Thundered
1221 Words
Lira's POV
He held my hand as we walked side by side through the dim street. His palm was warm, and strangely comforting. For a moment, I wanted to lean into that comfort, but reality hit me. He was Alpha Kael. The Alpha who ruled this entire territory.
I reminded myself again. I couldn't afford to fall for him. My mission was clear: make him focus on me, not lose myself to him.
I kept my eyes on him. A sudden thought slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it. “Do you hold every girl's hand like this?”
He explored at me, his tone casual. “Not at all.”
That made me smirk. "You're too sweet, Alpha. What if I just became your Luna? I've lived in exile... I've seen the suffering of your people up close. I understand them." I said. After all, I'm one of them.
He stopped. Then he turned his head.
“What gives you the courage to say that to me?”
I swallowed and forced a small smile. “I'm only volunteering myself.”
His jaw tensed. “You're not worthy.”
It hurt. God, it hurt more than I wanted to admit. But who was I to complain? Did I even have the right to feel wounded? Probably not.
When he started walking again, I followed in silence. We didn't speak another word until we stepped back into the towering halls of the palace.
Oddly, the woman who had provoked me earlier didn't appear to block our way this time. I couldn't help but wonder, what game was she really playing?
Despite rejecting me outright, Kael led me into a spacious chamber. My heart skipped. Was this… his private room? Did he really trust me this much, after everything I'd just said?
I perched on the edge of the bed, my eyes roaming. The room was unmistakably an Alpha's domain with dark wooden beams, old tapestries, and the faint scent of pine smoke clinging to the stone walls. The air itself carried authority.
Curiosity tugged at me. “How many women have you brought here, Alpha?”
He was hanging his cloak on a carved stand when his brows were pulled together. “Don't you have any better questions?”
I shrugged lightly. “I'm just curious.”
He didn't answer. Instead, he approached me, his broad chest bare except for the scars that mapped his skin. His strength was undeniable, his presence filled the room in a way that made me catch my breath. Without thinking, my fingers brushed against his chest.
“You really do look like an Alpha,” I murmured. “The scars in your stomach, your chest, your arms… you must have fought so hard.”
For a split second, I smiled. In my mind's eye, I imagined holding a blade and plunging it into him. If I could kill him here, the root of my misery would finally vanish.
But then my pulse spiked. No. I can't. I mean not now.
Kael’s POV
She’s… unusual. Even strange. One moment she tries to keep her distance, the next she’s complimenting me for the most trivial things. I can’t read her, and that unsettles me.
When her fingers lingered against my chest, as if she couldn’t resist touching me. Damn it. I could almost feel the heat of her gaze on my skin. Why do I want to touch her back? Why does her presence stir something I’ve long buried?
Without thinking, I pushed her gently down onto the bed. I only hovered, staring down at her. Her eyes, wide and uncertain, caught mine. I couldn’t look away.
I pressed a brief kiss against her forehead, then lay beside her. The silence between us, but it was calming. For the first time in years, I fell asleep next to someone.
When dawn broke, I woke before she did. The morning light fell softly across her face, and damn… she looked breathtaking. I brushed my fingers against her cheek before pulling back with a frustrated sigh.
“If only you weren’t…” The words stuck. If only she weren’t the daughter of traitors. That was the one wall between us.
I tore myself away and headed for my own chamber, is the Alpha’s study, filled with old maps, leather-bound tomes, and the scent of ink and cedarwood.
Lucien, my Beta, was already there. He grinned as soon as he saw me.
“Alpha, you look lighter this morning! Like a weight’s been lifted.”
I frowned. “What are you talking about?”
He chuckled nervously, then straightened his posture. “Forgive me. I was angry with you before, but… you return ed my girl to me. I won’t forget that.”
He placed something in my hands; a finely crafted dagger, silver-edged, etched with our pack’s crest. Is the gift of thanks.
I stared at it, not entirely sure what he meant. My memory failed me, but I accepted it anyway. “Thank you, Lucien.”
He nodded eagerly. I sank into the wooden chair. With steady hands, I reached for a slip of parchment and scribbled a single simple line.
I passed it to Beta Lucien.
“You know my secret, don’t you?”
He nodded without hesitation.
I leaned back feeling full of tension. “No matter what I tried, the cycle would return. That’s why…” I drew a long breath, “this time, I’ll try something different.”
Yes… sooner or later, it would happen again.
Because deep down, I knew the cycle was bound to repeat.
Lira’s POV
Felt like I just closed my eyes, and suddenly it was morning. I blinked at the empty bed beside me. Kael was gone.
I washed my face quickly with the water basin, then sat nervously on the edge of the bed, afraid of whoever might enter the Alpha’s private chamber and found me.
And sure enough, the door creaked open. I slipped down to the floor and hid beneath the bed, pressing my lips together to keep from making a sound.
Peeking through the shadows, I saw Lady Seraphine glide in with another woman.
Lady Seraphine’s POV
“Mother, are you sure we’re allowed in Alpha Kael’s room?” Violet whispered.
I clamped a hand over her mouth and forced a smile. “Say another word and I’ll sew your lips shut with magic.”
Violet’s eyes widened. She immediately mimed zipping her lips and throwing away the key.
Good.
I scanned the chamber. Everything looked neat, but then I caught the another scent. The prisoner.
I turned to Violet. “Do you smell it too, darling?”
She nodded, her nose wrinkling.
A sly grin spread across my face. I stepped closer to the bed. “It seems the little exile has taken your place, Violet. She dares to imagine herself as Luna.”
Violet’s eyes blazed. “No way! She’s stealing what’s mine. She has to die. Now.”
“Good girl,” I praised her.
I could feel the scent growing stronger near the bed. With a flick of my wrist, I prepared a spell to overturn the bed. And Violet bent down, ready to pounce.
Lira’s POV
My pulse thundered. I bit my lip, praying for a miracle.
- Writer
