THE ALPHA'S LURE

CHAPTER4

Leif's Point of View

My pen moved across the paper while she stood still as a terrified deer staring into intense headlights.

Her figure was smaller than I had anticipated. Skin and bones. Had my hands ascended any further during the measurement I would have touched each of her ribs. It sickened me. She should be strong. The Alpha blood that flowed through her veins showed her true heritage according to Odin. She should’ve been a force.

But that wasn’t all. Her reaction of wincing became apparent when I took her measurements. It wasn’t fear. It was pain. Beneath that oversized maid’s dress she wore she was concealing something she wanted me to remain unaware of.

I had to ask. “You’re injured, aren’t you?”

Her reply came instantly yet I could sense its falsehood. “No.”

I didn’t believe it for a second. She moved her head back and forth in an attempt to make herself believe her own lie. A strand of her black hair escaped the holder at the back of her head and landed in front of her face.

Neah was her name until she took on the identity of Sigrid. I knew that much. I understood that Sigrid would not reveal her secrets without a great deal of effort. Her prolonged experience of starvation and torture in captivity taught her to protect herself expertly. She would keep all information from me if possible.

Trey would face the consequences of his actions against her.

“Sigrid, there’s no need for silence,” I whispered gently. What Trey taught you doesn’t interest me. There's no need to wait for others to ask questions before speaking up. Speak when you want to speak.”

She lowered her gaze. There was a weight in her eyes.

I couldn't tell if what I saw in her was fear, guilt or something completely different.

I stepped closer, reaching for her arm. As I touched her skin to mark the measurement she flinched again. “You’ve been hurt. You can’t hide it from me.”

She stiffened, her voice soft but shaky. “It’s nothing.”

I maintained my hold while sensing the quivering through her body. I muttered "Sigrid" as my voice deepened by one octave. “Why won’t you speak the truth?”

Her chest tightened, and she swallowed hard. As she opened her mouth she seemed ready to speak but then she closed it again.

The silence stretched before I decided to let her speak. “Are you injured?” I asked again.

She paused briefly before responding that it was just a cut. It happens sometimes.”

My heart beat faster, my gut clenching. The cut could not account for her painful expression. “Show me,” I demanded, my voice firm.

She moved her head back and forth while her hands gripped the dress's hem. “I don’t want to.”

You must remain in this room until you reveal what I need to see.

She froze. Her heart rate accelerated yet she remained stationary. She wasn’t going to make this easy.

I stepped back, giving her space. I won't let you go until you show me what's wrong with you.

Her breath deepened as she began to unbutton her dress while the tension between us grew stronger.

I couldn’t look away.

With shaking hands she paused before revealing enough of her stomach skin for my view. It wasn’t just a cut.

A dark angry bruise ran beneath her dress's hem and spread across her skin like a shadow. And that wasn’t all. The injury appeared recent because it went beyond a mere scratch and remained untreated.

I wasn’t going to let this go. “Sigrid,” I whispered, “who hurt you?”

Her eyes darted away. She wouldn’t look me in the face. She attempted to hide her wounds but I understood the necessary next steps. I moved to pull her dress lower. I wasn’t asking anymore. I was taking control.

She whispered "Stop" in a frail voice yet I continued unabated.

The damage to her back matched the injuries on her front. I could feel my stomach knot up. Whips. Scars. Her body displayed an entire atlas of pain as if she’d been ripped open and stitched together well over a hundred times.

Her ribs protruded excessively while her body remained weak and delicate. She had lost nearly all her strength which made me contemplate whether she would ever regain the safety needed to build her strength again.

I held her gently by the shoulders as I turned her back around. “Who did this?” I demanded again.

Her eyes filled with tears but she remained silent. She couldn’t. Her eyes revealed a deep hiding place where everything was locked away along with the pain she carried with her.

“I need to know, Sigrid. I’m not leaving you like this.”

Her gaze shifted away as she bit her lip while her entire body shook.

I released her briefly while I paced in the confined area. "You need to see a healer," I stated through clenched teeth. You shouldn’t be handling this situation by yourself. You don’t need to hide anymore.”

She shook her head again. “It’s fine. It heals.”

“You’re lying.” I moved closer to her while keeping my steadfast gaze. “Why aren’t you healing? Why haven’t you healed from this yet?”

Sigrid began to cry while her chin trembled. “It’s just... It always heals eventually.”

I took her wrist using a gentle yet strong grip to move her hand away from her body. She gasped, but I didn’t let go.

Who hurt you, Sigrid?” I repeated my question in a quiet demanding tone.

A c***k appeared in her voice while she softly said the name. “Trey. His mate. Cassandra. The pack.”

A snarl rumbled in my chest. “Trey? Trey was the one who made that claim to you?” I clenched my fists.

“Yes,” she whispered. This happened as punishment for what I did and what I was blamed for.

I didn’t understand. “What did you do?”

She lowered her gaze, her voice trembling. “My parents... I didn’t—”

I cut her off. “I don’t believe it. You’re not guilty of anything.”

Our eyes locked momentarily as if she anticipated my comprehension. “The Blood of Ulvenbane,” she whispered.

My mind buzzed. The Blood of Ulvenbane existed only through whispered legends as a perilous dark force linked to their ancestry. It had been cursed for centuries.

The room was too small. My body was too tense. The pieces were beginning to connect too much at once. Sigrid wasn’t just another broken soul. She was more. She found herself entwined with an ancient force that held both power and danger.

But the question still gnawed at me. Why was she here?

I asked “Are you sure?” while keeping my voice to just above a whisper. You never served merely as a chess piece in their scheme?

Sigrid flinched, and my heart pounded harder. I felt uncertain about my ability to shield her from all the dangers she faced.

But I had to try.

I faced away and started pacing while the overwhelming burden of my situation pressed down on me.

My Wolf—Rune—howled in my mind, angry, protective. “She’s ours, Leif. Do something.”

I faced her once more and the agony visible in her eyes penetrated my being.

Sigrid...

The full truth remained unknown to me.

What did Trey’s pack demand of her?