The Witch's Alpha

Lyra

I slid the soft cotton shirt Lily had given me over my head, my mind far away thinking of the enigma of River. The hungry way he had looked at me in the hall, the way his touch had felt like fire on my skin and sent even more of that pulsing electric feeling from my birthmark. I bit my lip thinking of how much in that moment I had wanted him to kiss me. I looked down at the mark. Usually apart from the odd itch or tingle it did nothing. Now here in this place, it was zapping me whenever that man touched me? What is wrong with me? Here I was kidnapped and in mortal danger and instead of plotting my escape, I was daydreaming about a very dangerous werewolf who probably wanted to eat me or something. 

I picked up a brush sitting on the vanity and ran it through my messy hair before tying it up in a ponytail. I needed to get over this attraction to River, it was only going to distract me. I reached for my magic and was pleased to find it responded to me, good, I had that weapon again at least. Well, that was if I could get it to work on a wolf. 

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued by the problem presented by the wolves' apparent plague. It had been part of the reason I didn’t try to sneak out the night before. That and the idea of running into a half-feral werewolf sounded like an all-around bad idea. I sighed and glanced at myself in the mirror. My cheeks were still flushed from my encounter with River this morning and my hair was a little frizzy. The hair I at least could fix with a quick spell. I had a decision to make. I could either fight my way out and abandon the pack or I could agree to help the people who kidnapped me. I thought of the pregnant woman, and how sick she had looked. Something about the image of her twisted my heart. 

I had an older cousin who we had lost to pregnancy. Even the best magic we had couldn’t save her. I held her hand as she screamed in agony. I was only 14 years old and the sound of her screams still haunted me. I drummed my finger on the vanity. This was stupid. The smart thing to do would be to cast a message spell and alert my family to my plight. Then the full force of the Morragans would come crashing down on this pack and I would be free. River’s face flashed before my eyes and I found the idea strangely disgusting to me. Well, I was going to pack that little bit of weird away. I was not catching feelings for a werewolf I had met twice during a kidnapping. Even I wasn’t that crazy. Someone knocked on the door.

“Lyra, are you ok? Do they fit?” Lily called through the door. I watched myself chew my lip. Later. I would decide later, for now, I would go with them, learn what I could about the curse, and then make my decision. All I needed for a message spell was a reflective surface and my blood. I took a deep breath and left the room. The pregnant woman and Lily were standing in the hall. I couldn't help but smile at them. 

“Hi, we didn’t really meet last night. I'm Elva” The pregnant one stepped forward and shook my hand. I looked her over, even sick and weak-looking she was beautiful. Her eyes reminded me of my cousins, deep and black. I sighed. Fuck I was going to have to help them, wasn’t I?

“I’m Lyra,” I said back as we headed down the stairs. We took them slowly for Elva and I watched her. “I hope this isn't rude but you don't look well is it the….” I let my voice trail off. Elva let out a dark chuckle.

“The curse? We think so. No new babies have been born since it started. My pregnancy has lasted the longest.” She patted her stomach again. No new babies? I shuddered thinking of the agony of those expecting parents. 

Yeah I was stuck here, and it had nothing to do with the wildly attractive man holding me hostage. I did not know these wolves, I wasn’t even supposed to like them, but watching Elva take each step gingerly and the way her skin stretched taut against her bones in places, I knew I could not walk away. She reminded me too much of the cousin I could not save. Add into that my upbringing as a witch placed a high value on women and the cycle of life as a sacred sacrifice, to allow a mother to go through that and do nothing was almost sacrilegious. Gods damn I hated myself sometimes. 

“I'll help,” I blurted. Both girls turned to stare at me. “I mean if I can. I'll help. Don't get me wrong it was shitty what that other one did, kidnapping me but” I shrugged “If someone I loved was in your position…I get it. I'll help” I hung my head as if admitting something shameful. Before I knew it Elva was embracing me in a surprisingly tight hug, tears falling from her eyes. I hugged her back.  The double doors before us opened and River and the man who had been at the top of the stairs stood in the doorway watching us in confusion. The other man looked a little like Lily, with the same eyes and nose. He was handsome, but next to River, I found it hard to even register his features. 

