Chapter 3: Captive in the Shadow of the Alphas

“Did I hear you correctly, Alpha Mikail?” Rowan asked in a controlled tone, though her eyes betrayed a growing sense of unease. “Are you saying you want to stay with the pack for a few more days?”

Mikail nodded calmly, unfazed by the Alpha’s apparent annoyance.

“I have matters to resolve, and this seems to be the best place. I don’t want to cause any trouble,” Mikail said, though his tone suggested he knew full well how uncomfortable his presence was.

Rowan frowned. Matters to resolve?

Alpha Mikail had asked him to put Lyra in a room after she fainted, causing many in the pack to question his decision.

Now he felt caught between a rock and a hard place for having agreed; he had expected Mikail to impose some kind of punishment on Lyra, but that didn’t seem to be his intention.

What were his intentions, really?

What worried him most was the reason for Mikail’s presence. He had been very surprised that Mikail was Lyra’s second-chance mate.

The idea that Mikail could claim Lyra at any moment both enraged and confused him.

Rowan couldn’t help but feel somewhat relieved when Mikail rejected her. At least, it seemed there was no bond between them.

But how true was that?

***

The room was silent; only the sound of Rowan’s footsteps broke the stillness as he paced back and forth, his mind caught in a tangle of thoughts.

Was it really that hard to be an Alpha? Every decision seemed to carry an unbearable weight.

That was when the door burst open, and Calista appeared, as always with her imposing presence and a smile.

She knew how to move the pieces, how to influence every word, and Rowan, exhausted by everything he’d had to face, didn’t take long to notice her arrival.

“You look exhausted, darling,” she said, approaching him with soft steps. “You’ve let yourself be consumed by so many things—why don’t you take a break? The pack is waiting.”

Rowan let out a sigh; there was no time to rest, and he knew it.

“I can’t let my pack split over this whole Lyra business,” he snorted in frustration.

Calista looked at him intently, her eyes sparkling with a calculating gleam. She moved closer to him, gently cupping his face in her hands, as if trying to calm him.

“You know what you have to do, Rowan. She’s playing with all of us, with the pack, and she’s broken the rules in a shameful way,” she said in a persuasive tone.

“Maybe I should have listened to her…”

“If you really want to prove your strength as Alpha, you must put her in her place,” Calista interrupted firmly. “You can’t keep letting that woman wander around as if nothing happened.”

Rowan frowned, staring intently at Calista.

She was right; she knew Lyra better than he did, and he didn’t want any more complications. However, the pressure of the situation made him hesitate.

What other choice did he have? If the pack saw his weakness, everything could fall apart.

“Do you want me to put her in the dungeon?” he asked, knowing the answer.

Calista smiled, a cold, venomous smile she tried to hide, though it made her goal clear.

“Exactly. If you keep her here, as if she were a guest, everyone will think you’ve gone soft, that you don’t have what it takes to be an Alpha.”

He began to nod slowly, and Calista took the opportunity to pile on more pressure.

“You need to send a clear message, and nothing will make it more forceful than showing everyone that you won’t tolerate betrayal on your territory.”

“So be it,” he finally replied, without taking his eyes off her. “I’ll send her to the dungeon.”

She knew the decision had already been made, and Calista had managed to influence his judgment, though his heart still wavered a little.

Calista, satisfied that she had gotten what she wanted, gave him a quick pat on the arm, as if it were a gesture of comfort.

“You’ll see that you’ve done the right thing, dear Alpha,” she said, and left the room with a triumphant smile.

*~*~*

**Lyra**

Mikail stood by the window, his imposing figure silhouetted against the moonlight.

His expression was inscrutable; his dark eyes reflected the same emptiness I felt in my chest.

I struggled to stand up, forcing myself to face him.

“Why didn’t you let them execute me?” My voice came out hoarse, barely a whisper. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me broken, but the pain of his rejection still burned in my chest.

He didn’t turn around immediately. He seemed to be taking his time, as if the answer didn’t matter.

“Do you expect me to be innocent?” I insisted, feeling disbelief mingle with the rage building inside me.

Finally, his eyes met mine, and the coldness in them made my blood run cold.

“Don’t be naive, Lyra,” he said, with a cutting coldness. “I didn’t save you because I believed in you.”

I frowned. I didn’t understand a thing.

“Then you rejected me because…”

“I rejected you because you’re a stain on my reputation, a disgrace to any Moon of the Silverbane pack.”

His words were a blow, sinking deep into the core of my pride.

Mikail let out a dry laugh, devoid of any kind of compassion.

“Did you really think you could belong by my side after what you did?”

I opened my mouth to defend myself, to shout that I hadn’t done anything, but his gaze silenced me. There was no room for doubt in his mind.

“Then why keep me alive?” I insisted, my pride preventing me from looking away. “What do you expect from me?”

“Nothing,” he replied, with cruel simplicity.

“You…” I hissed, annoyed.

“It amuses me to watch you come up with silly theories about why you’re still alive,” he replied without hesitation, his dark green eyes assessing me with disdain. “Besides, Rowan is still your Alpha. What he does with you is none of my business.”

And with those words, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving me alone with the weight of his contempt on my shoulders.