CHAPTER 4 - Come with Me

Lyra's POV With my back turned I threw on my stained bra and muddy shirt. Ryan’s gaze drilled me between the shoulder blades. I couldn’t face him just yet. Not with the desire between us thicker than London fog. One move could set something in motion. Something I wasn’t sure I wanted. Closing my eyes, I tried to steady myself as his stare intensified. Knowing he wanted me, just as much as I wanted him, put me in a tailspin. “Are you ready yet?” My eyes flew open. I spun on my heel to take in his raised eyebrow and slight grin. His teasing nature lowered my hackles. Despite his reputation as a terrifying Alpha, the one Wolfsong parents used to scare their pups into obedience, there was a hint of... kindness? Vulnerability? Something beneath the fearsome facade that made me question whether he was truly as heartless as they said. Then I remembered what he did to me, and the hate I harbored for him all these years came flooding back. My hands curled into fists, nails digging into my palms until they drew blood. I didn't care. I longed to let that rage ignite within me, to become the weapon I would use against him. I cocked a brow, throwing his gesture back at him, my voice dripping with ice. "Ready for what?" “You’re coming with me, Lyra.” He both caressed and spat out my name in equal measure. Seemed the scary Alpha was back. Eleven years ago, he claimed to be the same age as me, pups united under the same cause—escape. A flicker of warmth sparked at the memory, battling the surge of hatred. Damn my traitorous body and mind. I despised how I reacted to his touch. How it kindled with a raging fire I didn't understand. I squared my shoulders and giving him my back, I started to walk away. "I’m not going anywhere with you." He moved. Lightning fast. His finger gripped my chin in a strong hold, forcing me to see how time had twisted his haughty features. The anger and resentment radiating from his deep-blues told me he was no longer the innocent boy I once knew. "Yes, little-one. You most certainly are." I recoiled, his touch searing my skin. "You're frightening me," I stammered, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. But was I truly scared? Or was it the strange fire in my blood that made me tremble? His teeth gleamed in the moonlight, startlingly white against the darkness. It wasn't a comforting smile. "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you...not unless you force my hand." The promise of violence hung unspoken between the words, the gentle tone at odds with the implied threat. Goosebumps prickled my skin as his hand lifted, fingertips ghosting along my collarbone. The touch should have been sensual, but instead, it felt calculating, as if he were tracing the line he could easily cross. The danger, combined with delight, made me shiver with anticipation. His touch was intoxicating. Waves of pleasure crashed through every nerve. I leaned in closer. He met me half-way. With soft breaths into the shell of my ear, he said, “You’re shivering, little-one. Come, let me warm you. It’s the least I can do for my… enchantress.” Fear and desire tore me in two as Ryan’s words echoed in my mind. “Enchantress?” I whispered, "What do you mean?" He tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and slowly slid a finger down my jaw. "Why isn't that what you are? An Enchantress who weaves her spell over hapless wolves?" "No… no." Ryan’s grin stretched wider, smug and self-assured. A predatory hunger simmered in his gaze, a total opposite of the protection he’d spoken of. “Yes, Lyra,” he drawled, his voice dripping with a sense of inevitability as if he truly owned me. “Like a moon to the tide, you draw me in.” His hand whipped around my neck, not cupping, but claiming. "Accept your fate." "But I have a choice… right?" The words were a weak protest, a last defense against the rising tide of desire warring with my common sense. The voice in my head— my wolf, my conscience, or a body snatcher— had gone silent, leaving me alone to face the force of his pull. He was a black hole, and with each passing second, he sucked me in and tore me apart. I had to get away from Ryan before he consumed me. “I'm nothing… to you or anyone. Let me go… please.” Ryan's jaw clenched. The usual spark of disdain in his eyes was muted, replaced by an unexpected... concern? He bristled at my words, as if my low opinion of myself was an insult he wasn't willing to tolerate. “You are coming with me. End of subject.” He moved his hand from my neck to my arm, tightening his hold to drag me behind him. Once again, I jerked away, a surge of defiance rising within me. “I belong to no one,” I declared, my voice gaining strength despite the concern over my willing reactions. Ryan’s gaze bore into mine, his intensity almost overwhelming. “Oh, Lyra,” he murmured, his tone both mocking and tender. “You may resist now, but you cannot deny the pull we have to each other.” I took a step back. Then a few more, shaking my head in denial. “I won’t let you control me,” I insisted, steeling myself against the magnetic force that drew me closer to him. I had enough of ‘control’ from my so-called family to last me a lifetime. My hands twitched at the thought, sharp nails digging into my palms so hard I winced. Ryan’s eyes softened at my words, a hint of understanding flickering in their depths. “I don’t want to control you, Lyra,” he breathed. He was lying. Like my family, he wanted to own me. Claim me. Bend my will to theirs. No more. “Stop looking at me like that,” I said, boldly meeting his eyes which were glazed over with lust. “You’re a tease, Lyra,” he growled, his voice low and seductive. “You know what you’re doing to me.” “I’m not doing anything to you.” But pup, how I wanted to… lie with him. Ride him. Writhe underneath him… My defenses cracked. I took a step forward, then another… stopping mid-stride when he went on, all cocky and self-assured. "You know you want me. Admit it." His words plunged me into a cold-water bath. Ice entered my veins, closing my heart. As his grin widened, a different kind of chill washed over me. This was my chance. While he was lost in his need to control, my mind raced. A plan – reckless… perhaps desperate – began to take shape. "I’ll go with you," I said, trying to sound confident even though my voice trembled. "But only if you give me one more kiss." His eyes darkened and he drew me in until our bodies pressed together. A small part of me reveled in the warmth of his embrace, while the other part screamed for me to run and never look back. The voice in my head purring at the contact? I ignored that bitch. "You’re… you're testing my control," he whispered against my neck, sending shivers down my spine. "Just what the doctor ordered,” I sassed. Ryan smirked, thinking he had me. I gasped as he kissed me again, his lips soft and warm. His hands slid up my sides then around to grab two handfuls of my ass, pushing me into himself… letting me feel the length of him. I moaned at the heat he blossomed within me. Don’t lose focus. Don’t let him trap you into thinking he cares.