Chapter 3:The King's Interest

The ride through the forest lasted hours.

No one spoke.

Lyra sat stiffly beside Alpha King Kael Draven, painfully aware of every small movement inside the vehicle.

The silence wasn’t comfortable.

It was heavy.

Dangerous.

Outside the tinted windows, endless trees blurred together beneath the moonlight while black royal SUVs surrounded them from every side.

Even the guards driving seemed tense around Kael.

That alone terrified her.

Lyra kept her gaze fixed outside, trying desperately not to think about everything she had lost tonight.

Rowan’s rejection still ached deep inside her chest.

The bond wound felt raw. Bleeding. Wrong.

Every now and then, sharp pain pulsed through her body unexpectedly, making her breathing hitch.

Kael noticed every single time.

She could feel his eyes shift toward her whenever it happened.

But he never commented on it.

And somehow, that silence felt more intimate than pity would have.

Eventually, Lyra couldn’t take the tension anymore.

“Why did you do it?”

Her voice sounded smaller than she intended.

Kael didn’t look away from the documents in his hand.

“Do what?”

“Take me.”

That made him pause.

Slowly, he lifted his gaze toward her.

The intensity in his gray eyes nearly stole her breath again.

“You needed protection.”

“That’s not a real answer.”

A dangerous silence followed.

Lyra immediately wondered if she had crossed a line.

But instead of getting angry, Kael studied her quietly.

“You speak boldly for someone afraid of me.”

Heat rushed to her face instantly.

“I’m not afraid.”

A lie.

A terrible one.

One corner of Kael’s mouth twitched slightly, like he almost smiled.

Almost.

“You should be.”

The blunt honesty sent chills down her spine.

At least he wasn’t pretending to be kind.

Lyra looked away quickly.

“That still doesn’t explain why you helped me.”

Kael leaned back against the seat slowly.

For a moment, the only sound inside the vehicle was the rain beginning softly against the windows.

Then he finally spoke.

“When I arrived tonight, I sensed something unusual.”

Her brows furrowed slightly.

“About me?”

“Yes.”

“What?”

Kael’s expression darkened thoughtfully.

“I don’t know yet.”

The answer unsettled her more than she expected.

Lyra crossed her arms tightly. “So you took me away from my pack because of curiosity?”

“You no longer had a pack.”

The words landed harder than they should have.

Because they were true.

Moonridge stopped being her home the moment Rowan rejected her before everyone.

Still…

“You could’ve just left me there.”

Kael’s gaze sharpened slightly.

“I don’t abandon things that belong to me.”

Her heartbeat stumbled.

There it was again.

That possessive tone.

Lyra frowned immediately. “I don’t belong to you.”

Silence.

Then Kael said calmly:

“We’ll see.”

Her stomach flipped nervously.

Before she could respond, one of the front guards suddenly spoke through the intercom.

“Your Majesty, we’re approaching the northern checkpoint.”

Kael pressed a button beside him.

“Any issues?”

“No, sir.”

“Good.”

The communication ended instantly.

Lyra watched him carefully now.

Everything about Kael screamed control.

Even the way he sat looked deliberate.

Precise.

Powerful.

Nothing like Rowan’s easy charm and emotional reactions.

Kael felt colder. Older somehow.

Like he carried violence quietly beneath his skin.

“You keep staring at me,” he said suddenly.

Lyra nearly jumped.

“I’m not staring.”

“You are.”

Embarrassment heated her cheeks instantly.

Kael’s eyes darkened slightly as he watched the blush spread across her face.

Then his expression became unreadable again.

“Sleep.”

The command caught her off guard.

“I’m not tired.”

“You’re exhausted.”

She opened her mouth to argue.

Then another wave of rejection pain hit suddenly.

Lyra gasped softly, clutching her chest instinctively.

The bond wound burned viciously.

Kael moved immediately.

Before she could react, his hand wrapped around her wrist firmly.

Heat surged through her skin instantly.

The pain lessened.

Not completely.

But enough to breathe again.

Lyra stared at him in shock.

“What…?”

Kael’s jaw tightened slightly like he was concentrating.

“Your wolf is destabilized.”

“How are you helping?”

“I’m suppressing the damage temporarily.”

Her eyes widened.

Only an Alpha significantly stronger could soothe rejection pain like this.

And Kael was probably the strongest wolf alive.

The realization made her suddenly aware of how close he was.

His large hand still circled her wrist easily.

Warm. Steady. Dangerously comforting.

Lyra’s pulse quickened unexpectedly.

Kael noticed immediately.

His eyes lowered briefly to her throat where her heartbeat fluttered visibly beneath her skin.

Something dark flickered across his expression.

Then he released her abruptly.

The loss of contact felt strangely disappointing.

Lyra looked away quickly, disturbed by her own reaction.

This was insane.

She barely knew him.

And yet…

Her wolf seemed strangely calm around Kael.

Safer than it had felt in months.

The thought alone made her feel guilty.

As if part of her was already betraying the broken remains of her mate bond with Rowan.

The vehicle slowed gradually.

Lights appeared ahead through the rain.

Massive black gates surrounded by stone walls emerged from the darkness.

Lyra’s breath caught softly.

The royal territory.

The gates opened immediately as their convoy approached.

Inside stood something that looked less like a home and more like a fortress.

Towering stone walls. Dark windows glowing gold. Armed royal guards everywhere.

It was beautiful.

And terrifying.

Kael noticed her staring.

“This is Draven Castle.”

Castle.

Of course the Alpha King lived in a castle.

The vehicles stopped beneath a massive covered entrance.

Royal servants and guards lined up instantly outside.

Waiting.

For him.

Lyra suddenly became painfully aware of her appearance.

Her ceremonial dress was wrinkled. Her eyes swollen from crying. Her scent still carried traces of rejection pain.

She looked weak.

Vulnerable.

And every royal wolf outside would notice immediately.

Anxiety twisted sharply in her stomach.

Kael stepped out first.

Every single guard lowered their head instantly.

The power he carried felt overwhelming here.

Absolute.

Then Kael turned back toward the vehicle.

And held his hand out to her again.

Lyra hesitated only briefly this time before taking it.

The moment she stepped outside, dozens of eyes landed on her.

Shock spread visibly across several faces.

Whispers started immediately.

“That’s the girl?”

“She’s an omega…”

“The King brought her here personally?”

Humiliation crept up Lyra’s spine again.

Of course they were judging her.

She almost pulled her hand away from Kael’s.

But his grip tightened slightly.

A warning.

Or reassurance.

Maybe both.

The whispers instantly died.

Kael’s cold gray eyes swept across the gathered wolves.

Fear replaced curiosity immediately.

Then his deep voice cut through the silence.

“She is under my protection.”

The statement echoed across the courtyard sharply.

No one dared speak afterward.

Kael looked down at Lyra briefly.

“From this moment forward,” he said calmly, “any disrespect toward her is disrespect toward the throne.”

The entire courtyard froze.

And suddenly, every wolf staring at Lyra looked terrified instead of judgmental.

Which somehow scared her even more.