“Elva?” The other man said. Elva pulled away, smiling and wiping tears from her eyes. Lily still stared at me as if I had grown a second head. I shrugged at her. 

"Kai! Lyra said she would help” Elva’s voice was thick with tears. Both men looked at me in shock.

“Just like that,” The second man, Kai I guess, said. 

“Just like that. Witches have a heart too you know” I said.

“Are you sure? I heard you all just had a hex bag in place of a heart” Kai quipped, a sly smile on his face. 

“Oh no, you’re thinking of our spleen” I winked at him. River scanned me over with those piercing eyes and the humor fell from my face.

“I'm serious. Look If I wanted to ruin you I could, I could have cast a spell to summon my family. I didn’t” His face paled as he took in my words.

“You could?” His voice was low.

“Yup. Easy as pie” I continued to stare at him not really knowing how to move forward. 

“Ok,” he breathed.

“Ok,” I said.

They led me into a library that made my little nerd heart squeeze. It was absolutely beautiful. I could smell the leather and paper smell of old books as I walked along the edge of a bookshelf.

“I did not know wolves were so into reading”, I said without thinking.

“What did you think? We just sat around chewing on bones all day,” Kai said. 

“Chasing your tails actually” I smiled back. I liked Kai, he was funny. River seemed to be glaring at Kai as he laughed at my joke.

“You know, for a witch, you are kind of funny,” He admitted.

“Right back at you wolfy” I grinned. River cleared his throat, sounding a touch annoyed, and that only seemed to make Kai’s eyes dance with laughter. I was clearly missing some element of their dynamic. I sat down at a table full of books and handwritten notes.

“ Is this what you have so far?” I asked.

“Yes,” River’s tone sounded irritated. I flipped through the notes.

“Ok time to get to the nitty-gritty” 

I spent six days reading them. Every day was much the same. River or Lily would come to wake me up. If it was River there was always a tense moment where he would gaze at me as if he wanted to devour me and then turn abruptly away without a word leaving me feeling shaken and cold. If it was Lily we would chatter about nothing as we walked to the library. Eventually, someone would bring in food and we would eat in silence as I read, making notes and connecting dots. I didn't see any other wolves except for the occasional silent appearance of my kidnapper. Elva’s face would light up and she would bounce out of the room to talk to him. 

After his appearance on the seventh day Elva and I were the only ones in the library. I looked up at her to see her smiling to herself.

“That man? He's your…husband?” I said, unsure of the proper term. 

“Mhh I guess, he's my mate. It's different.” I put my pen down and looked at her, curiosity burning in me. She continued “Wolves don't marry. We mate. Not everyone finds their mate, but it's common enough. Once you find them it's like a magnet, pulling you to them. You have no choice but to obey.” She said simply.

“That sounds awful” I shuddered.

“It can be” River's deep voice scattered my thoughts as he entered the room. We locked eyes and there was a strange despair in his look. I had to force myself not to walk across the room and touch him. What the fuck was it about him? When he wasn't around I was thinking about him and when he was around I was unable to think. “Elva, the healers need you,” River said, crossing the room in a few easy strides and sitting at the table. Elva smiled and got up, leaving the room.

“So, Mr. Big Bad Alpha, do you have a mate?” I found myself asking the question. I tried to make myself sound teasing and unbothered but I fell about a mile short as my voice came out in a low, tense whisper. He stared at me for a long moment. I shivered involuntarily.

“No” his words were simple and I hated how relieved my heart felt at them. Why did I care? My family would probably disown me if I even thought about hooking up with a wolf. Hell, they would probably disown me when they figured out I wasn’t off at college learning about the history of witches but was rather held up in a pack-house helping a bunch of half-mad wolves. 

I had sent a text message to my roommate with an excuse of family business calling me away that first day so she didn’t worry. Elva had brought me my phone after I agreed to help. I mostly ignored my father’s calls, sending messages about being busy studying to both him and my sister.

