Chapter 2 WE HAVE TO GO!

With no other option at that moment, Kael, resigned and wounded in body and soul, remained in Lyra's small cabin. He swore that as soon as his wounds healed, he would leave without looking back. Meanwhile, she, with her heart torn between pain and a silent joy at having him near, rose at dawn to fulfill her duties as a servant in the pack's castle.

That day, she was assigned to clean right next to the office of Mirkay, Kael's younger brother. The same traitor who had incited the pack against their Alpha, manipulating and corrupting to seize power. From inside the office, laughter echoed with arrogance. Mirkay was toasting with Jordan, his closest accomplice.

Lyra, broom in hand, pretended to sweep the floor, though in reality her ears were attentive.

"Poor fool!" Mirkay laughed, full of mockery. "It was so easy. He entrusted me with everything, like the sentimental idiot he always was."

The burst of laughter echoed in the hallway, laughter so full of contempt for the one who was once the Alpha. And Lyra, clenching her fists, felt something inside her begin to awaken.

"He never imagined you'd be capable of dethroning him. But be careful, my friend," Jordan warned, lowering his voice slightly. "Your brother is a strong Alpha. I'm convinced he'll return. The servants saw him escape into the forest... Kael is still alive."

Mirkay let out a thunderous laugh, rolling his eyes arrogantly.

"That doesn't worry me. He's gravely wounded; he won't get far. And I've already pulled my strings," he said, in a venomous tone. "This time, he won't escape. They'll rip his head off, and with him, any hope of someone coming to dispute this throne... a throne I earned with intelligence, a throne that will be mine forever."

He raised his glass with a malicious smile. Jordan clinked his with enthusiasm.

From the hallway, Lyra could barely contain the tremor in her legs. What she had just heard chilled her blood. She took a step back, ready to run, but as she did, the broom fell at her feet with a dull thud that broke the silence.

The sound alerted Mirkay, who immediately turned his head. And he found her.

"Well, what do we have here?" he murmured ironically upon seeing her. "Well, well... if it isn't the little Omega who always looked at my brother as if he were a god."

His eyes swept over her with contempt, but also with desire. Lyra, paralyzed, lowered her gaze, not knowing how to escape.

"How does it feel to know that the man you love is about to die?" he whispered cruelly.

Lyra paled, her voice caught in her throat. She felt her heart pounding violently, threatening to break.

"Sir... I... I don't know what you mean," she stammered, fearing her words would condemn her.

Mirkay approached with slow, predatory steps. He took her chin between his fingers, forcing her to lift her face. Seeing her large, wet eyes, her pure and seductive beauty, he felt a primitive impulse. His pupils dilated and his gaze became tinged with a frightening scarlet red.

"Lyra, Lyra! The little Omega... How beautiful you are," Mirkay said with a twisted smile that made the poor girl bristle. Jordan raised his hands in resignation, giving the Alpha a complicit look.

"I'm leaving, brother. Enjoy your... 'party'," he said before leaving the office.

Lyra shook her head, still trembling.

"I... I have to go, sir."

But Mirkay's eyes had already fixed on her like knives. If his dying brother hadn't known how to value her, he certainly would... in his own way. With a gaze ignited with twisted desire, he advanced like a predator.

"Come here, little one. If Kael didn't make you feel like a woman... I'll make sure I do."

"No! Wait... what are you doing?" Lyra backed away, but he was faster. He grabbed her arms and pulled her towards him violently, forcing her to feel his breath and his strength. His rough, heavy lips crashed against hers.

She struggled, kicked, fought desperately. Although she was strong, she could not match the brutality of that crazed wolf who sharpened his fangs with every attempt Lyra made to resist.

"You'll be mine, Lyra! You can't resist," he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

His hands pawed at her without mercy. Repulsion and helplessness mingled in Lyra's chest until, desperate, she managed to scratch his face with all the strength she had left.

"Damn it!" Mirkay roared, the scratch burning across his face.

Fury erupted. With one blow, he knocked her down. Mirkay's fist broke her mouth and Lyra fell to the floor, bleeding and in pain. But she didn't give in. With a kick, she made him stumble. It was her only advantage, but it only lasted seconds.

He lunged again, grabbed her by the hair and dragged her towards his body, trapping her. And then, he headbutted her, breaking the helpless woman's nose, and blood flowed even more violently. Lyra shuddered with fear.

"Ah!" she cried out, powerless to break free.

Mirkay didn't stop. He was possessed by cruelty, by the desire for destruction. He heard nothing but his own crazed breathing, ignoring Lyra's whimpers, who, though completely beaten and shattered, continued to fight.

And just as Mirkay was about to tear off her clothes, Lyra managed to grab hold of the broom handle. With the desperate strength of a cornered Omega, she dealt him a brutal blow to the head. The impact resonated dully, and the Alpha's body fell to the floor like a sack of inert meat.

Without losing a second, Lyra ran out of the castle. She knew that both her life and Kael's hung by a thread.

She pushed open the cabin door violently, and Kael, perceiving her altered scent and the unmistakable trace of blood, immediately sat up. He frowned, alarmed.

"What on earth happened to you, Lyra? Are you hurt?" he asked, with a somewhat concerned tone, surprising her. But there was no time for explanations.

"We have to go, Kael. Now."

"What?" he stammered, still dazed, guided by her scent.

Lyra went to the wardrobe, flung open the door, and shoved the first things she found into a suitcase: documents, some clothes, essential items. Then she opened a hidden chest and took out all her savings. She had worked for years hoping to pay for college, but now, all that mattered was survival.

"Come on, Alpha!" she said with determination, taking his arm.

Kael grunted in pain, sensing something dark in the air, but he let her guide him. She helped him into the car, closed the door, and started it forcefully. The engine roared as they left the cabin behind.

But they hadn't gone far when, through the rearview mirror, Lyra saw the lights of several cars approaching; it was the castle soldiers drawing near.