Chapter Four
961 Words
I woke up to the warmth of something solid pressed against me.
For a fleeting moment, in the haze between sleep and wakefulness, I forgot where I was.
Then reality crashed down.
A strong arm coiled around my waist. A steady breath fanned against the back of my neck. The scent of cedar and smoke filled my senses.
Damian.
Panic surged through me. I shifted instinctively, but his grip only tightened.
“Stay still,” he murmured, his voice rough with sleep.
I went rigid.
“What the hell are you doing in my bed?” My voice was sharper than I intended, but I didn’t care.
He sighed against my skin, completely unbothered. “I couldn’t sleep.”
I scowled. “So you decided to invade my space?” I tried prying his arm off, but it was like trying to move stone. “Damian, let me go.”
His hold only firmed. “I can’t,” he muttered. “The bond won’t let me.”
I stilled.
The bond.
The invisible thread tying us together, suffocating me, keeping me prisoner.
And now, apparently, it was forcing him into my bed.
Frustration burned through me. “I don’t care about the bond, Damian. You don’t get to just—”
A low growl rumbled against my back, vibrating through my bones.
I sucked in a breath.
“I feel everything you feel, Lyra.” His voice was quieter now, raspier. “Every time your heart races. Every time you get angry. Every time you want me but refuse to admit it.”
Heat prickled up my neck. “I don’t—”
“Liar.”
His fingers brushed my wrist, tracing the glowing tether that pulsed between us. A small, traitorous shiver ran up my spine.
I hated this.
I hated him.
But my body refused to listen.
“Admit it,” he whispered, amusement lacing his tone. “You want me.”
I gritted my teeth. “I want to punch you in the face.”
He chuckled, low and rich. “That too.”
I hadn’t realized how close we were until his lips brushed against my neck—light as a feather, but enough to steal my breath.
A soft gasp escaped before I could stop it.
Damian tensed.
The air between us thickened, charged with something dangerous.
Then, suddenly, he pulled away.
His warmth vanished, leaving a hollow chill in its place.
I turned, watching as he sat on the edge of the bed, his back to me. His hands gripped the mattress, muscles taut like he was holding himself together.
“You should get dressed,” he said, his voice rougher now. “We’re leaving soon.”
I frowned. “Leaving? Where?”
His jaw ticked. “You’ll see.”
An hour later, I sat in the back of Damian’s sleek black car, arms crossed, scowling at the passing trees.
I still had no idea where we were going.
Damian hadn’t spoken since we left—just started the engine and drove like a man on a mission.
The silence gnawed at me.
I shifted uncomfortably, my wrist tingling where the mate tether pulsed faintly between us.
“Are you ever going to tell me where we’re going?” I finally asked.
His gaze remained fixed on the road. “I need you to see something.”
“That’s not an answer.”
He exhaled through his nose, gripping the wheel tighter. “Just trust me.”
I scoffed. “Trust you?”
His fingers flexed, but he didn’t respond.
The car veered off the main road, slipping into the depths of the forest. The trees thickened, the air growing heavier with something unspoken.
A strange unease curled in my stomach.
Minutes later, we pulled up to a massive iron gate.
Damian rolled down the window and pressed his palm against a scanner. There was a quiet beep, and then the gates creaked open.
My pulse quickened.
What was this place?
The car eased forward, revealing a sprawling estate hidden deep within the woods.
But this wasn’t like the Reed mansion.
This place felt… different. Darker. Older. The air crackled with something ancient, something powerful.
A shiver ghosted down my spine.
Damian parked stepped out and waited.
I hesitated before following.
The second my feet touched the ground, an odd sensation washed over me—like the forest itself was watching.
“Damian—”
“Come on.”
I swallowed hard and hurried after him.
Inside, the estate was eerily quiet. The halls were lined with flickering torches instead of modern lighting. The air smelled of damp earth… and something metallic.
I didn’t realize where we were heading until we stopped in front of a large wooden door.
The scent hit me instantly.
Blood.
My stomach twisted.
I took a step back. “What is this?”
Damian’s gaze darkened. “The truth.”
He pushed the door open.
The dimly lit room revealed shadows moving within. Cages lined the walls. And inside them—wolves.
No.
Omegas.
Like me.
Trapped.
I turned to Damian, my voice barely above a whisper. “What is this place?”
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he stepped closer, his golden eyes burning into mine.
“This,” he said, voice quiet but firm, “is what happens to omegas who don’t have an Alpha to protect them.”
My breath hitched.
“This is why I can’t let you go, Lyra.”
His fingers brushed against my wrist, where the mate tether still glowed softly between us.
“This is why you need me.”
I stared at him, my heart pounding.
Because deep down, I knew he was right.
And that terrified me more than anything.
- Writer
