An Alpha's Payment

SIX

KAEL

She didn’t trust me. Not even a shred of trust, and that only made me more curious about her past. I wanted to unravel every piece of her story.

I needed to know her—every part of her. Who was the person that had shattered her world all those years ago, and why had they chosen to make a child bear the blame?

While Sage tended to her, I called my Beta, Daxon. He was watching over the Moonshine pack, and I needed to know if anything suspicious had come up.

So far, nothing. Which only made me wonder just how much they were hiding beneath the surface. How dark and deep did their secrets run?

Because until Corin reached out to me, I hadn’t even known the Moonshine pack existed. They lived less than fifty miles from us. I couldn’t help but wonder—did Lira know that?

I told Daxon to come back. The pack run was tonight, and he needed to be here.

One thing I noticed: Lira hadn’t smiled once since we met. Her strange scent never shifted to something softer, lighter—not even a hint of relief or joy. That had to change if she was ever going to be mine.

I slid my hand gently across her stomach. She held her breath and looked anywhere but at me.

“Are you afraid of me?” I asked plainly as she let her sweatshirt fall.

Of course she was. Nyx’s voice echoed in my mind as he paced, restless. Just look at her.

She bit the inside of her cheek, searching for words. “Everyone is,” she murmured.

I raised an eyebrow.

“You lead the biggest pack. You’ve been to war, absorbed other packs. You’ve killed Alphas. People come to you for help—you don’t go looking for theirs. I’d be stupid not to be scared of you.”

I smiled, feeling Nyx’s pride mingle with my own. We’d fought tooth and nail to become who we were.

Lira was sharper than her brother let on. “That’s not what I meant,” I pressed. “I know where I stand. I’m asking—are you, Lira, afraid of me?”

Her gaze dropped immediately. I wished she wouldn’t do that. I could lose myself staring into her eyes for hours.

“When you don’t speak, I assume the worst,” I said. “But know this—I am not like them. I would never hurt you. Never.”

“Were there others like you?” I asked. Usually, if there was one, there were more—hidden in the shadows.

She shook her head. “Only me.”

That made it worse—knowing she alone had to carry that pain, even with Alpha blood running through her veins.

“You don’t ever have to fear me. I want you to remember that.”

She pulled the sleeves of her sweatshirt down over her hands, hiding more from me.

By nightfall, she still hadn’t spoken first. Every conversation started and ended with me. She just nodded or shook her head. Reading her was nearly impossible, but I loved a challenge.

“You need to rest,” I murmured, guiding her toward the stairs. Without her Wolf, she wouldn’t be able to join the pack run.

Her blue eyes flicked to the large clock on the wall, but her lips stayed sealed, keeping her thoughts to herself.

She followed me back to my room. I applied the cream to her stomach again. This time, she didn’t hold her breath or close her eyes. Instead, she watched me.

“Goodnight,” I whispered. Leaning in to kiss her cheek, she tensed and her heart raced. I thought she’d bolt, but she stayed rooted, eyes squeezed shut.

A soft gasp escaped her as I turned for the door. “You’re leaving?” she whispered, surprised.

“It’s a full moon tonight. I lead the pack run. I’ll be back in a few hours, but you’ll probably be asleep by then.”

“Pack run?” she mumbled, brow furrowed.

“You know—when the pack hunts together,” I explained. Her eyes widened. “Moonshine doesn’t do pack runs?”

She shook her head.

I gave her a reassuring smile. “You’ll get used to it. Get some sleep. When you have your Wolf back, you’ll be running with us.”

As I closed the door, she remained still, staring at me, confusion written all over her face. I left anyway.

Downstairs, Daxon and Lucan waited for me.

“How’s it going with the new girl?” Lucan asked, undoing his shirt.

“Lira’s staying. And Moonshine doesn’t do pack runs,” I muttered, turning Lira’s words over in my mind.

“Seriously?” Daxon’s brow shot up. “I thought pack runs were standard everywhere. Full moons empower all Wolves, and it’s prime time for hunting.”

I frowned at Daxon. “Are you sure you didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary?”

“From where I was, they acted like any other pack. Some went to work, some trained, others tended their crops,” he said, raising an eyebrow at me. “Why? What do you think they’re hiding?”

“For starters, who killed Lira’s parents.”

“Corin?” Daxon guessed.

“I don’t think Corin’s clever enough for that. The i***t didn’t even bother to read the contract,” Lucan muttered.

“I say we pay them a visit tomorrow,” Lucan suggested.

“Catch them off guard?” I murmured.

“Sometimes it’s better when they don’t see us coming.”

“True. Corin was furious when I showed up.”

Once the hunt was done, I checked with Daxon and Lucan on what time we’d be heading out before making my way upstairs to shower.

I slipped quietly into the bedroom and was relieved to find Lira fast asleep. Honestly, I half expected her not to be there.

Maybe she’d taken the chance to slip away. But there she was—curled into a tiny ball, clutching a pillow, still wearing the sweats I’d given her earlier.

She didn’t stir as I showered, didn’t even twitch when I flicked the light on. It was as if she was used to sleeping cramped, no matter the hour.

After drying off, I climbed into bed beside her, pulling her small, fragile frame close. She made a few soft noises as she started to wake, but quickly slipped back into sleep.

I woke before her, watching her sleep. At some point, she’d rolled over to face me. In the pale morning light, a delicate scatter of freckles dusted her nose.

She gasped, suddenly sitting up and rubbing her eyes. “Where am I?”

“Lira, you’re in my pack. Remember?”

Her blue eyes locked on mine, then drifted down to my bare chest and the thin sheet barely covering me.

“Are you... naked?!” Her cheeks flushed a rosy pink, and suddenly she didn’t seem so fragile.

“I prefer it that way—especially in my own bed,” I smirked.

She patted herself down, relieved to find she was still fully clothed, and let out a soft sigh.

“We could strip her,” Nyx growled in my mind. “Show her exactly what we want.”

“We need to take it slow,” I muttered back. “She’s not like the others.”

Nyx sulked, retreating to the back of my mind. Thankfully, with age, I’d learned to keep him in check.

Lira crossed the room and shut herself in the tiny bathroom. I could hear her muttering to herself, trying to keep it together.

“When you’re ready,” I called, “we need to put your cream on.”

Ten minutes later, she appeared, eyes fixed on me as I pulled on a black tee.

“Daxon, Lucan, and I have an errand to run. You’ll be staying here.”

“Alone?” Her voice trembled as she rolled her top up.

“Alone,” I confirmed. “Well, not completely. There will be others around.” My hand lingered a moment longer on her stomach.

She’s right here, Nyx growled.

I dropped my hand. Nyx sulked, frustrated. He wanted to make his claim—to silence the rumors once and for all.