RYKER'S POV
Something wasn't right. I had tried to ignore it. However, it had been almost two weeks now, and somehow, she always found a way to creep into my mind effortlessly.
Alpha Ryker sat slouched in the leather chair behind his massive oak desk, fingers steepled beneath his chin. His dark brows furrowed deeply as he stared blankly into the fireplace, the crackling flames mirrored in his amber eyes. Papers lay scattered before him—war strategies, intelligence reports, maps stained with blood. But none of it held his focus tonight.
Instead, her face lingered in his thoughts—Lyra.
That damn girl.
He clenched his jaw, his hands curling into fists. He had every reason to end her life. She was the monster's offspring,
And yet…
He hadn't killed her.
Couldn't.
She shouldn't have survived any of the punishments he had ordered for her, yet she kept defying the odds despite her being weak.
Something wasn't right with her wolf; if not for his Alpha blood, he could almost not sense her.
She had met his fury with tears and pleas, and when she looked at him, it was as though she could strip him to his very soul. There was something about that gaze — It made him hesitate when he should have struck.
"I must be a fool," Ryker muttered to himself, pushing away from the desk with sudden irritation. He paced the length of the room, boots thudding against the tiled floor, each step a challenge to the weakness he refused to name.
Why had he locked her away in the dungeon instead of delivering justice the moment he declared her guilty? Why had he sent Nessa to watch over her the first night she passed out?
He didn't care about her, so why did she bother him so much?
Ryker poured himself a drink from the crystal decanter on the bar table, the amber liquid sloshing slightly. He downed it in a single swallow. The burn in his throat didn't chase away the question gnawing at his soul.
She was just a girl.
A beautiful one- Rider, his wolf quipped, causing Ryker to roll his eyes, shutting him out. Rider wasn't making it easy on him either. He was on a full-blown lust for the girl because he couldn't explain his behavior.
He wouldn't deny that she was beautiful. She had the endowment of a goddess, and those legs- he had been dreaming of her wrapping them round his waist while he-
Shit.
Get yourself together, man.
Ryker's fingers tightened around the glass.
But still, that wasn't it. That wasn't why he hadn't killed her. He'd put down others for far less. He had executed rogues without batting an eyelid. Destroyed packs in the name of justice.
This… this was something else.
Something dangerous.
Something soft.
He hated it.
A low growl rumbled in his chest, but it died the moment her voice whispered in his memory. Soft and trembling when she pleaded for mercy.
He had enjoyed tormenting her, showing her the full extent of his authority, yet he was the one who felt the burn.
Ryker strode to the window, staring out into the night
And his heart—gods, his cursed heart, ached with the thought of her in the dungeon in that state.
What is this? he asked himself.
He clenched his fists so tightly the veins in his arms bulged. He had never been soft. Not once. Not even as a child.
After the death of his parents, after the years spent clawing his way to the throne, Ryker had hardened himself into an unbreakable weapon. There was no space for mercy. No room for doubt.
But now, with her... doubt was all he had.
A knock sounded at the door. Ryker didn't respond. A servant entered hesitantly, bowing low.
"My Alpha, your evening meal."
"Leave it," Ryker said curtly.
The servant placed the tray on the center table and retreated quickly. Ryker didn't even glance at the food. He returned to his desk and sank heavily into his chair, his eyes dark with torment.
Could it be guilt? No. He didn't feel guilty. Not for enemies.
Could it be a weakness? That would mean she had power over him. The thought of it infuriated him. She was just a weakling. A pathetic excuse for a wolf.
Heck! An omega had rank over her. He scoffed.
He placed a hand over his face, suddenly tired. Maybe it was lust.
He hadn't touched any woman since the night he destroyed the blood moon pack, except Vera, and he had refused intimacy ever since, which was a new development for him in that field.
Maybe I need to get laid… he told himself.
He swallowed hard.
Ryker stood up abruptly, ignoring his already cold meal as he walked out of his study, heading for his room. He mind-links his Beta, informing him he needed a few hours to rest before joining the pack run.