CHAPTER 13: Under the Rubble
704 Words
Alexander’s hand was frozen on Lyra’s face. Lyra's legs were trapped beneath the rubble of concrete and stone from the bunker. Silence hung heavy around them; only the shifting of loose stones could be heard. Umbralis was gone, but Alexander was motionless. In Lyra’s heart, something stronger than fear was burning: the terror of losing him.
"Alexander! Look at me!" Lyra’s voice cracked. Lyra couldn't free her legs, but her hands were free. Lyra leaned over Alexander’s chest. The wound on his chest had reopened from the impact of the falling beam.
With her last ounce of strength, Lyra channeled the Moon Whisper into Alexander’s body. This time, Lyra’s healing power was consuming her own life force. The silver tattoo on Lyra’s neck glowed, burning her skin. Alexander’s wounds closed; his breathing regulated. Lyra had saved Alexander, but she was utterly drained.
Just then, a roar was heard from above the bunker. "Alpha! We are here!"
The Head Beta, his face covered in soot and his eyes panicked, yelled down from a small opening in the ceiling. Lyra smiled. Help had arrived.
The rescue operation took hours before Lyra's leg and Alexander were finally pulled from beneath the rubble. When Alexander was finally hoisted up into the Head Beta’s arms, his eyes immediately searched for Lyra.
When Lyra was finally pulled into the moonlight, she collapsed beside Alexander from exhaustion. Alexander grasped Lyra's hand. The brief story Lyra told the Head Beta—that Umbralis had come, and Lyra's power had driven him back—spread quickly among the Pack members. Lyra was no longer an exile; she was a savior.
The Head Beta approached Lyra, a relieved smile on his face. "Miss Lyra, even after seven years, you are still our biggest trouble," he said humorously.
Alexander held Lyra's hand tighter. The Gamma (the young wolf Lyra had healed) bowed respectfully to Lyra.
Alexander’s closest friend, the bulky Gamma Leo, approached Lyra and winked at Alexander.
"As for Alexander, Lyra," Leo said, his voice mocking but filled with genuine joy. "For seven years, our Alpha told us he barely ate, sleeping only by staring at old maps. Now, even under the rubble of a bunker, he found the strength to whisper to you. He will finally get a good night's sleep after seven years, won't he, Alpha?"
The Pack members chuckled, and Alexander buried his face in Lyra’s shoulder. He was embarrassed, yet validated. Lyra knew Alexander’s friends had witnessed his suffering.
Lyra lay stretched out on the large bed in Alexander’s expansive Head Beta's quarters. Alexander locked the door and turned back to Lyra. Now, there were no lies or Umbralis between them; only the desire accumulated over seven years remained.
Alexander sat beside the bed and took Lyra’s hand. "Leo is right," Alexander whispered, staring into Lyra’s eyes. "For seven years, I relived that night when I was forced to curse you. I lived with that pain."
Alexander lay down beside Lyra, placing his arm under Lyra’s head, and pulled her against his chest. Lyra’s heart pounded against her ribs. Alexander’s powerful, masculine scent intoxicated Lyra.
"You taught me what I had to do seven years ago," Alexander murmured, his voice sending shivers through Lyra's soul. "Now... show me how to love you."
Alexander leaned down to Lyra’s lips. It wasn't a demand; it was a plea from Alexander’s soul, accepting Lyra’s vengeance. Lyra reached for Alexander’s collar. The kiss was savage, hungry, and carried the weight of seven years of longing. Clothes were irrelevant. Alexander's skin searched for Lyra’s. Alexander pressed Lyra down onto the sheets beneath her.
The tattoo on Lyra’s neck was like melting ice under Alexander’s touch. Lyra heard Alexander’s whisper: "I saved you seven years ago. Now, you are mine forever."
Alexander pulled away from Lyra, his eyes dark and demanding. Lyra was breathless.
"Alexander," Lyra whispered, her voice trembling. "Is the curse... is it over?"
Alexander smiled, the most complex smile Lyra had ever seen. There was love and danger in his eyes.
"No, Moon Whisper. The curse has just begun."
- Writer
