My Forbidden Alpha

The night was thick with stillness, the walls of Alpha Skoll’s chamber were dimly lit with a golden flame that danced in the lantern at the corner. Ashina was in his arms, her lips pressed to his, her laughter soft against his mouth, she curled closer to him on the broad bed, her fingers brushing his chest as though she wanted to mark him as hers alone. Skoll let her, his hand sliding along her waist, his body leaning into hers, his eyes filled with desire. The world outside was hushed, but inside the room heat filled the air, their kisses were deep, their bodies tangled, their breaths were uneven, Ashina’s smile was victorious because she had finally claimed the attention of the most powerful man in the pack. To her, this moment was proof that she had won, she did not even notice the faint footsteps outside until the wooden door creaked open. The scent of roasted meat spread into the room, Lila stood at the threshold, a tray in her hands, her eyes lowered but her heart beating fast, she had knocked before, though lightly, and she had only entered because Skoll had ordered her earlier to bring him food, her arms shook under the weight of the tray as she tried to steady her breathing, hoping she would not be noticed more than necessary. But Ashina noticed. The instant her eyes fell on Lila standing there, the softness of her smile turned to stone,she jerked away from Skoll and rose to her feet in one swift motion, her gown shifted around her legs as she stormed forward, her eyes burning with fury. “How dare you?,” she spat, her voice sharp and icy. “How dare you barge into this room without waiting to be invited, you, this demented orphan.” Lila’s hands clenched on the tray, her lips parted, but her voice came out softer than she wanted, “Oh… Skoll asked me to bring him food, he said he was hungry.” The name fell from her lips without hesitation, but the sound of it cut through Ashina like a blade. Before Lila could even lower the tray, Ashina’s hand flew across her face, the slap echoed through the chamber. “How dare you speak when I am speaking,” Ashina hissed, her eyes grew round with disbelief. “And how dare you call him by his name?”,address him properly. He is Alpha Skoll, not Skoll to you.” Lila’s cheek stung, her eyes watered, but her voice did not shake. “oh yes, he is an alpha but not my alpha, and he can never be.” The words landed heavily in the room. “What?” Ashina’s voice rose in disbelief, her hand shot forward, striking the tray out of Lila’s hands, the food spilled across the floor, the tray clattering against the stone, Ashina’s laugh was sharp and cruel. “Not your alpha? And who do you think you are to choose who is your alpha and who is not? You are nothing. A little girl with no surname, no family, no bloodline, I have heard a lot about you and now I see it with my own eyes, this is a rotten attitude, this foolish pride of yours, you must be truly silly.” Ashina stepped closer, her eyes narrowed to slits. “And mind you, I am here to stay, I will not be moved, so you better learn your place, or you will see the bad side of me.” She spun toward Skoll, her voice softening only for him. “Skoll, tell me, where did you even pick this brat from? Why is she even still here?” Lila’s chest rose and fell with every breath, her voice broke through the stillness. “Do not call me a brat, because I am not one.” Ashina’s head snapped back toward her, she blinked once, then let out a harsh laugh. “What? The audacity, the nerves, you stand there with your torn dignity and dare to speak to me? You must be very stupid.” Her hand rose again, high and ready to strike her across the face once more. But this time Lila’s hand shot up, fingers closing around Ashina’s wrist before it could touch her, her voice was low but warning. “Do not try it.” “Don‘t ever dare try to hit me again”. The air in the room grew taut like a bowstring, Skoll’s body jerked upright from the bed, “Lila!” his voice thundered across the chamber. “That is enough. Release her hand at once.” Lila’s grip did not loosen immediately. Her eyes, dark with pain and defiance, locked onto Ashina’s eyes,then she slowly dropped Ashina’s wrist, her arm fell to her side. Skoll’s glare cut through her, “you orphan with no surname, do not forget your place in this pack,get out of this room at once, and never interrupt us again.” The words hit her harder than Ashina’s slap had, she turned away, her throat tight, her steps dragging as she moved toward the door. But Ashina’s voice followed like a whip, “Hey! Who are you leaving this mess on the floor for? Do you expect me to clean it? Come back here.” Lila stopped, her hands curling into fists at her sides, her voice was low, “I am coming, I will get something to clean it up.” She left the room, her footsteps echoing in the hall, In the small kitchen nearby, she grabbed a packer and a rag, her eyes stinging but her face was calm, she moved like a shadow back toward the chamber. The door creaked again as she entered,the smell of the spilled stew still lingered, Ashina sat back on the bed, her arms folded, her eyes gleaming with disdain, Skoll stood by the window now, his back to them both. Lila knelt, her knees pressing into the cold floor, her hands gathering the broken pieces of the meal she had worked so hard to prepare, She did not look at them. She focused only on the mess, but her heart was burning inside her chest. Ashina said to her, since you had decided to be mean to us, wait and see, I will show you the stuff I’m made of, I will deal with you to the extent you would be forced on your own to run out of this pack.