#7: Nyra

Nyra

I woke up hungry again.

Not the dull, gnawing ache I’d lived with most of my life, but the sharp, demanding kind that crawled up my throat and insisted on being acknowledged. My stomach growled loud enough to offend my pride, and I cracked one eye open to assess my surroundings like this was some kind of elaborate trap I might’ve missed the first time.

Same room. Same bed. Same wall where the bond had decided to hum all night like it owned the place.

I hadn’t slept much. Turns out sharing a wall with the man your soul had inexplicably latched onto did terrible things to rest. Every time I drifted, I felt him shift on the other side. Not physically, but something inside me reacted. A low pull. Awareness. Heat curling in places I had no business thinking about while technically imprisoned.

Rude, honestly.

I looked up and spotted a basket on the table that hadn’t been there when I fell asleep. Someone – Aria, probably – had come and gone while I slept. I sat up slowly, testing my limbs. Still sore, but not useless. That was progress. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and padded across the rug, peering into the basket like it might bite.

Bread. Soft, still warm. Fruit I didn’t recognize but that smelled sweet. Cheese. Thin slices of meat arranged like someone actually cared. There was even a small jar of honey and a folded note I ignored on principle.

I didn’t hesitate long.

By the time the door opened, I sat cross-legged on the bed with crumbs on my fingers and absolutely no shame, tearing into a piece of bread. I didn’t even hear the sound of the door until he spoke.

“Bold.”

The voice was deep, calm and amused in a way that set my teeth on edge.

I looked up, chewing slowly.

Lucien stood just inside the doorway, arms crossed, black shirt clinging to him like it knew better than to misbehave. His presence filled the room in a way that felt unfair given its size. The bond flared instantly, heat curling sharp and unwelcome through my chest.

I swallowed.

“Good morning to you too,” I said. “Never heard of knocking or is barging in just part of the Alpha charm?”

He ignored me, stepping inside instead and closing the door behind him. He moved to the hearth, added a log from the basket, and watched the flames catch before turning back to me.

One dark brow lifted as his gaze flicked over the food, then back to my face. “You aren’t worried it’s poisoned?”

I glanced down at the half-eaten bread in my hand, then shrugged. “If you wanted me dead, you’ve had plenty of chances. Axe. Dungeon. Silver chains.” I lifted my wrists so the links clinked. “Poison seems beneath you.”

A beat of silence stretched between us.

Something passed over his expression. Not amusement. Not anger. Something quieter.

“Straight to the point, then,” he said suddenly. “Do you know why you’re here?”

“I have several theories,” I replied. “None of them flattering.”

“Humour me.”

I popped a piece of fruit into my mouth and chewed thoughtfully. “Either you’re feeling charitable, which seems unlikely, or you’re planning something unpleasant and want me rested enough to survive it.”

“Incorrect.”

“Damn,” I said. “I was hoping for a dramatic reveal.”

He didn’t smile.

“You saved my life. Why?”

I snorted. “You’re welcome?”

“You had a clear path to escape,” he continued. “You chose not to take it.”

“Bold of you to assume it was clear,” I said, though my chest tightened despite myself.

“You could have run.”

“Probably.”

“You didn’t.”

“No.”

Another stretch of silence. The bond hummed, irritatingly aware of every breath he took, every subtle shift of his weight.

“And?” I prompted.

“And I repay my debts,” Lucien said. “Until I can return the favour, you remain out of the dungeons.”

I glanced around pointedly. “Wow. Such high honour.”

“You are still a prisoner,” he added smoothly. “Just in a much nicer cage. You will remain under my strict watch.”

I grinned. “Gee. You really know how to make a girl feel special.”

His gaze sharpened, something dark flickering there. “Do not mistake this for kindness.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

He stepped closer, close enough that I could smell him properly now. Smoke and pine and something dangerous underneath it all. The bond tightened, insistent, and I forced myself not to react.

“Why did you save me?” he asked again quietly.

I met his eyes. Held them. Let him see exactly how unafraid I was.

“Because you halted my execution.”

“That wasn’t mercy.”

“I didn’t say it was,” I replied. “But you stepped in. You bought me time. So I returned the favour.”

“A life for a life,” he murmured.

I shrugged. “I repay my debts too.”

He studied me quietly for a few more seconds, then turned away, pacing once, then stopped near the window. “You should have fled.”

“Probably,” I agreed. “But I don’t like owing people. Especially monsters.”

He turned back slowly. “Careful.”

“Or what,” I said lightly. “You’ll kill me?”

His jaw tightened.

I felt Lyr whine in my chest, reacting to that, shifting uncontrollably like she didn’t appreciate the thought any more than I did.

I cleared my throat and gestured vaguely with my food. “So... Since we’re being open and honest. Who’s Prince Adrian?”

Lucien went perfectly still.

The silence that followed was heavy enough to feel like pressure on my skin.

“Where did you hear that name,” he asked.

“In the woods,” I said. “Before the vampire died. He whispered it just before I snapped his neck.”

Lucien’s eyes darkened.

“He is someone you should hope to never meet.”

“That bad, huh?”

“Worse.”

I opened my mouth to press, because of course I did, but the door slammed open before I could get the words out. A guard barrelled in without waiting to be acknowledged, breathless and pale.

“Alpha,” he said, dropping to one knee. “The elders have demanded a meeting.”

Lucien didn’t turn when he asked, “What for?”

“They demand to know why the hybrid still lives.”