were both selling.

The council entered.

They were five in total—four men and one woman. Old in the way mountains are old. Scared and carrying power like weather.

Their eyes sliced from me to Kieran, then back to me, calculating.

Thorne of Redfang moved first.

Massive, grey at the temples, and ten feet away when he inhaled, his nostrils flaring and his eyes narrowing.

"Alpha Kieran, explain what this is". Kieran didn't move." Explain what"

"The girl" He pointed at me with two fingers like I was a weapon on the table." You burned down Bloodmoon, you killed Haakon and now you parade his heir in chains and call her Luna, is there something we need to know"

Kieran stood up , he was taller than all of them, the fire pits threw shadows across the scars on his jaw. When he walked , the whole room tracked him down not because he was Alpha but because he was dangerous and everyone knew it.

" I killed Haakon because he broke the law , he harboured humans for years, he lived and he had to pay for it."

"And what about her " Thorne asked

" I'm keeping her" Even the fire seemed to stop cracking.

"You felt like making the daughter of a traitor your Luna. We all know how bad you hated Hakoon , you swore to destroy his household and now you are with his daughter, just open up to us and tell us why—"

"Luna is not a thought Nightbane" Elder Kellan spoke as the rest of the elders walked in. The elders were Kieran's extended family. " Luna is law, tradition, training and she knows nothing about it" Elder Kellen spoke and bowed slightly to him

" Then she'll learn", Kieran said and he didn't raise his voice." All she need is a guide"

Elder dorran exhaled through his nose " This is reckless, the packs will talk."

" Then let them talk , Bloodmoon has gotten what it's deserved and I think that the only thing that mattered"

Elder Kellan faced the council and the rest of the elders " The alpha has taken his decision and we won't accept her because she know nothing about us."

Alpha Thorne stood up

" Since the alpha wants to disobey the council , how about we bring back the old law which says any Alpha who kill another Alpha must mark his heir"

The hall went corpse quiet. Even the torches seemed to hold their breath the council accepted the idea.

Vira Storm claw , the only woman on the council, looked at me like I was cattle at auction.

"She is unprotected, any rogue could challenge her. Any Alpha can claim her. An unmarked Luna is a war flag, Nightbane."

"Anyone who touches her dies."

Kieran said it calmly.

Thorne smiled.

"Law is law. If you won't mark her, perhaps one of us should do it... for stability."he took a half step forward

"I will be gentle..."

Kieran went still.

So still that the air felt heavier. His head tilted, gold bleed out of his eyes until they were black , pupils blown wide and ringed in red.

A growl rolled thought the hall, not from his voice but low in the chest.

The Wolves in the crowd dropped their eyes. Even the council took a step backward.

" MINE"

Kieran was on Thorne in a blink.

No one saw him move before his hand was around Thorne's throat, claws digging in, lifting the Alpha an inch off the floor.

"Say that again. Suggest you will touch my wife."

"I dare you," Kieran whispered.

Thorne couldn't breathe.

His face went purple, his legs kicked. For a heartbeat, I thought Kieran would crush his throat right there.

"Why are you making a scene, Kieran?" Vira's voice cut in.

Then his gaze flicked to me, and the gold bled back into black before he dropped Thorne.

The Alpha crashed to his knees gagging , clawing at his throat.

"The she is my Luna and it stands," Kieran said straightening his sleeves like he hadn't tried to kill a man.

"She is mine. Marked or unmarked. Anyone who disagrees should challenge me now."

No one moved.

"Good."

He turned his back on five Alphas as if they were pups and walked back to me.

Not touching but standing close enough that I could feel the heat coming off him.

"The council disagree, Nightbane. You need to mark her, or this Thorne challenge for her the next time we come."

They all filed out.

Kieran spoke first.

"You didn't speak."

"Yeah. I vowed not to."

"Follow me."

He led me past the hall, the barracks, and into the cold. The dungeons. The air smelled like wet stone and old fear.

Most of the cells were empty.

He stopped at one with iron bars and a narrow window at eye level.

"Caleb," Kieran called.

Shuffling. Then a face at the bar.

Younger, thinner, bruised purple under one eye , a cut along his jaw.

My brother.

"Lyra? Lyra, is that you?"

"Caleb. I'm here." My voiced cracked

"I'm okay," he said faintly.

"No, you're not. You're bleeding—"

He laughed brittle,

"I'm breathing. You seem... God, that dress. Did he—"

"It's nothing."

I lied and pressed my hand against the iron.

He matched it on his side.

I couldn't touch him. But we were close enough to ache for it.

"Five minutes," Kieran reminded us.

"Lyra, you have to get out. He is a monster. He killed Father."

"I know, and I'm working on that. Are you alone? Where is Mama?"

"There's others in the east flank. Maybe ten. And regarding Mama... I know don't know. I swear I don't know.

"Time's up," Kieran said.

"Wait—"

Kieran's hand closed around my arm.

Not hard.

But final.

Caleb's hand shot out too , grabbing my wrists through the bars.

"No touching."

His thumb brushed my wrist, right over the bandages, checking if the wound still lingered.

Caleb saw it. His eyes went widen then furious.

"He just touched you, Lyra. He just did."

"Let's go."

Kieran was already hauling me away, fast, like he couldn't stand being near the cell.

We didn't talk until we reached an empty side corridor.

He stopped and wheeled on me.

"Satisfied?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Because you're not going back there."

"What?"

"The council was right. Unmarked means unprotected, and Thorne was not posturing. He would take you. So you don't get to leave my sight until I say so."

"Huh?"

"You are mine, Lyra. On paper. By law. And I'm keeping you where I can see you until I figure this out."

"But you hated me."

"I do. He said without blinking. "I hate this bond. I hate that I nearly killed a man today because of you."

He stepped back and shoved his Alpha's mask back on.

"Your room is next to mine. Guards all around to keep you safe. And don't ever go near that cell without my permission."

He took two steps forward, then turned around.

"Oh, and Lyra?"

"Thorne will challenge me. He said he wants you."

"I'm going to make you watch me break him so you understand."

"Understand what?"

"That I don't have to like you," he said. "You're my wife, and I don't share."