9. The Wolf Within

Lyra’s POV

My cries echoed in the room as Killian dragged me towards the big door. I struggled as I fought against his grip. 

“Let me go,” I screamed and kicked my legs wildly.

“Wait,” Alpha Cormac commanded. 

I dropped to my knees. My pride, already battered, wasn’t worth holding onto if it meant sparing myself from whatever horrors awaited me in the torture room.

“Please,” I begged, my voice trembling. “Everything I said was the truth!”  

Alpha Cormac’s sharp, piercing eyes locked onto mine. For a moment, I almost thought I saw a different look in his eyes as he scanned me but then his lip curled upward, a mocking smirk dancing across his face. 

“Take her away, Killian.”  

Killian’s hand closed around my arm with a strong grip as he yanked me to my feet. My pleas fell on deaf ears. I was dragged through the hallways, my legs weak beneath me.

Fear surged between me as I thought of the pain and torture that awaits me. I wasn’t one that dealt well with pain even though my actions and mouth had always landed me in trouble in my former pack.

“Let go of me!” I growled, struggling against Killian’s iron grip. He was a strong man, no doubt.

He laughed at me mockingly, with eyes gleaming with sadistic pleasure as he leaned in. “You’re awfully feisty for someone about to scream for mercy,” he sneered.

“I must say, I adore your fighting spirit.” His gaze crawled over me. 

“It makes me...aroused.” He licked his lips as his tongue traced his lower lips.

The air grew colder as he pushed me into the torture room. Two guards stationed outside the room which gives me no clear chance of attempting to escape. The scent of rusted metal and damp stone made my stomach churn as I looked around the room, littered with tools meant for only one purpose. Inflicting pain.  

“Take a seat, doll,” Killian sneered, dragging me to a cold, iron chair bolted to the floor. 

“Get your filthy hands off me,” I snapped back at him. 

Killian smirked, clearly enjoying this far more than he should have . “It’s cute that you think you have a choice.” He shoved me into the chair, and the metal bit painfully into my back. Before I could fight back, he clasped the chains around my wrists and ankles, securing me in place.  

“You think this is funny?” I spat, fury burning in my veins.  

Killian leaned close, his hot breath brushing against my ear. “What’s funny is watching you try to act tough. Don’t worry, little wolf. This is only the beginning.”  

Rage bubbled inside me, hot and uncontrollable. “You’re nothing but a glorified lackey. Do you even have a spine, or are you just here to follow orders and fetch like a good little dog?”  

His face darkened, and his smug grin faded. “You’ll regret that.” 

His fist connected with my cheek before I had time to react. Pain exploded across my face, and a metallic taste got on my tongue. He hit me again, this time aiming for my jaw.  

“Killian!”  

Alpha Cormac’s voice came through with a sort of concern I can’t fathom. Killian froze, stepping back immediately. My head was spinning, but I managed to lift my gaze to see Cormac standing in the doorway, his icy eyes narrowing at Killian.  

“Did I tell you to kill her?” Cormac asked in anger. 

Killian dropped his gaze like the coward that he was. “No, Alpha. I… I apologize.”  

“Apologize to me later. For now, leave us.”  

Killian hesitated but finally nodded, casting me one last glare before storming out of the room while I rolled my eyes at him and mouthed the words, “Fuck you.”

Cormac approached me slowly, his eyes scanning my bruised face, his eyes switching from hazel color to black like he was fighting his wolf from taking control. He opened a drawer on the far side of the room, pulling out a set of tools that terrified the living hell out of me. My heart thundered in my chest as he laid them out on a nearby table. 

I clenched my fists, my body trembling. My wolf stirred restlessly inside me, her presence stronger than ever before as she tried to take control. I felt her pressing to the surface.

“Let me help Lyra,” Nyx said. 

“No! You can’t tell him who we are,” I replied. 

“Interesting,” Cormac murmured, turning to face me, cutting my conversation with Nyx.

He picked up a blade, examining its sharp edge with an unsettling calmness. 

“You’re full of surprises, aren’t you? I could feel your wolf trying to get to mine. ”  

The pressure building in my chest exploded. My wolf came forward, taking full control as she shove me to the deepest part of my head. 

******

Nyx’s POV

The moment I took over, the fear melted away, replaced by a determination to protect Lyra. I blinked, and the world came into focus with heightened clarity. The metallic taste of blood on my tongue, the intoxicating smell of Cormac, and the air of the chamber all rushed to me at once. 

I was much stronger than Lyra. Alpha Cormac's little shit show doesn’t scare me a bit, but watching him do it to Lyra was something I would never want. That’s why I had to take control, to shut her off from feeling the pain. 

Cormac tilted his head as he gazed over at me. “Well, well. Who do we have here?”  

I glared at him, unflinching. My voice was steady and strong. “Nyx.”  

“Fascinating.” He chuckled very low. 

He picked up a scalpel from the table; the blade gleaming. “So, Nyx, let’s talk.”  

I said nothing. My gaze locked onto him like a predator watching its prey.  

“You know,” he began, running a finger along the edge of the blade, “Your friend here has quite the gift for lying. But I suspect you’re more honest than she is.”  

He stepped closer, his alpha aura radiating off him. The weight of it pressed down on me, demanding submission, but I held firm, refusing to yield to his aura.  

He titled one corner of his lips into a sly smirk. “Impressive,” he muttered, more to himself than to me. “Most wolves would be groveling by now.”  

I bared my teeth in a mock smile. “I’m not most wolves.”  

His eyes darkened, his amusement fading. “Who is she?” he demanded, his voice laced with authority.  

“She has already told you,” I replied. “And you didn’t believe her. What makes you think I’ll give you a different answer?”  

“You’re lying,” he hissed. 

He grabbed a knife and dipped it into a vial I suspected was wolfsbane, the pungent scent filling the room. 

“Do you know what happens when a werewolf is stabbed with this in the heart?”  

I didn’t flinch. “Do you?”  

His brows furrowed in confusion at my calmness, and for the first time, I saw hesitation flicker in his eyes. He stepped closer; the knife hovering just inches from my skin.  

“You’ll break,” he said softly. “They always do.”  

“Try me,” I whispered. “I don’t fear you.”

“Oh dear, you should,” he responded. 

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he would go through with it. But then he lowered the knife with frustration written on his face. He was shocked at how I handled all his threats. He expected me to be begging, but I wasn’t Lyra. 

Lyra was unaware of the extent of strength apart from the Alpha blood that runs in her vein, there was more to her bloodline. Most wolves can’t take over the human form without transforming into a full wolf except the Lycans.

“You’re not what you seem,” he muttered. “And I’ll find out what you’re hiding.”  

I smirked, the fire within me burning brighter than ever. “Good luck with that.”  

“A weak human and a feisty wolf,” he sneered, his smirk twisting into a scornful grin.

“When will you acknowledge the mate bond?” I asked, just as he was about to turn away.

The words struck him like a blow, and for a moment, he stood frozen, his back to me. Then he strode to the door, slamming it shut behind him.

I knew this was far from being over.