CHAPTER 4

As Liam led Lyla back to Kyrian on the podium, Kyrian watched them approach with intense eyes.

"You have such a lovely wife, alpha Kyrian", Liam said as he placed Lyla's hands in Kyrian's.

Kyrian received Lyla's hand and gave her a little squeeze which caused Lyla to wince but she took care to hide her discomfort.

"I understand why you hide her from the world", Liam added and winked at Kyrian.

Kyrian did not take to Liam's joke but he forced a smile all the same.

"Indeed, I do not like to share what is mine", Kyrian replied with a hint of warning in his tone.

Liam stared at Kyrian and Kyrian stared back. They both engaged in a staring contest for a few seconds until Liam finally broke his gaze away. Giving a little laugh, Liam said,

"I agree... I agree"

Kyrian gave him a small smile as well.

"Well, I have to go now, Alpha Kyrian. I best socialize", Liam said.

"Indeed", Kyrian nodded.

"It was lovely meeting you my lady", Liam told Lyla who smiled at him.

"Likewise", Lyla responded.

Liam eyed their intertwined hands before turning around and leaving the podium.

Kyrian watched Liam go with a grunt of dissatisfaction. He glanced at Lyla and suddenly realized that his hand was still intertwined with hers. He immediately removed his hand from hers and left the podium without so much as giving her a glance.

Lyla sat down on her chair after Kyrian left. She wasn't bothered by his attitude. In fact her head was still reeling from how possessive he had been of earlier.

"I do not like to share what is mine", Kyrian had told Liam and Lyla's heart had skipped a beat at those words.

She had discovered that Kyrian was her mate, 6 months into their marriage. She had realized it because no matter how much she told herself she hated Kyrian and didn't want anything to do with him, she had still felt inexplicable towards him. A pull that drew her to him as honey drew brees. A pull that made her heart beat any time she was around him. It was the mate pull. And since she had discovered it, she had patiently waited for Kyrian to realize it too, to realize that he was her mate, then things would be different. And over the past few months, Lyla had felt in more than one instance that Kyrian was probably feeling the pull as well. The incident earlier was one of those instances, she was optimistic that Kyrian would realize that she was his mate soon.

As Kyrian walked around the hall, people greeted him and he acknowledged them. His mind was on Lyla. How beautifully she had smiled when she was with Liam. It angered him, and it irritated him that he was angered by it but he couldn't help it. He also felt irritated with himself for what he had said to Liam.

'I do not like to share what is mine?', Kyrian scoffed inwardly. He was sure he sounded possessive and he regretted saying that now. What the hell was wrong with him? He glanced at Lyla. No, it wasn't his fault, it was hers and he would punish her for it. He would punish her for even smiling that way with Liam, for welcoming Liam's tactics. He would punish her for making him do and say these things that were out of character for him. Yes, that was what he would do.

After The Party

Lyla stared at herself in the mirror for a long time and let out a deep sigh. The party was over and although she had not done much and had just sat in one place, she was unimaginably very tired. Even having to sit in one place and fake a smile and greet people could be tiring. She reached out for her earrings and began to take them off one by one. She took off her necklace next along with her other accessories. When she was done, she wiped the makeup off her face and she suddenly felt free.

She stood up to take off her gown. As she reached for the zipper, she suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her. Lyla was startled, she wanted to scream but she recognized Kyrian's scent and she relaxed a little bit. Kyrian nuzzled his head against her neck and Lyla let out a soft moan.

Lyla was very tired and not in the mood, so she wriggled away from Kyrian's grasp. She glanced up at Kyrian nervously. Kyrian was staring at her.

"I'm... I'm sorry, I'm really tired. Can we... Can we not do this tonight?", Lyla managed to ask him nervously.

Kyrian stared at her for what seemed like forever and Lyla was beginning to become uncomfortable.

"You are tired?", Kyrian asked her slowly.

"Yes", Lyla nodded.

"What exactly did you do?", Kyrian asked her.

"Huh?", Lyla asked back confusedly.

"You said you were tired so I am asking what exactly did you do tonight that has made you so tired", Kyrian told her.

Lyla blinked at him.

"Did you run a pack? Or did you miraculously get pregnant and bear me a son which is I might emphasize the one thing you are meant to do?", Kyrian asked her.

Lyla stared at Kyrian, confused. She couldn't understand where all this was coming from.

"Answer me", Kyrian insisted.

"I... I don't understand", Lyla managed to croak out a reply.

"I didn't expect you to. Not when you were busy wasting your time flirting with Liam!", Kyrian accused Lyla ruthlessly.

"What?", Lyla asked wide eyed with surprise.

"What? Are you going to deny it? That you didn't flirt with him? That you weren't attracted to him?!", Kyrian raged at her.

"No....no...", Lyla desperately denied.

"Stop lying!", Kyrian shouted angrily and Lyla whimpered.

"Tell me, did you wish that he was your mate? Did you wish that he was the alpha you had married instead of me?", he asked her in a softer tone that wasn't any less menacing.

Lyla couldn't respond.

"Well, you aren't married to him. You are married to me. And the only reason you are married to me is for you to bear me a son, your one task, the only task that you are failing miserably at. And that would make you useless. If I were you I would get rid of whatever useless fantasies you have and focus on not being useless", Kyrian told her harshly and left the room swiftly.

After Kyrian closed the door behind him, Lyla crumbled down on the floor in tears. Kyrian's words had hurt her deeply. She had been a fool to think that Kyrian wasn't any bit as ruthless as people said he was. She was a fool for being patient with him, for having hope that maybe he was beginning to feel the mate pull too. It was that silly hope that she had held that had made the wound of his words cut deeper. Lyla sat on the floor crying for hours and by the time she stopped crying it was because she had come to a decision. She wouldn't take this any longer, she couldn't. She knew what to do.

Kyrian woke up the next day after having barely an hour of sleep when his guard burst into the room.

"What? What is it?", Kyrian asked the guard impatiently.

"Forgive me alpha, but she's gone. We can't find her anywhere, she's gone", the guard replied anxiously.

"Who? Who is gone?", Kyrian asked him.

" The Luna, my alpha. She is gone. I think she has ranaway", the guard told him.

As the guard uttered those words it was as if Kyrian's entire world crumbled. It was as if something inside of him broke. He didn't completely understand what had happened nor did he understand these things he was feeling, but he knew one thing for sure. He needed to find Lyla. He needed to get his Luna back.