Claimed by My Ruthless Alpha Boss

Lyra POV I keep my head down as I grab my purse and lunch bag from the bottom drawer of my desk and take off for the elevator. I’m supposed to be meeting my sister, Elowen, downstairs for lunch in five minutes and I don’t want to be late. Some of my other coworkers stepped onto the elevator with me, all of us headed for lunch, I’m sure. I try to hide in the back. I figure by now at least a few of them have caught onto the fact that I have no idea what a cybersecurity junior analyst does, and that I am in no way qualified for my job at Alpha Cybersecurity. I’ll admit, when Elowen and I first got to Forest Park, Colorado, we were both a little desperate to find a job. My younger sister and I showed up in this town with only a few dollars and whatever we could carry. We were almost broke, and when we discovered that a few businesses down by the forest were looking to hire, we applied. Elowen is actually qualified for her job over at Leader of the Pack Marketing. She’s a phenomenal artist and loves what she does. I’m so dang proud of her for all her accomplishments. It makes everything we’ve been through worth it, as long as she’s fulfilled. I, on the other hand, lied on my application. To be fair, I know my way around a computer and I’d like to think I’m competent enough to learn on my feet. Either way, I managed to convince someone at Alpha Cybersecurity to give me a job. Now I’m worried that I won’t be able to hold onto it. Turns out there’s more to being an analyst than computers and numbers. “Lyra!” Elowen calls, waving excitedly as soon as I step off the elevator, and I grin and head over to join her. I shake my head, clearing my anxious thoughts. The three businesses, Alpha Cybersecurity, Leader of the Pack Marketing, and Full Moon Real Estate Development, all border the forest. They also all share a main lobby on the ground floor, elevator banks, and a cafeteria. That’s where we’re headed now. Even though I’ve been here for a few weeks, I’m still not used to the decadence surrounding us as we make our way to lunch. It might not be much to some people, but to my sister and me, it’s more lavish than anything we ever saw growing up. The floors are marbled, the walls a complimentary off-white color with tiny threads of gold somehow woven throughout. The lobby itself boasts golden accents and a fountain. Even the hallway to the cafeteria is lined with tasteful and interesting art pieces with ambient lighting. “How’s it going?” Elowen asks, her sweet voice bringing me back into the present as we take out our peanut butter sandwiches and pretzels. We eat the same thing every day for lunch since we can’t afford much else. Our paychecks here barely cover the rent for our cramped little apartment and meals. We walk everywhere and save the rest since we never know when we’re going to have to pack up and run again. God, I hope we get to stay here. I’m so tired of looking over my shoulder or lying awake at night listening for possible intruders. The times I drift to sleep are filled with worry and the ever-present threat of being caught and forced back into that hellhole. “Good,” I lie, but I can tell Elowen knows I’m not being honest. “What about you?” She eyes me skeptically, a slight frown pulling at her lips. She wisely decides this isn’t the time or the place to push me on the subject. “Things are going alright. I’m on this new project designing a logo for a car dealership.” “Sounds fun.” “It’s not,” she sighs dramatically. “They don’t want anything creative or fun. Just the usual steering wheel or car next to their name. I want a challenge! Give me something with a little oomph, you know?” I give her a sympathetic smile, then roll my eyes. “Well, I’ve been studying numbers all morning, so…” “So, you win,” she says with a laugh, and I join her as I take a bite of my sandwich. I look around the cafeteria, scanning to see if I can recognize anyone. I’m pretty sure we’re safe here, but it’s a habit I can’t seem to quit ever since Elowen and I packed up and ran one night. Elowen and I grew up in the First Coming cult. My mom and dad joined when we were just three. I have no idea what prompted them to up and sell everything they had in order to join, but I’d like to think it wasn’t always as horrible as it is now. However, just a year and a half later, my mom was done. She couldn’t stand the lifestyle, and apparently, she couldn’t stand being a mom. While I understand the desire for her to leave, I can’t forgive her for abandoning Elowen and me, knowing we’d have to grow up in a cult. First Coming doesn’t treat women very well. Okay, that’s the understatement of the century. Women are second-class citizens who are expected to obey their husbands and fathers without question. I figured out the hard way what happens when you push back on the leadership’s ideas. Curiosity, especially from a woman, is rewarded with swift punishment, either a lashing or time in solitary. The sole godly purpose for women is to stay in the house, cooking, cleaning, and tending to the needs of the family, especially the husband’s demands. The leader of First Coming, malrik, announced a few months ago that Elowen was to be one of his wives when she turned eighteen. My father was over the moon, bragging to anyone who would listen that his daughter was special, chosen by the prophet himself. Elowen wanted nothing to do with malrik. We’ve all heard the horror stories of the things his wives have to endure. It’s all whispered gossip, of course, but there’s some truth to the rumors. Some of his wives hide bruises or even disappear altogether. I couldn’t let that happen to my baby sister. Her heartbroken sobs when she found out will always haunt me. I had to get her out of there.