Chapter Two – Staging My Abduction!

Lyra’s POV 

I couldn’t help the restlessness as I stared at my so-called mate lying on the ground, watching me as I peered from the room! He didn’t look shocked at all to see me here. Did he know who I was? 

“How dare you trespass? Get out before I call my guards!” my uncle snarled at Alpha Zephyrus, who had barged in. 

“I’ll kill you before that for kidnapping, my twin. You could have faced me instead.” I panicked, realizing there would be a fight now! Where was uncle Derrick? Why couldn’t someone stop them? I had heard how lethal Alpha Zephyrus was! His bite and the touch of his claws were fatal, as he was a blessed wolf! 

Before my uncle could utter another threat, Alpha Zephyrus punched him hard repeatedly.

Hera gasped with horror while I watched, frozen with panic. Thankfully, he didn’t use his claws to injure my uncle, yet he fell to the ground, reeling from the force of his punches. I knew he hadn’t healed properly from the injuries caused in the earlier fight with the Flame Hounds. 

To my immense horror, my so-called mate sprang to the rescue. However, instead of helping my uncle and stopping the fight, he joined Alpha Zephyrus in the attack. 

“Get out of my property!” yelled my uncle.

“Help!” I cried with all my might. 

“Stop!” yelled Hera, but Zephyrus kicked the gun out of my uncle’s hands while my so-called mate bared his teeth to rip him apart. 

“Don’t kill him, please,” I pleaded on behalf of my uncle. He was the only family I had. I couldn’t understand why uncle Felixe did not fight them nor attack them. In fact, he didn’t even defend himself. I knew my uncle very well. He was vicious and feral. This fight was a child’s play for him. 

“Stop, Leandros, Zephyrus! Have you gone crazy?” yelled Hera, rushing out from our hiding place. I followed her, clinging to her with fear as the name she called echoed in my head. 

Leandros!

Was that my mate’s name?

“What have done to my mate?” cried Hera, bringing me back to reality. Did they kill my uncle? Would they kill me too? Panic settled in my heart, but the sight of my uncle lying on the floor made me gasp with horror. Hera rushed towards him, kneeling down beside him to check. I followed her too, watching him closely.

“He’s breathing!” she gasped with relief. I glared at Leandros, standing up to face them.

Leandros froze at seeing me before him while I glared at him without batting an eyelid. Strangely, he stopped attacking completely and held my gaze. Was this the same wolf who had saved me last night from Nick? Why didn’t he look surprised to see me? I blinked and looked away, feeling disappointed. How could our kind Moon Goddess bless with me with such a mate? It was more of a curse than a blessing.

“Come home, Hera. Why are you supporting him?” Zephyrus growled angrily, but Hera scoffed at him. 

“Go away, Zephyrus. Let me live.” I knew Hera would choose my uncle. She loved him unconditionally! 

“You’re thinking of a life with the bastard? He will kill you, Hera.” He tried to force her to leave with him, but Hera wrenched her hand free. 

“No, he won’t. He’s my mate and I’ll stay with him until I die. Go away, Zephyrus. I won’t return with you.” 

Hera went back to my uncle’s side to help him to his feet. 

Zephyrus stood gaping at us for a while, and then, to my utmost relief, he turned around to leave. I glanced at Leandros, who hadn’t removed his eyes from me. I wondered what they would do. Would they leave without killing us? Would this be the last time I would see my mate?

A dull ache started deep inside me at the thought. I hadn’t expected my life to be so dismal. I had dreamed of meeting my mate at eighteen and escaping this prison with him. 

“Leandros, are you coming or not?” I heard Alpha Zephyrus grit out. 

“Nope! I have some business to wrap up. You and Lena can go home.” My heart skipped a beat at his announcement. I was acutely aware of his unwavering gaze fixed upon me. What could be his unfinished business? Did it have anything to do with me? 

“Fine, but don’t harm Felixe. Let them be happy with one another. I’m taking the car.” I felt relieved to hear Alpha Zephyrus’s parting shot. 

Hera helped Uncle Felixe to the bedroom in a dazed state, leaving me alone with Leandros. 

He didn’t leave as they had expected him to. My breath hitched, realizing what this meant. 

I was his unfinished business!

He slowly approached me, giving me ample time to run, but I wasn’t going anywhere without facing him. Maybe he didn’t know my daring nature! After witnessing death and destruction at a young age, my life has been a struggle for survival! I feared no one, except my uncle, of course! I feared him because I loved him. 

“So, Lyra, what do you think I want to do with you?” His raspy voice echoed inside my heart and soul, driving me wild. 

“Kill me, what else? That’s what enemies do!” I was quite blunt because that’s what he was to me. My enemy! 

