Alpha's betrayed mate

Chapter 5

The cold metal of the cage pressed against my skin, biting into my back every time I shifted. I sat in silence, knees to my chest, soaked to the bone, and humiliated beyond measure. My mind was screaming, but my body was frozen. The tears had long dried on my cheeks, leaving behind only a trail of salt and fire.

I hated him. Dimitri. The Lycan King. My supposed mate. A beast with no conscience, no heart.

My wolf whimpered quietly inside me, confused and in pain. How can he be our mate? I asked her over and over, but she never answered. She didn’t understand either. All she did was mourn—soft whines and whimpers that echoed inside me like the cries of a wounded animal.

I didn’t sleep that night. The rain eventually stopped, but the storm inside me raged on.

By morning, I was stiff and sore and cold. The door creaked open, and I looked up, expecting Dimitri.

Instead, a woman entered. She was tall, graceful, and stunning in a haunting sort of way—skin pale like moonlight, eyes as silver as mercury. Her expression was unreadable, though there was no kindness in it.

“Get up,” she said flatly, holding a tray of food and a bottle of water.

I didn’t move.

“Do you want to starve then? Be my guest. Dimitri said not to touch you unless necessary.” She shrugged and dropped the tray just outside the cage, the clang loud in the silence.

“Who are you?” I croaked. My voice was raspy from crying and screaming.

“Ariadne. Head of staff. And before you ask—no, I don’t care why you’re here. I’ve seen worse.” Her gaze dropped to the bruises on my arms. “Much worse.”

She left without another word.

I waited until the door shut behind her, then dragged myself to the edge of the cage to reach the food. Bread and eggs. Cold, tasteless—but I devoured it like a starving animal. Because I was. Starved. For food. For freedom. For hope.

Hours passed. No one came. No sound. I began to think they had forgotten me.

Then, the door slammed open.

He was back.

Dimitri.

I stood immediately, my body tensing, instinct kicking in.

“Come,” he ordered, unlocking the cage with a key.

I didn’t move.

He narrowed his eyes. “I won’t repeat myself, Lyra.”

“What do you want from me?” I spat, refusing to cower.

He didn’t answer. He just turned and walked out.

Against every bone in my body screaming not to follow, I did. What choice did I have?

I followed him down the stairs, through a narrow hallway, and into a large room that looked like a training ground—mats, weapons, dummies… bloodstains. Lots of them.

“What is this place?”

“Your new routine,” he said, turning to face me fully. “You’ll be trained. Watched. Broken, if needed.”

“I’m not a soldier,” I snapped.

“You will be. You’ll need to be.” His tone was detached, but there was something else in his eyes. Something flickering. Struggling.

“Is this your idea of a mate bond?” I laughed bitterly. “Lock her up. Beat the rebellion out of her?”

The growl that tore from his throat was low and dangerous. He stalked toward me, and I backed away instinctively.

“I didn’t choose this bond,” he hissed. “I didn’t ask for a mate. Especially not one who runs from me like a scared rabbit.”

“Maybe because you are a predator!” I snapped.

We were nose to nose now, and his hand slammed into the wall beside my head. “You think I enjoy this? Do you think I want to hurt you?” His voice cracked with something close to anguish. “I haven’t been *me* in a long time, Lyra. And you showing up now—it’s a cruel joke from the goddess.”

He looked like he wanted to say more but stopped himself. Instead, he turned away. “You start training tomorrow. Be ready.”

---

The days blurred after that.

Morning training. Barely edible meals. Nights locked in the cage or my room. Dimitri hardly spoke unless it was to give orders or bark instructions. He was harsh. Cold. But never laid a finger on me. And somehow, that restraint only confused me more.

Then came the third night.

I was back in the cage—this time voluntarily. It felt safer than the room across the hall. At least in here, I knew he couldn’t come close.

I couldn’t sleep. Again.

My thoughts swirled, anchored to one truth I couldn’t shake: Nero would attack soon. And no one was doing anything to stop him.

I had to act.

The opportunity came sooner than I thought.

The next morning, Ariadne brought food and carelessly left the cage unlocked.

A mistake.

She must’ve assumed I was broken enough not to try again.

I waited.

Watched.

When the hallway cleared and the house quieted, I slipped out, barefoot and quiet.

I didn’t head for the front gate. That was too obvious. I remembered seeing a side door near the kitchen the other day during my forced chores.

I made my way there, heart pounding, eyes darting.

I reached it. I opened it.

Freedom.

The wind hit my face like a slap, and I nearly sobbed in relief. I ran—through the trees through the brush. Fast. Silent.

Then—

Snap.

A branch behind me.

My heart stopped.

I turned.

And there he was.

Dimitri.

Again.

“Are you really that eager to die?” he asked coldly, stepping out of the shadows.

I backed away. “I can’t stay here. My pack—my parents—they’re in danger!”

“I told you, I won’t go back on a deal.”

“And I told you—I will *never* stop trying to protect them!”

His expression shifted. Briefly. Like something cracked. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”

“Then so be it,” I whispered. “Better to die fighting than live in chains.”

Silence.

Then, to my utter shock—he laughed. It was cold, bitter, like he was laughing at himself.

“You’re a damn stubborn wolf.”

“I get it from my mother.”

A beat passed between us. A strange, painful beat.

Then he stepped closer. “There’s a war coming, Lyra. You don’t understand the depths of what you’ve stepped into.”

“Then explain it to me.”

He hesitated, his jaw tight.

“Nero,” he began, “offered me power. Control over regions I lost centuries ago. In exchange, I stay out of his way.”

“And my pack?” I asked through clenched teeth.

“Collateral,” he said flatly.

I lunged at him, fury blinding me. “You bastard! You sold innocent lives for your pride!”

He caught me easily, his hands gripping my arms—but gently. Too gently.

“Stop fighting me!” he shouted. “I’m trying to protect you!”

“Then let me go!”

“I can’t,” he roared. “Because you’re mine!”

The world stilled.

I stared at him. My chest was rising and falling with ragged breaths. “Then prove it,” I said. “Prove I mean more to you than some ancient deal with a tyrant.”

The silence was deafening.

Then he did the last thing I expected—he turned and walked away.

“Dimitri!” I called after him. “Dimitri!”

But he didn’t look back.

---

Back in the cage, I felt different. Something had changed between us. He was cracking, piece by piece.

That night, he didn’t lock the cage.

That night, he sat across the room and watched me in silence.

“You’ll have your answers soon,” he said, his voice rough. “But until then… stay alive.”