Chapter 7
When Nyra woke up again, she was staring at the stark white ceiling of a hospital room.
“Thank Goddess you’re awake!” The nurse looked relieved. “With injuries this bad, we really need to contact your pack.”
She paused, then couldn’t help adding: “Look at Vexley next door-same accident, way less hurt, but Alpha Ashgrave hasn’t left her side for a second. Spoils her rotten. Where’s your family? It’s been two days and nobody’s even called…”
Nyra’s lips twisted in a bitter smile. She didn’t answer.
Just then, the door slammed open hard enough to shake the walls.
Theron stood there, his face like a thundercloud, eyes cutting into her.
The nurse jumped, clearly confused why the Alpha would be here, but his expression was so dangerous she quickly fled.
The moment the door closed, Theron swept his arm across the bedside table, sending medicine bottles crashing to the floor in an explosion of glass and
scattered pills.
“You PUSH Delilah overboard?” His voice could have frozen blood.
Nyra stared at him in shock.
She couldn’t understand why Delilah would keep setting her up. Exhaustion crashed over her. “I didn’t.”
‘Cut the bullshit!” Theron grabbed her wrist in a grip. “Delilah told me everything! What happened to all that understanding act? When did you turn into this?”
He let out a harsh laugh, like everything was becoming clear. “Unless… all that kindness was just an act? Some desperate grab for my attention?”
Nyra’s face went white with pain, but she just looked at him with those calm, empty eyes, not even trying to defend herself.
That blank stare pushed Theron over the edge.
He released her wrist. “Fine. If you won’t admit what you did, then deal with the consequences on your own.”
He headed for the door, his voice like shards of ice: “Starting now, no medical staff touches you. Every bit of pain you feel? You fucking earned it.”
The next few days were pure hell.
No doctors checked on her. No nurses changed her bandages. Nyra had to drag her torn-up body to the supply closet, hands shaking as she tried to tend her own
wounds.
she hit the floor multiple times, her knees turning purple and black, but she always gritted her teeth and pulled herself back up.
Theron probably thought the “spoiled Fenwick princess” would crack under this treatment.
But she wasn’t Sylvae. She hadn’t grown up pampered and protected.
she was Nyra-dumped in the outer territories, left to survive every sickness and injury on her own.
This pain was nothing she couldn’t handle.
A few days later, Nyra was about to discharge herself when her door exploded open again.
Theron stormed in and grabbed her arm. “Coming with me.”
“What for?” Nyra pulled back.
“Delilah’s been taken by Rowan Draymoor.” Theron’s voice was sharp with tension. “The sick fuck wants you in trade. Three days, then he’ll let you go.”
Ice flooded Nyra’s veins.
Rowan Draymoor-the psychotic rogue who’d clawed his way to Alpha by murdering the previous one. Every time she’d crossed paths with him at inter-pack meetings, his cold, slimy eyes made her sick.
Chapter 7
“I’m not going.” She refused outright.
Theron’s expression turned hard. “You have no choice.”
He stared at her, then suddenly softened his tone: “Rowan’s got a thing for you. He won’t actually hurt you. Just play along for three days. And I’ll give you whatever you want.”
Nyra looked up at him and suddenly smiled. “Fine. I want a real ceremony.”
Theron went still. “What?”
“We only did the private mating ceremony with our families. Never had a public bonding ritual.” Nyra’s voice was deceptively calm. “I want you to give me that.”
This was part of her plan.
When Sylvae returned, she’d need a big, public ceremony for everyone to witness the handover of the “Luna” title.
Theron was quiet for a long moment, then finally nodded. “Alright. You’ve got a deal.”
When Nyra was delivered to the Draymoor territory, Rowan was sprawled across his leather couch, watching her with that twisted grin.
Luna Sylvae. Been way too long.”
His fingers traced her cheek. Nyra fought down her disgust and didn’t flinch away.
The first two days weren’t too bad-Rowan just had his people take her blood. Vial after vial.
he needle sticks had gone numb, but watching her blood fill those glass tubes made her sick.
t wasn’t until the third day that she caught the guards talking outside her door:
Think the Alpha’s finally lost his mind? He’s really gonna bleed her out to make some fucked up keepsake?”
Shut up… he said she’s too pretty to just kill. Wants to preserve her forever or some shit…”
¡yra’s blood went cold.
his was Theron’s promise that she’d be “fine”? She was about to die for his precious Delilah!
error shot through her. She bit her lip until it bled, forcing herself to think calmly.
When the guards got sloppy, she grabbed a heavy crystal piece from the dresser and hurled it at the window.
RASH!
¡lass flew everywhere. She used a jagged piece to saw through the ropes around her wrists, then launched herself out the second-story window. Her ankle nade a horrible snapping sound when she hit the ground.
The pain nearly knocked her out, but she couldn’t stop.
Dragging her busted ankle behind her, she stumbled away from Draymoor estate and somehow made it back to the Ashgrave pack.
she limped through the front doors when she found Theron on his knees beside Delilah, carefully wrapping her ankle,
Theron…” Delilah’s voice was all tears and sweetness. “Sylvae’s been gone for days. Don’t you care what happened to her?”
Theron didn’t even pause in his gentle care, his voice soft: “I only care about you. And why didn’t you tell me about this sprain? Trying to break my heart?”
Nyra stood there dripping wet, her ankle swollen like a balloon, completely invisible to him.
She walked past them without a word.
“Sylvae?” Theron finally looked up and jumped to his feet. “You-”