“So tell me Lyra” My spine tingled and my breath caught as he said my name. “What was a member of one of the most powerful witch-houses doing at a human college anyway?” River leaned back in his seat, his posture casual even if his eyes burned into me with a heat that pooled low in my stomach. I swallowed hard.

“My family…They had a plan for me. It was all figured out. I wanted freedom” I could not seem to make my voice cooperate and convey the light tone I was aiming for. 

“Freedom?” He said the word slowly as if seeing how it tasted in his mouth.

“Yeah. to make my own choices, my path” I shrugged. It was silly really. My family only wanted what was best for me. That didn’t change how I felt though.

“I see” His voice was a caress. Gods, I can't take more of this tension, of this ache that was growing for him to touch me again. He hadn’t, not since he grabbed my wrist that first day. I realized I desperately wanted him to. My heart thudded in my chest and I inhaled his scent. Energy flashed up and down my skin like electricity and I gazed at him. He sat forward, the hungry glint in his eyes growing ravenous. I could not think well enough to be appalled at myself.

“Lyra” He whispered and I almost moaned at the sound. It was delicious.

“yes, Riever” My voice was just as low, just as hungry. Please, please just touch me. The thoughts jumped unbidden to my mind as I sat there. 

“You’re ..glowing?” He said, confusion filling his voice. I looked down and sure enough, my fucking skin was glowing like a lamp with a bright silvery shine. Shit I hadn't lost control of my power like that since I was 11. I wrestled the ember of power into submission. 

“S-sorry,” I said as the glow faded. 

“Why are you sorry?” He stood up, moved around the table, and kneeled before me. I couldn't breathe as I gazed at him, my heart hammering away.

“It's…” The words failed me as he slowly reached out one hand and caught a silver strand of my hair in his fingers before tucking it behind my ear, grazing my cheek as he did. A trail of fire followed the touch of his fingers. Every coherent thought left my body and I had to lock my limbs to keep from leaning into his hand.

“It’s?” his voice was a low purr that rattled into my very being. His warmth surrounded me, I could taste his scent on my tongue and every beat of my heart sent waves of need out from the fire he had started low in my stomach. 

“Yeah, it's” I was not thinking clearly enough to realize how stupid that sounded. I leaned forward, closing my eyes and breathing in his scent even deeper. Gods I was being so stupid, I could not see a way in my mind around this overwhelming need for him. I hardly even knew him, how could every part of my body feel like it was made just for him?

“Ahem,” the sound of someone clearing their throat was like a physical shock to me, snapping me out of my trance. I looked up to see Kai and Lily in the entryway holding plates of food. Kai had a knowing grin and Lily looked confused as River pulled away from me. No. The word almost fought free of my lips as my hands moved as if to pull him back to me. 

“Dinner time,” Kai said. River ran a hand through his hair and stepped away, I couldn't help the way my eyes followed him. 

“I'm not hungry,” River said, striding quickly out of the room.

“Yeah, I bet.” Kai chuckled. River spun around and growled at Kai, getting right into his face.

“What was that Kailer Rayson?” River's voice was more menacing than I had ever heard it, it sounded truly unhinged. Kai took a step back, clearly shocked by River’s reaction. River let out a low growl that built on itself and sent a different kind of chill down my spine. River punched the door behind Kai and then stormed off. The three of us sat in silence for a moment and I could tell by the look of horror on both Kai and Lily’s faces I had just seen the beginning of River losing to the curse. My heart fell. 

Later that night I lay in my room, in another one of the light satin sleep sets in the dresser feeling a heat in my body that made it impossible to sleep. If River lost himself to the curse what would that mean for the pack? What would that mean for me? The hours dragged by and I lay, restless. 

A sound made me jump. It sounded like something was crashing in whatever room lay behind the second door in my room. I jumped up and listened as a growling sound emanated through the door followed by another crash. Some foolish death wish propelled me to the door across the room and I turned the handle again slowly. It was unlocked. I opened the door quietly and peered into a dark room. River was pacing the room, no shirt on. I paused as he aimed a punch at the wall, causing the drywall to crumble. I swallowed hard watching him. He Turned and froze as he saw me.