“Tsk! Not the enemy. I’m your mate! Maybe you’re too young to realize that!” He encircled me in slow motion, urging me to react. My heart thumped wildly inside my ribcage, yet I tried to maintain my composure.

“I don’t feel a connection with you because you’re the enemy! You can’t be my mate!” He chuckled at the impossibility of it. 

“We are mates, babe! When you grow up, maybe we can explore the possibility!” I immediately accepted the challenge. Who wanted to wait? I was sick of my situation, anyway! 

“I’m already grown up. I’ll be eighteen in four months. We can explore the possibility now, or are you afraid, enemy Leandros?” He stopped dead in his tracks and gave me a shocked look. It gave me immense satisfaction to see his reaction. 

“Leandros Vasiliou, the gamma of the Luceres Pack, fears no one! I hope you know what you’re getting into, Lyra Andreadis. Don’t crib later if I take you up on that!” While his eyes glowed with a ferocity that should scare me, it didn’t. Instead, I felt a wave of excitement course through my body. The thought alone gave me an adrenaline rush! 

“I don’t crib. I know what I’m getting into, but I have one condition. You can’t force yourself on me without my permission. You can’t mark me or claim me unless we’re sure about our so-called mate bond!” 

His eyes sparkled even more, and he nodded, agreeing to my condition. “Accepted. I don’t claim or mark pups!”

I glared at him, ready to prove I was no pup. I was a grown-up wolf who just hadn’t experienced her first shift. 

“Who pup? Me? Huh! I pity you, enemy. It seems you’re still in denial. I saw the lust in your eyes last night for me. So, just cut it, okay?” He chuckled and rolled his eyes as if I had imagined it all. I hadn’t! 

“So, what do you want me to do now? Can you come along with me?” I gaped at him, taking a step backward. 

“Where?” He leaned more towards me. 

“You need to stay with me for a few months to explore the mate bond between us. That’s what you agreed to, right? Backing out already, Lyra Andreadis?” He laughed, mocking me for being a coward. 

“Fine. Abduct me!” He froze, all the laughter dying down as he gaped at me. It was my turn to rejoice. I wasn’t a coward at all. “That’s the only way you can take me with you.” 

“Are you sure?” he asked with a frown. I nodded with a shrug. What difference would it make? I was a prisoner here, too. At least I would have an adventure, a change of scene! If things got out of hand, I could always escape. It was just a matter of four months! 

“Yes. You have only four months to discover this so-called mate bond between us!” 

“Done!” I saw the hesitation on Leandros’s face as if he was contemplating on something. “I hope your uncle won’t take it out on Hera!” 

“I’m not sure. So, are you giving up enemy Leandros?” I chuckled, turning to walk away. 

“No, wait. If that’s the only way to have you, I’m ready. Come away right now!” I hesitated, not having expected him to agree so easily. 

“What about my stuff?” He just grabbed my hand and led me towards the backside of the house, away from the security guards. 

“There’s no time to get them.” He led me to the far end of the backyard where a huge Sugar Maple tree grew close to the boundary wall on the other side. The Mighty Spruce tree on this side allowed an easy climb and escape. With almost no security coverage on this side, it was obvious Zephyrus and Leandros had sneaked in from this end. 

Before I knew his intentions, he picked me up and wrapped my legs around his torso. “Hold on to me!” He barked as he stood near the giant tree with me straddled to his torso. 

A jolt of electric current coursed through me the moment my body touched his hard, muscular torso. I could feel his breath hitch while his eyes darkened like a turbulent sea! Despite the age difference between us, he wasn’t immune to me either! 

“Stop drooling and hold me tight!” he barked as if frustrated to the point of no return. I glared at him, releasing him instantly. “What the f*ck are you up to?” 

“My idea! My rules! I don’t need your help to climb!” Before he could grab me back, I slipped to the ground and started climbing effortlessly! What did he think? I was no damsel in distress! This was an escape route I had used plenty of times to save myself from being stalked by uncle Derrick.

“Lyra. This isn’t a joke! You’ll fall and break your bones.” I paused and looked at the worried expression on his features. 

“I won’t. Now start climbing or the guards will get you.” He followed me up the Sugar Maple and we crossed over effortlessly to the Spruce on the other side. 

The descent was easy, and I raced towards the main road. He grabbed me to stop me from fleeing. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” He sounded annoyed, and it gave me immense pleasure! 

“To hitch a ride to your house in Lucania! Alpha Zephyrus has taken your car and aircraft, right?”

He gave me a hesitant look. “We aren’t going home!” 

My eyes widened with apprehension. Then where the f*ck was he planning to take me? What had I gotten myself into? Did I do the right thing?