THE JEALOUS ALPHA

Darkness.

Only the beeping of machines.

_Kael Veyron_ lay on the bed. White bandages. A bandage across his chest.

Unconscious for 3 days.

_Torin_ stood by the door. Eyes red. "Alpha... please wake up."

Only the sound of rain in the room.

Suddenly...

The beeping sped up.

Kael’s finger twitched.

"Alpha?" Torin rushed forward.

Kael’s eyes opened. Grey. Empty.

The first word:

"Lyra..."

Torin held his breath. "I’m here, Alpha."

Kael looked around. Empty room.

"Where is she?" His voice was hoarse.

"Who, Alpha?"

"LYRA!!!!" Kael screamed and tried to get up. The wound tore open. Blood.

"Don’t!" Torin grabbed him. "She... she left."

Kael froze. Breathing hard.

"Left...?" he whispered.

"Yes. 3 days ago. After the war."

Kael closed his eyes. The pain in his heart was worse than the wound.

He put a hand on his chest. Right on the mark.

It was almost gone now. Faint.

"The mate bond... it’s breaking," Kael said.

Torin stayed silent.

---

*2 DAYS LATER*

Kael was healing. Physically.

Mentally, he wasn’t.

He stayed at the training grounds all day. Swords. Blood. Sweat.

Drank at night.

The pack whispered. "The Alpha’s gone mad."

_Elara_ said: "Someone bring Miss Wynter back. Or the Alpha won’t survive."

Torin lowered his head. "She won’t come back."

---

*DRAKEHOLD - SAME TIME*

_Lyra_ lived alone in a small cabin on the edge of the woods.

Alone. The physical wound had healed. But the wound in her heart?

Every night the mark on her chest ached.

She looked in the mirror. The mark was 90% gone.

`Good.` she thought. `I’ll be free.`

A knock.

The door opened.

_Rylan Drake_ stood there. Flowers and food in his hands.

"Again?" Lyra said coldly.

Rylan came in. "I can’t stay away from you."

He set the tray down. "Eat. You’ve gotten too thin."

Lyra didn’t touch the food.

Rylan sat close to her. "Heard about Kael?"

Lyra’s heart sank. "What?"

"He’s lost it. Destroying the whole pack. Drinking. Fighting."

Lyra closed her eyes. Guilt.

"Come with me," Rylan took her hand. "I’ll protect you. From him. And from myself."

Lyra pulled her hand away. "I don’t need protection."

Rylan stood. "You’re stubborn. Fine. But remember... when he dies, it’ll be your fault."

And he left.

Lyra was alone again. By the window.

---

*BLACKTHORN - NIGHT*

There was a party. For a political alliance.

Pack girls in expensive gowns, one after another.

All eyes were on _Kael_. Sitting at the bar, drinking.

_Selene_ - a beautiful Luna candidate - approached him. "Alpha? Dance?"

Kael looked at her. Smelled her.

Disgust.

"Get away from me," he said.

Selene’s face fell. "But Alpha..."

"I SAID GET AWAY!" He slammed the table. Glasses shattered.

Silence.

Kael got up and left.

To the rooftop.

Rain.

He looked at the sky. "Lyra... where are you?"

And then he smelled it.

Cold. Like rain.

Kael’s heart stopped. Then he ran.

Down the stairs. Down the hall.

And stopped.

At the end of the corridor...

_Lyra_ stood there. In a black coat. Soaked.

Kael couldn’t breathe.

"Lyra," he whispered.

Lyra looked up. "I... I just came for medicine. For the pack."

A lie.

Kael walked to her. Slowly. Like he was afraid she’d run.

"How are you?" The softest words he’d said in 5 years.

Lyra didn’t answer.

Kael reached out. To touch her cheek.

Lyra stepped back. "Don’t touch me."

A knife to the heart.

"Okay," Kael said. "I won’t."

Silence.

Then Kael asked: "Are you... with Rylan?"

Poison in the question.

Lyra closed her eyes. "No."

"Don’t lie to me."

"It’s the truth," Lyra said. "I’m with no one."

Kael laughed. It hurt. "Right. Then come with me."

"No."

"WHY?!" Kael roared. The walls shook.

Lyra flinched. "Because... because if I stay... I’ll break again."

Kael’s anger cooled. Helplessness took its place.

Softly he said: "I won’t break you again. I promise."

Lyra looked into his eyes. Saw the truth.

Her heart said: `Believe him.`

Her mind said: `Don’t.`

She turned to leave.

Kael caught her wrist. Gently.

Lyra stopped.

"Just 5 minutes," Kael said. "Hear me out."

Lyra nodded.

Kael led her to his room.

---

*KAEL'S ROOM*

Dark. Only one candle.

On the wall... pictures.

All of them of Lyra. Age 20. From their mating ceremony. Hidden away.

Lyra’s breath caught.

"You... kept them?" she asked.

Kael lowered his head. "Yes. I look at them every night. And hate myself."

Silence.

Kael knelt in front of her.

An Alpha. On his knees.

"Forgive me," he said. "For that night. For my pride. For everything."

Lyra’s heart was breaking.

She lifted her hand. To run it through his hair.

And stopped at the last second.

"It’s too late," she said. And ran for the door.

Kael chased her.

In the corridor.

_Rylan_ was standing there.

Sword in hand. Eyes red.

"So that’s how it is," Rylan said. "That’s why you came back?"

Lyra froze. Caught in the middle.

Kael stepped forward. In front of Rylan. "Stay away from her."

Rylan laughed. "Or what? You’ll reject her again?"

A knife.

Kael raised his fist.

Rylan did too.

_Lyra_ stood between them.

"STOP!" Lyra screamed.

Both froze.

Lyra took a breath. "I’m tired. Tired of both of you fighting over me."

She looked at Kael. "You broke me."

Then Rylan. "And you want to buy me."

Then both of them. "I don’t belong to anyone."

And she ran between them. Out into the rain.

---

*AFTER*

Kael punched the wall. Blood.

Rylan slammed his sword to the ground.

They looked at each other. Enemies.

---

*3 AM*

Kael had the dream again.

But this time it was different.

Lyra stood at the edge of the sea. Back to him.

Kael called out: "Lyra."

Lyra turned. But her face... her face was blurred.

"I’m leaving," she said. "Going far away."

"WAIT!" Kael reached out.

Lyra walked into the sea. Drowned.

Kael woke up screaming.

Sweat. Gasping.

He put a hand to his chest. The mark...

GONE.

The mate bond was broken.

"NO!" Kael clenched his fist.

He ran barefoot. Out of the mansion. Into the jungle.

"LYRA!!!!"

Only his voice echoed through the jungle.

No answer.

Just rain.

---

*MORNING*

News came in.

_Miss Wynter_ had left the pack.

No one knew where.

Kael said nothing when he heard.

He just picked up his sword. Put on his jacket.

Torin asked: "Where are you going, Alpha?"

Kael looked at the door.

"To find her," he said. "To the ends of the earth."

And he left.

Behind him, _Rylan_ also left with his guards.

Both heading to the same destination.

_Lyra._

---

*FAR AWAY - A NEW CITY*

_Lyra_ was working at a small clinic. Under a new name: "Miss Winter".

At night she’d stand in front of the mirror. Look at her chest.

The mark was gone.

But her heart?

The pain was still there.

She clenched her fist.

`It’s over. All of it.`

Then a voice from outside.

"Miss Winter? Someone’s here to see you."

Lyra’s heart stopped.

The door opened.

And standing there...

_Kael_. 10 days of stubble. Exhausted. Eyes red.

And behind him...

_Rylan_. Smiling.

Both of them.

Lyra’s world stopped.