BOUND BY FATE: Contracted To The Enemy Alpha

Chapter 22— Too Desperate For Company.

Chapter 22— Too Desperate For Company.

KYRA

There was a room with its door slightly ajar, a faint light flickering from within. My heart hammered yet something about it drew me in.

Maybe it was the stillness. Or maybe it was the fact that I didn’t want to go back to the quiet darkness of my room to be reminded of the memories that seemed to haunt me.

I hesitated at the threshold, then stepped inside.

The first thing I saw was a piano.

It sat in the center of the room, elegant, its black surface catching the flicker of the crystal chandeliers above. My breath caught. For a moment, I just stood there, staring at it.

It was beautiful.

And for the first time in years, my fingers itched to play.

My chest tightened. I hadn’t played since Ethan’s death. I couldn’t. Every note reminded me of him, of how he’d sat beside me on the stool, gently guiding my fingers across the keys. He’d been a patient tutor. His eyes shone with pride whenever I hit a key correctly.

“Not too fast, Kyra,” he’d laugh. “Feel it. Let the music breathe.” Those were the days when I still didn’t know how to play properly.

I swallowed hard, blinking away the tears that blurred my vision. Slowly, cautiously, I approached the piano and sat down. My fingers trembled, hovering above the keys, uncertain, before pressing one.

I touched another and it felt natural just like it’d always been.

Before I knew it, my fingers were moving, testing the notes. The melody came to me instinctively—River Flows in You. The first piece Ethan ever taught me.

It had taken me weeks to perfect and on the last day, Ethan had beamed with pride, ruffling my hair as he lifted me up.

The soft hum left my lips without a second thought. The music filled the room, wrapping around me like a warm, familiar shroud, transporting me back to countless afternoons spent with Ethan in his private music room.

For the first time in what felt like forever, my chest didn’t feel so heavy when I played.

By the time I reached the last note, tears were streaming freely down my face again. My fingers hovered above the keyboard, trembling.

I missed him. I missed him so much it physically hurt. If he were here, if he’d lived maybe none of this would’ve been my reality. Maybe I wouldn’t feel so hollow all the time. Maybe I wouldn’t have to put up a brave front everyday of my life.

The sound of clapping shattered the fragile cocoon of memory, startling me.

I turned sharply, wiping at my tears. My heart leapt into my throat.

Leaning against the doorframe casually was Alpha Leonardo Emberfell. The Alpha king.

I shot to my feet instantly, pulse racing. “Alpha Leonardo,” I greeted quickly, bowing my head to hide my face. My voice was unsteady, but I tried to keep it polite. I shouldn’t be here. I assumed everyone was asleep already and out of all the people to find me here, it had to be the Alpha King.

If he found fault in this, it would be as good as Tristan ruining me completely. Maybe even killing me even if I was his mate, which I wasn’t sure how he would do considering you can’t kill your mate.

He stepped forward, chuckling, waving a hand. “Oh, come on now. Let’s dispense with the formalities, shall we? I acknowledge Alpha bloodline when I come across one, so I won’t treat you like a servant, Kyra Ferguson, and you can call me Leon in private.”

I blinked, caught off guard. I lifted my head slowly, swallowing the lump in my throat. He was shirtless, wearing only grey sweatpants. His chest was well-defined, each muscle outlined beneath the faint light. Damn. He was… hot. My pulse almost betrayed me but I forced myself to focus.

His startling blue eyes met mine. Their calm intensity reminiscent of a tranquil ocean on a clear summer day.

My voice came out small, strained. “I—thank you,” I managed to say, uncertain of what to say. I remembered how he had questioned Tristan during breakfast about keeping the banished witch in his pack. My defenses rose automatically, the walls were so high that they could rival the Great Wall of China.

He smiled faintly, tilted his head as his eyes flicked to the piano. “You play beautifully.”

My throat tightened again. “All thanks to my instructor,” I murmured, forcing my gaze back to the piano.

Leon stepped closer, his eyes lingering on the instrument. “Would you play again? For me?”

I hesitated, frowning slightly. “Now?”

He nodded, his eyes soft. “Only if you want to. No pressure whatsoever. I can’t sleep most nights and I play to help myself sleep but I see you enjoy doing this and I didn’t want to take that from you. But if you don’t want to, it's fine.”

I should’ve said no. I should’ve walked out but there was a calmness about him, a quiet curiosity that didn’t feel like pity or judgment. Maybe that was what made me nod. Or maybe I was just too desperate for company, even if it came from a man who held more power than anyone I’d ever known.

So I sat back down, my fingers finding the keys again.

This time, I didn’t hum. I just played one of my favorites, hoping he would enjoy it.

The notes drifted softly through the room, smooth and fluid. Leon didn’t move or speak as I played. He quietly picked a seat, I could sense him behind me as he watched and listened.

The air between us felt heavy, and yet not in an uncomfortable way.

With every passing note, something inside me eased. The tension in my shoulders loosened. My heartbeat steadied. For the first time since I woke, I felt lighter, I felt like I could breathe again.