No Safe Place

Lyra’s heart pounded as the two security men stood there. Xavier moved in front of her fast, his body blocking hers like a wall. 

"Details", he ordered.

The taller guard spoke quickly. “Two men tried to cut the power on the private elevator. They had tools for the penthouse doors. We caught them before they got in, but they fought hard. One is dead. The other is talking downstairs.”

Xavier’s hands curled into fists. “Who sent them?”

“They say it was board member Harlan Crowe. He wants proof you’re hiding a dangerous girl. He plans to use it against you at the next meeting.”

Lyra stepped around Xavier even though her legs felt weak. “They came for me. This is my fault.”

Xavier turned to her, eyes sharp. “No. This is Crowe’s move. He has wanted my seat for years. You are just the new weapon he found.” He looked back at his men. “Double the guards. No one comes up without my direct order. And bring the live one to the lower interrogation room. I will handle him myself.”

The guards left. The penthouse felt smaller now, like the walls were closing in.

Lyra crossed her arms tight over her chest. “I should not be here. If they keep coming, Toby could get hurt next. Take me back to the Fringe. I can hide.”

Xavier walked closer. He towered over her, but she did not step back. “You signed the contract. Running now would break it, and your brother’s safety goes with it. Kane would take him the same day.”

Her eyes stung. She thought of Toby’s small smile in that car photo. He finally had a chance at real medicine and warm food. She could not take that away. “I hate this,” she said, her voice low. “I hate depending on you. I hate that my life is now tied to yours.”

Xavier watched her for a long moment. “Good. Keep hating it. It will keep you sharp.” But his voice sounded a little different, rougher than before. He turned away and poured a glass of water, then pushed it toward her. “Drink. You lost blood last night. Don’t pass out on me.”

She took the glass but did not drink right away. “You had a bad episode at dinner. Does that happen a lot?”

“Too often, lately," he sat down heavily in one of the chairs. “The curse gets stronger every month. My wolf wants blood and chaos. The board knows it. They think a quiet human wife will calm things down for the investors. Make me look normal.”

Lyra sat across from him. “And you picked me because I am not quiet.”

A small, cold smile touched his lips. “I picked you because you are strong enough to stand in front of a blade and still fight. Most girls would cry. You looked ready to burn the whole room.”

She felt a strange warmth in her chest but pushed it away fast. This man was not her friend. “I did what I had to do. Don’t read too much into it.”

They sat in silence for a while. Lyra finally drank the water. It felt good on her dry throat. She kept thinking about the men who came for her. If they got inside, would she have been able to use that golden power again? Or would it stay locked inside as it had for years?

Xavier’s phone buzzed. He read the message, and his face went hard. “Crowe just called an emergency board call for tomorrow. He is pushing for a vote on my fitness to lead. Says I am unstable and keeping secrets that could destroy the company.”

Lyra leaned forward. “Then we give him what he wants to see. A calm fiancée who makes you look steady. I can play the part. I’ve been pretending to be normal my whole life.”

He studied her face. “You would do that?”

“For Toby? Yes.” She met his eyes straight on. “But after thirty days, I walk away. No extra games. No, trying to keep me here.”

Xavier stood up and came around the table. He stopped right in front of her chair. Up close he smelled like cedarwood and something strong that made her pulse jump. “Deal. But while you are here, you follow my rules. Stay close. Stay smart. And do not use that power unless I say so. It is too dangerous for both of us.”

Lyra stood too, refusing to let him look down on her. “I am not your dog, Xavier. I will protect myself if I need to. And if your wolf gets out of control again, I will do what I did at dinner. Not because I care about you. Because I need you alive to keep your promise.”

His ice-blue eyes darkened. For a second, she thought he might touch her, but he kept his hands at his sides. The air felt thick between them. Heavy with words neither of them wanted to say yet.

A knock sounded on the main door. One of the guards called out, “Sir, the prisoner is ready." He says Crowe offered big money for the girl. Alive.”

Xavier’s jaw tightened. “Stay here,” he told Lyra. “Lock the door behind me.”

She grabbed his arm before he could leave. “Be careful. If they want me alive, they might try something else tonight.”

He looked at her hand on his arm. Something soft crossed his face for half a second, then the cold mask returned. “I don’t need your worry.”

But he did not pull away right away.

Lyra let go and stepped back. “Good. Because I don’t plan on giving it.”

Xavier left. The door clicked shut. Lyra locked it as he said, then walked to the big windows. The city lights stretched out below like a sea of stars. Somewhere down there, Toby was safe for now. But for how long?

She touched the spot on her side where the bullet had hit. It still ached. Everything was moving too fast. This fake life, this fake engagement, this man who made her feel angry and something else that she did not want to name.

Her phone lit up with a new message from an unknown number.

*We know what you are. Gold eyes. Ancient blood. Come out, or the boy dies.*

Lyra’s blood turned cold. They had Toby’s number. They knew too much already.

She stared at the message, hands shaking. The game had changed again.