The Alpha
855 Words
The burning refused to stop.
Lyra’s body shook violently as she pressed her hand against the mark on her neck. Heat pulsed beneath her skin like something alive, spreading through her chest and down her arms.
The silver glow only grew brighter.
The massive black wolf stood several feet away, staring at her as though he couldn’t believe what he had done.
Fear tightened painfully in Lyra’s chest.
“What did you do to me?” she whispered.
The wolf’s silver eyes remained fixed on the glowing mark beneath her collarbone.
Then his body began to shift.
Lyra gasped and stumbled backward as bones cracked loudly through the silent forest. The massive wolf twisted unnaturally, black fur disappearing into pale skin as the creature slowly rose onto two legs.
A man emerged from the darkness.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
Terrifyingly beautiful.
Cold night air curled around him, but he didn’t seem affected by it at all. Black pants hung low on his hips while scars marked his chest and arms. Blood from the fight streaked across his skin.
But it was his eyes that froze her in place.
Silver.
The same silver eyes as the wolf.
Lyra’s breathing became uneven.
Werewolves were supposed to be stories. Warnings whispered to children so they wouldn’t wander too far into the woods.
Yet one stood directly in front of her.
Real.
Dangerous.
And watching her like she was something impossible.
“You should not be alive,” he said quietly.
His voice was deep and rough, carrying the same power she had felt moments earlier in the forest.
Lyra swallowed hard and forced herself to stand despite the pain in her shoulder.
“What are you?” she asked shakily.
The man ignored the question.
His gaze lowered again to the glowing mark on her skin, and tension spread visibly through his body.
“I didn’t mean to mark you.”
The words made no sense.
Lyra frowned through the pain. “Mark me?”
A muscle tightened in his jaw.
“You’re human,” he muttered, almost to himself. “This shouldn’t have happened.”
Fear mixed with frustration inside her chest.
“Maybe try explaining instead of speaking in riddles.”
For a second, silence stretched between them.
Cold wind moved through the trees, carrying the scent of blood and pine.
The stranger finally looked at her fully.
“What’s your name?”
Lyra hesitated.
Everything about him screamed danger, yet strangely enough, she didn’t feel like he would hurt her. Not anymore.
Still cautious, she answered softly.
“Lyra.”
Something flickered in his expression at the sound of her name. Brief. Almost invisible.
Then his face hardened again.
“You need to leave this forest immediately.”
Lyra stared at him in disbelief. “That’s it? You bite me, nearly kill me, and now you want me to leave?”
His silver eyes darkened slightly.
“If I wanted you dead, human, you would already be dead.”
The bluntness of his words sent anger rushing through her fear.
“Then maybe stop calling me human like it’s an insult.”
His expression shifted again.
Almost surprised.
Lyra immediately regretted snapping at a man who could probably kill her without effort, but exhaustion and adrenaline were making it hard to care.
The burning mark pulsed painfully again.
She winced and grabbed her neck.
The man noticed instantly.
His entire body tensed.
Then suddenly—
He moved closer.
Fast enough to make her heart jump.
Lyra tried stepping back, but pain shot through her injured shoulder, making her lose balance.
Before she could fall, his hand caught her waist.
The second his skin touched hers, both of them froze.
A strange pulse of energy rushed between them.
Warm.
Intense.
Alive.
The man inhaled sharply.
His grip tightened instinctively before he released her immediately, almost like touching her burned him.
His silver eyes searched her face with growing disbelief.
“What?” Lyra whispered uneasily.
He stared at her for several long seconds before finally speaking.
“This bond…” His voice lowered dangerously. “I can feel it.”
Fear crept back into her stomach.
“What bond?”
Before he could answer, distant howls echoed through the forest.
The man’s expression darkened instantly.
His head snapped toward the trees.
Listening.
Another howl sounded closer this time.
Then another.
Lyra’s pulse quickened. “Are those the rogues?”
“No.”
The single word came out sharp.
Worse.
The realization settled heavily between them.
The stranger stepped in front of her protectively, his body tense like a drawn blade.
“Stay behind me.”
Lyra stared at him. “You still haven’t told me your name.”
For a moment, he didn’t answer.
Then slowly, his silver eyes shifted toward her.
“Kael.”
The name settled heavily in the cold air.
Powerfully.
Like it meant something important.
Another growl echoed through the forest.
Closer now.
Kael’s face hardened.
“They’ve caught your scent.”
Lyra’s stomach twisted. “Who has?”
Kael looked toward the darkness between the trees, his jaw tightening.
“My pack.”
- Writer