“Lyra” He growled my name, and the sound raised goosebumps on my exposed flesh. I took a step into the room, he held up a hand “Please, stop” his voice was a plea. I ignored it and continued forward. I was moving as if stuck in a trance as I gazed at his bare muscled chest. I had to touch him, it wasn't a choice or a thought but a need deep in my soul. I decided I would be appalled with myself later, now I would finally satisfy this hunger inside me that had been growing. 

My fingers made contact with his warm flesh and he let out a growl that turned into a moan. My thoughts were a tangle of wants and needs and fire as I slid my other hand onto his chest and gazed up at him. 

“Please” His voice was a whisper as I stretched up, helpless. He leaned towards me, his arms wrapping around me as his lips touched mine and the world exploded. 

Fire raced from every place our skin touched and burnt into my veins. His tongue traced my lips before thrusting between them and brushing mine. I moaned and he let out a primal growl that reached my toes before grabbing me under the ass and lifting me. I wrapped my legs around him and felt the hard length of him between us and a new kind of void and a desire to fill that emptiness hit me. I dug my nails into his skin, anchoring myself to him as his lips broke from mine and explored my neck, nipping at my skin lightly in places as we moved across the room and he set me on his dresser. 

More moans escaped him as his hand slid over the side of my breast. I felt fire burning and roaring around me searing my skin at each and every touch. I wanted to exist in this inferno forever. His hand slid under the waistband of my shorts and inside me. I arched my back with a moan as they plunged deeper, his lips still leaving burning trails across my skin. His thumb rubbed circles around my most sensitive spot and I dug my nails in deeper, that seemed to encourage him as he picked up the pace and a heady tight bright feeling began to build inside me. With each motion, he pushed me closer and closer to that edge. 

“River!” I gasped out his name. He was merciless as he drove me to the edge of insanity and then the light burst, sending waves of pleasure rocking over me as I called out his name again.

“Lyra” He moaned my name against my throat. Just as I thought the pleasure was fading, the sound of him moaning my name sent another wave through me. 

“River, I need you!” I gasped. That seemed to be the absolute wrong thing to say. One moment it was all warmth and touches and fire, the next I was shocked by the cold space in front of me. River was across the room panting. I felt shaken.

“River?” I whispered in the darkness of his room. He was shaking, his back to me. 

“GO!” he growled.

“No…No, I….” I said softly, reaching for him. I didn't want to go, I wanted more. I wanted him. I felt completely off balance and shaken.

“Lyra GO!” He turned and shouted his eyes half mad.

“River what?” I felt hot tears slide down my face.

“Fine. I’ll go!” He said, flinging the door to his room open and stomping out. I jumped off the dresser to follow him but my knees were weak. Tears were sliding down my face in earnest. Walking after him, I didn't see him in the hallway or down the stairs. I continued to the front door that was sitting open and stepped outside. Even the moonlight could not bring comfort to the aching emptiness he left. I could not even feel ashamed of how much his exit hurt me, all I could feel was a deep ache. It was like I was unfinished and hollow as if a beautiful part of me had been so close to fully snapping into place and he had ripped it away. 

“RIVER!” I yelled as the cold night air bit into my skin, crying in earnest now. My body was shaking all over as I stared out into the night. 

“Lyra?” Lily’s voice called behind me.

“RIVER!” I yelled again. There was a howling sound deep in the woods. My knees gave out and I fell to the ground sobbing, and not understanding why. Why did I feel this intense emptiness inside me? Why did I want River, a man I had only known for a week, more than I wanted air to breathe? Someone came and draped me with a soft blanket. It smelt like River and I breathed in the scent. 

“Come on Lyra,” Lily whispered in my ear. I let her guide me back into the house but shook my head when she tried to take me back to my room. I couldn't handle it, and I didn't understand why. “Ok, you can stay with me tonight,” Lily whispered, leading me into another bedroom on the second floor decorated with posters and figurines. She laid me down on the full-size bed and I cried until darkness finally consumed me.