Between two alphas

VESHA I shouldn’t have let him pull out again. That was the first thought that crossed my mind as I lay beside Caelan Rook, my captor and mate, staring at the stone ceiling while dawn crept in through the tall windows. His arm rested across my waist, heavy, possessive, yet distant. He always held me like this. As if I was something he owned, not something he wanted. His warmth was there. His presence was there. But he was not. Caelan shifted beside me, already pulling away before I could turn to face him. He sat up, reaching for his trousers, his back to me. Broad shoulders. Scarred skin. The body of a man born to rule. The man fate claimed was mine. “I thought we would spend more time together, against tomorrow,” I said calmly. “And what’s happening tomorrow?” Caelan asked. He knew. I believe he knew, but he just wanted to act non chalant. Or maybe I’m the one excusing his behavior just so I’d believe he loves me. “The…urm…the marking ceremony. You’re the one who fixed it for tomorrow,” “Ohh…that,” he waved the topic off flatly. His lack of interest in whatever I talk about was a constant in our relationship. Five years of being not just his hostage, but his mate. Five years of devoting my life and love to Caelan hoping and believing he’d finally see me. I crawled out of bed, shielding my breasts with my arms as I searched for my bra. Something fell on my back. My bra. He tossed it. “Thanks,” “Don’t forget to take it?” he said. I blinked and paused. My chest tightened. “Take what?” He glanced over his shoulder, green eyes sharp and impatient. “The contraceptive.” Of course. “Oh,” I said quickly. “I won’t.” “Good.” He stood, already dressed in authority and distance. “You know what happens if you don’t. Lara is already carrying my child. We wouldn’t want to create room for war, would we?” I nodded even though my throat burned. I always nodded. That was how I survived. That was how I stayed. Lara is Caelan's ex-girlfriend. She left him a few months back after he announced that he’d be marking me soon. He loves her, the kind of love I always wanted from him. It made me jealous, almost bitter whenever I saw them sharing what I wanted. I sat on the vanity, taking the pills out slowly, “Caelan… tomorrow is the ball.” “I know.” “Will I…will I move into the house then?” The question slipped out before I could stop it. Hope was a dangerous thing. I still carried too much of it. He paused, just for a moment. Not enough to turn back. Not enough to look at me. “We’ll see,” he said. Those words had haunted me for years. It’s been five years down the line since wolfland was cleansed of darkness— my family—the Veynes I come from a lineage of villains who are now extinct. We once lived in a land called Darkvale. Darkvale was the beginning of the Veynes, and it also became our end. My father, Xanax Veyne was killed by Caelan Rook and his father, Drisded Rook. My mother, Josey, went missing during the incident. Everyone believes she died in the fire that claimed half of Darkvale. I believe…I believe she’s dead too. I was just fifteen, yet I prayed to be killed. But fate has its way of dealing with you. Caelan and I experienced the glaze just before he could render the final blow. And it’s been two of us since then. A captor and his hostage. An alpha to be and his hated Luna to be. How in god's name would his pack accept a villain like me as their Luna? The door opened before I could say anything else. Lara. She walked in like she owned the room. Like she owned him. Her hand rested on her swollen belly, her smile sharp and pleased when her eyes landed on me. “Oh,” she said sweetly. “You’re still here. I need the room puppet. Getout!” I shrank without meaning to. “Lara,” Caelan called immediately. His voice was cold, final. “Leave her alone.” Lara scoffed. “I was just saying hello. And I need to be with my love” she crossed, stepped on me with her heels intentionally and kissed him passionately. The pain that stung my foot was nothing compared to the compression of my heart in my chest. I’ve always wanted to be cordial with Lara. I worshipped her the same way I worshipped Caelan. At least until today. “I got you something. Something for the baby.” I muttered. Their attention shifted to me. “What did you say?” Lara hissed. “Lara keep your voice down,” Caelan cautioned. I padded barefoot across the room and took out a box. “Here,” I extended the gift in my hand with a smile. She crossed and took the gift and scanned it with her eyes. “Cheap, worthless, and filled with darkness like the giver,” she scoffed, tossing it back. “Burn it.” The box hit my chest and fell to the floor. I stared at it for a moment, my smile still fixed on my face even as something inside me cracked. I bent slowly and picked it up, my fingers trembling. “I thought you’d like it,” I said softly. “It’s for protection.” “Protection?” Lara laughed. “From what? Yourself?” “From you, actually,” I blurted. It came out without thinking, and I mustered courage to say more. “To protect your child from taking after you,” I added. “Enough,” Caelan crossed the room sharply, just in time to stop her from giving me a slap. But he did not come to me. Lara smirked. “You see?” she said to me. “Even when he defends you, he never chooses you.” Her words sank deep because they were true. “Go,” Caelan told me, finally turning. “Pick a dress for the ball. Do not wander too far.” I nodded. “Of course,” I clutched the box to my chest and walked out without another word. The hallway felt too long, the walls too close. My feet carried me forward. I did not go to the seamstress.I did not go back to my room. I kept walking until the castle faded behind me and the forest swallowed me whole. Where did I go wrong? I had given him five years. Five years of obedience. Five years of love offered quietly, carefully, like it might shatter if held too tightly. And still, I was nothing more than a shadow in his life. The air grew colder as I walked deeper. My tears dried on my cheeks, replaced by numbness. I wiped my face with the back of my hand and lifted my head, determined to find somewhere, anywhere, to breathe. A sound reached me then. Water. I followed it without thinking, pushing past the last line of trees until the river revealed itself. Moonlight danced across the surface. The waves called to me, and I answered, taking off the same gown I’d just put on. I walked into the river, not stopping until I was neck deep. I took a deep breath before going underneath the surface. Breathing underwater was something my mother taught me when I was little. I mastered the art before the age of ten, and now it felt as easy as skipping a rope. Motion towards my left pulled my attention, forcing my head out of the water. I turned towards its direction, and there, standing waist-deep in the water, was a man. His back was to me, muscles carved like stone, scars lining bronze skin like stories written in pain. Long silver-black hair fell loose down his spine. He lifted his hands, brushing hair backward, water dripping slowly as if time itself had slowed for him. I froze. Only one species of creature had those features. Lycans. My breath caught. My heart stuttered as he turned. Amber eyes met mine, glowing softly in the dark. Not startled. Not angry. Just sharp and aware, like he had sensed me long before I stepped into the clearing. I stepped back, ready to flee. “You should not be here,” he said. ******************