Claimed by the Alpha King
1186 Words
CHAPTER TWO
Lyra’s POV
The rogue’s grip tightened on my arm. Pain shot through me, but I barely felt it. All I could focus on was him—the man standing in the shadows. There was something about him that made the air feel heavy, as if even the forest itself knew he didn’t belong here.
Everything around him seemed compelled to obey.
The rogues felt it too. I could see the brief flicker of hesitation on their faces. But it didn’t last.
“This doesn’t concern you,” the rogue holding me said, trying to sound confident.
The man finally tore his eyes off me and looked at him.
“You’re touching what’s mine.”
My breath caught. Mine?
The word echoed in my head—confusing and terrifying all at once.
The rogue laughed, but it sounded forced.
“Yours?” he sneered. “She’s just some weak—”
He never finished. He didn’t get the chance.
In a flash, the man moved—fast as lightning. One moment he was standing still. The next, he was right in front of us. His hand shot out, grabbing the rogue’s wrist. A sharp twist followed by a loud c***k split the air. The rogue screamed as his grip on me broke.
I stumbled backward, heart racing. Before the rogue could recover, a brutal punch landed square in the middle of his forehead, spilling blood from his nose and mouth. He dropped to the ground like a discarded puppet.
The others rushed in, growling, claws extended. But the man didn’t retreat. He stepped forward slowly, hands clasped behind his back.
The first rogue lunged. He dodged effortlessly, as if he had seen it coming, then drove his elbow into the attacker’s chest. The second barely got close before he was grabbed and hurled aside like he weighed nothing. His body slammed into the ground.
The last rogue hesitated—just for a second. That was all the man needed. He closed the distance and delivered a devastating blow to the abdomen, sending the rogue flying into a tree. The body slid down and lay still.
One clean, brutal sequence, and the fight was over. I looked around. The rogues were still alive… barely. He could have killed them all, but he hadn’t.
Silence blanketed the clearing. I stood frozen, chest heaving, trying to process what I had just witnessed. The man turned toward me, and for the first time, I saw his face clearly.
He looked young—maybe early thirties. Dark hair, slightly messy, like he didn’t care enough to fix it. Cold eyes that didn’t soften even when they landed on me. It wasn’t just his looks that felt icy. It was his presence—like standing too close to a gathering storm.
“You’re burning,” he said, his voice low.
I swallowed hard. “I don’t know what’s happening.”
He stepped closer. With every stride, my heartbeat quickened. It wasn’t just fear. The heat inside me reacted too, flaring hotter.
His scent reached me before he did, wrapping around me and pulling at something deep inside. My knees weakened. I took a shaky step back.
“I… I need to go,” I said quickly.
I had nowhere to go, but staying felt far more dangerous.
His eyes darkened. “No.”
My breath hitched. “I have to—”
“You’re in heat,” he interrupted.
My face burned. “I’m not—”
“You are.” He cut me off again, refusing to let me finish.
Deep down, I knew he was right. The inside of my skin felt like a furnace, and I had no safe place to cool down.
“I’ve never…” I whispered. “My wolf—”
“Isn’t dormant,” he finished.
My head snapped up. “What?”
He stepped even closer until there was almost no space left between us. “You’ve been suppressed.”
“I don’t understand…”
“You don’t need to.”
The way he spoke made it sound like everything had already been decided.
“I can’t stay here,” I said, panic rising again. “Those rogues—what if there are more?”
“There won’t be.”
“How do you know?”
“Because they won’t come near me.”
I paused. “Who are you?”
He held my gaze for a long moment before answering. “Someone you don’t want to cross.”
That wasn’t really an answer, yet somehow it felt like enough.
The heat flared again. I gasped softly as my body betrayed me. My fingers curled as I fought to steady myself.
“I don’t feel right…”
“I know.”
His eyes dropped slightly, and my breath caught once more.
“You need to be controlled.”
My heart skipped. “Controlled?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t need—”
“You do.”
He stepped even closer. My back hit a tree before I realized I had been retreating. I felt trapped, my breathing ragged.
His hand lifted slightly, as if he might touch me, but he stopped.
“You don’t understand what happens if this gets worse,” he said.
“Then explain it to me!” I demanded, my voice weak and breathless.
“You’ll beg.”
The words came out low, sending a tight coil through my stomach.
“I won’t,” I said quickly.
His lips tilted—just the ghost of a smile. “You will.”
I shook my head, even as my body reacted in ways I couldn’t control. “I don’t even know you.”
“You don’t need to.”
Silence stretched between us as we stared at each other. Finally, he spoke.
“Eryx.”
I blinked. “What?”
“It’s my name,” he said calmly.
Eryx. The name felt important, though I had never heard it before.
“I’m Lyra,” I said quietly.
“I know,” he replied.
The quiet confidence in his voice made me pause. “How?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he stepped back just enough to give me a little space. “Can you walk?”
I nodded, even though I wasn’t sure. “Yes.”
“Good.”
“Where are we going?”
“You’re coming with me.”
My heart jumped. “What? No—I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Look at me,” he said, locking eyes with mine. “You won’t survive the night out here alone.” He paused. “The way I see it, you don’t have a choice.”
He was right. I didn’t.
“Just trust me,” he said, stretching out his hand. “Because I need you just as much as you need me.”
I didn’t know why, but those words made my chest tighten in a completely different way.
One thought stayed crystal clear in my mind:
I had just left my old life behind.
And whatever came next was going to change everything.
- Writer
