Rejected By MY Mate And Claimed By A Ruthless Alpha

THE MIDNIGHT INTRUDER

CHAPTER 6:

Lyra's POV

I jolted awake, sitting up fast in my bed, eyes scanning the room. Something had woken me up, but I didn't know what it was. In the back of my mind, a growl rumbled silently. My wolf was up too, and on edge. The sudden appearance of my wolf still irked me slightly. Was this really how having a wolf felt? It was weird, and I knew my adjustment to it was going to take a long while.

Still, I didn't think it had woken me up casually. Obviously something was going on. I stayed quiet, watching the dark room, listening carefully.

The service door handle jiggled. My heart skipped a beat, and I jumped slightly under the covers. Someone was trying to get into the room? A servant? At this hour? That was improbable. What would they even be doing here?

The words of the girl from earlier that day rang in my head. They thought I was dangerous. I couldn't see a reason they would come anywhere near me.

Unless this was someone who thought they could do something about my supposed danger. The thought flashed through my mind, quick and quiet, but stirring up such fear in me that I almost buckled.

What if the person was here to attack me? Here to dispose of the dangerous little mutt everyone was talking about?

The door jiggled again.

All of a sudden, a fury swept over me. It was like another person had taken my mind and forcefully stripped the fear away, leaving only anger.

Why should I be scared? Why should I give them the pleasure of an easy target? If they wanted to kill me, they were going to have to try way, way harder than this.

I wasn't going to bare my throat and roll over for anyone.

With a strength and speed I didn't know I possessed, I ripped myself out of bed and sped towards the door, just as it banged open. My fist flew fast and righteous right into...

Right into the hands of Eryx. He covered my hand in one meaty palm, the movement, pure reflex. I saw his face go from slight confusion to cynical amusement. I was flabbergasted.

Since last night I'd been faster and stronger, and I'd thrown everything I had behind that punch. And he just caught it. So casually that his body had reacted before his brain even caught up.

I had much to learn. So much.

At the sight of Eryx though, a wave of heat tore through me, sending shivers up my spine and down to my bones. I could feel it rise up within me and congeal between my legs, pulsing with a dark red fire.

I looked at him and saw it in his eyes. He knew. He could smell it. He could feel it too.

I pushed the feeling down and dragged my fist from his hand, crossing my arms and trying to adopt a serious look.

"What do you want?"

He looked at me and said in a flat tone, "You can't fight, can you?"

I blushed slightly, feeling embarrassed and angry. "No, I can't."

He didn't say anything, and nothing in his eyes suggested that he thought it was funny or embarrassing or anything of the sort.

He just regarded me, his eyes as silent as him. The man was like a stone wall, he didn't express anything.

He simply nodded, "Figures. That was a good attempt though."

The compliment left me feeling strangely pleased with myself. I brushed it off. "What are you doing here?" I asked again.

In response, he strode into the room, pushing past me and leaving me to close the door behind him.

He settles into one of the chairs and motions for me to join him. I remain standing.

His face hardens. "Sit," he says.

A force slams into my mind, and before I know what I'm doing, I'm seated on the edge of the bed, waiting for him to speak. I guess I should have expected him to do something like that. He was the Alpha King, of course. He probably wasn't used to disobedience. Didn't condone it.

"Do you like your accommodations?" He asked.

I shrugged. "I'm locked in a room, like a princess in a tower, but yeah, the food's good and the bed is soft, so I'm cool."

"Your sarcasm isn't appreciated."

"You have me trapped against my will. How would you have me feel?"

Eryx blinked at that, the first indication of his internal cognition I'd seen. "Trapped? No. You're being protected."

"Protected or contained?" I asked.

He looked at me steadily. "I see you've talked to one of the staff."

He stood and walked towards me. In the darkness of the room, with the only light coming from behind windows and under doors, his movements looked predatory. Like a hunter stalking his meal.

"Do you remember last night?" He said, hooking a finger under my chin and raising it up. Not gently. Not forcefully. Just like he expected my obedience.

And I obeyed.

I looked into his eyes and nodded, breath coming faster, heat spreading within me.

"I protected you. And then I laid claim to you. Do you remember this?

I nodded again, a gasp escaping my lips, eyes fixed on his.

"You. Are. Mine. And I keep what is mine safe.

Within me, I felt my wolf wither at his touch, both of us at the mercy of him and his wolf.

I felt my wolf shuffle and reach out to his, and I saw his eyes flash, a bright orange, for a second.

"What are you doing here?" I ask one more time, words tumbling out shaky from my mouth, like a newborn cub.

"I could smell you from outside," he said.

I raised my hands tentatively, sliding them slowly under his shirt. Our skins touched and my body exploded.

For a second, I felt him. His body was hard, muscled. His skin was rough, lined with raised bumps everywhere. Scars, I realised with a start.

Then I felt him step away, his body receding from mine, and my wolf and I both cried out in pain. He shook his head slowly.

"Control yourself." He said.

I made to him, but he stepped away again. The heat within me urged me forward. My wolf called to him, and he didn't respond. He looked me in the eyes, and said, "No."

Suddenly, I felt very tired. I stumbled and swayed slightly, looking at him. Then I fell.

He was there before I hit the ground, cradling me, shaking me.

The last thing I saw were his eyes, looking at me.