The Target
1143 Words
Lyra’s Pov
Security around me triples overnight, and Theron won't tell me why.
I woke up in Theron's bed again, his arms wrapped around me like he was afraid I would disappear. The mark on my neck still glowed faintly in the morning light, a constant reminder of how much had changed in one night. I turned in his arms to look at him, but he was already awake, staring at the ceiling with a tense expression. His body was rigid against mine.
"What's wrong?" I asked, voice still sleepy.
He did not answer right away. Instead, he pulled me closer, burying his face in my hair for a long moment before speaking. "Damon showed me the note. And we got intelligence overnight. Someone put a bounty on you."
The words hit me like cold water. I sat up, pulling the sheet around me. "A bounty?"
Theron sat up too, running a hand through his hair. His face was hard, but I saw the fear underneath. "My enemies know you are my true mate now. Targeting you is how they hurt me. The bounty is substantial. Any rogue who brings you to certain interested parties gets territory and wealth."
I stared at him, trying to process it. "Who wants me?"
His fury was barely controlled. "Several. I am handling it."
He would not give me specifics. He was protecting me from how bad it really was. I could see it in the way his jaw clenched, the way his hands fisted the sheets. I reached for him, but he stood up and started dressing. "Security around you triples starting today. No leaving the estate without me. Constant guard detail. Limited public appearances."
The words felt like chains. "I cannot be Luna if I am locked in a tower."
"You cannot be Luna if you are dead," he said, voice flat but full of emotion underneath.
This was our first real fight as a mated pair. I stood up too, wrapping the sheet around me. "I did not accept the bond to become a prisoner."
"I did not accept the bond to watch you die," he shot back. "We do this my way."
The Alpha command was in his voice, non-negotiable. I felt it push against me, but I pushed back. "I am not one of your pack members to order around."
"You are my mate," he said, stepping closer. "That makes you more important than any pack member. I will burn the world before I let someone take you."
His possessiveness was overwhelming. Terrifying. But it was also proof of how much he loved me. I softened a little, seeing the trauma behind his fear. Losing his family had made him paranoid. "I am not going anywhere. But you cannot protect me by suffocating me."
Theron looked at me for a long moment, struggling. He knew I was right, but the fear was winning. "Compromise," he said finally. "You can do Luna duties within the estate. Limited outside activities with heavy guard. I will work on my control."
It was not perfect, but it was something. I nodded. He pulled me into his arms and held me tight, like he was memorizing the feeling.
The day started with tripled security. Guards followed me everywhere. I felt their eyes on me constantly. Theron left for meetings, but not before kissing me hard and reminding me to stay inside the main compound. I tried to focus on my Luna duties, but the threat hung over everything.
I met with pack administrators and pushed forward on the housing and childcare programs I had started. Some wolves were still skeptical, but others were starting to warm up. One mother thanked me again for helping with her child's care. It felt good to do something useful.
But the restriction weighed on me. I could not go to the nursery without three guards. I could not walk the gardens alone. Every step reminded me that someone out there wanted to use me to hurt Theron.
In the afternoon, Theron decided I needed to learn to defend myself. "If you are a target, you need to be able to fight."
He took me to the private training facility. "I am teaching you to fight."
"I am a healer, not a warrior," I said.
"You are my mate," he replied. "You will be both."
The training was intense. He started with basic self-defense. How to break holds. Vulnerable points to strike. He was patient but demanding, correcting my stance with his hands on my body. Every touch created tension between us. His fingers on my waist, adjusting my posture. His chest against my back as he showed me a move. Awareness crackled in the air.
During a grappling demonstration, he pinned me to the mat. Both of us were breathing hard, not just from exertion. His body pressed against mine. His eyes darkened. "You are distracting me."
"Good," I whispered.
He leaned down, almost kissing me, when Damon's voice interrupted from the door. "Alpha, Council meeting in ten minutes."
Theron growled in frustration but helped me up. He stole one quick kiss. "We will continue this tonight."
The promise sent heat through me.
The Council meeting was my first as the recognized true mate. They discussed the bounty threat, territory security, and political responses. Some elders suggested hiding me or parading me to show strength. Theron refused to send me away. "She stays with me."
I spoke up. "I can contribute. Use me to draw out whoever placed the bounty."
The council looked shocked. Theron's fury was immediate. "No."
"It is strategic—" I started.
"I said no. Discussion over."
The Alpha command shut down the debate. I was angry at being dismissed, but I understood his fear. He was protecting me the only way he knew how.
After the meeting, Elena cornered me in the hallway. "You have made yourself the most valuable piece on the board. Everyone will want to control you now."
"I can handle it," I said.
"Can you handle what it does to him?" Elena asked. "Theron does not do well with threats to his people. It makes him unstable."
She told me more. "After his family died, he went dark for months. Slaughtered anyone who looked at him wrong. Damon barely pulled him back from the edge."
Her concern seemed genuine. "You are his anchor now. If something happens to you, there is no pulling him back this time."
I left the conversation shaken. I was not just a target. I was a trigger. My death would unleash the Beast completely.
That night, Theron held me so tightly I could barely breathe, and I felt his fear through the bond like acid. He'd survived losing his family. He wouldn't survive losing me. That made me the most dangerous weapon anyone could use against him.
- Writer
