A Luna for Alpha Kieran-Chapter 11: Burn

Autumn did not wait for another word. She did try to hear them out...try to understand what was going on. But the moment Malrick spoke of her being ’born for this’, something inside her snapped.

Nobody could dictate her life. She did not give anybody that authority! The next thing she did was turn on her heel and bolted.

But the fortress felt like a labyrinth of cold stone and eerie silence when she tried to find her way out. The apparently simple looking straight path, meandered, twisting and turning.The place was definitely enchanted.There was only one way in...no way out.

"Damn this! " Autumn muttered trying to find her way out. But the only company she got was from those portraits lining the walls. She had managed to reach that spot where the Lycan ancestors adorned the walls, with eyes that followed her every move. Maybe judging her amateur escape plan.

Their gazes burned into her skin, as if whispering things she could not hear but felt in her bones.

Her breath came in ragged gasps as she sprinted, bare feet slapping against the stone floor. She didn’t know where she was going. She just knew she had to get out.

But the corridors twisted again, the doors she yanked open led to dead ends, and she was back where the paintings were again. She could swear they had a smirk plastered on their faces, which definitely seemed impossible. But their eyes were alive, mocking, like she was a goddamn joke.

"Stop looking at me like that!" she screamed, swiping at the nearest portrait, nails scraping against the canvas. But her fingers never connected. The painting shimmered, just out of reach, as if taunting her.

She lunged again, this time throwing her full weight forward...

"Autumn!"

Kieran’s roar echoed through the halls just as her fingers finally caught the edge of the frame. The portrait tore with an audible ’rip’, and something warm and wet splattered over her hand.

She stumbled back, panting, and staring in horror.

The painting wasn’t just damaged.

It was literally bleeding.

Thick, dark crimson oozed from the gash in the canvas, dripping onto the floor. The face in the portrait was that of a stern, ancient looking Lycan...and it visibly twisted in silent agony.

Autumn’s knees gave out.

She hit the ground hard, scraping her skin on something at the corner. Blood welled from the wound, smearing her palm as she clutched her leg.

Then, without thinking, she reached out...

Her bloody fingers brushed the torn canvas.

A pulse of energy shot through the room.

The painting rippled, threads weaving back together, the blood receding as if sucked back into the fabric of the portrait.

Within seconds, it was whole again.

A moment of stunned silence.

Autumn’s breath hitched. She turned slowly, meeting Kieran’s gaze.

He stood frozen in the doorway just behind her, eyes wide...not with awe, not with relief.

But with fury.

"What the hell did you just do?" His voice was dangerously low.

Autumn opened her mouth, but no words came out. She didn’t exactly ’know’ what she had done. But she could tell whatever happened was so damn weird! Like everything else in that place.

Kieran however, didn’t wait for an answer.

He crossed the distance between them in three strides, yanking her up by the arm. His grip was hard enough to bruise her skin.

" You tried to run again? ! Did you forget what I told you about running?" he snarled." Do you have any idea what disaster you just unleashed? Damn fool! "

She tried to wrench free."Let go of me!"

He didn’t. Instead, he hauled her over his shoulder like a sack of grain as effortlessly as before, ignoring her kicks and curses.

"PUT ME DOWN, YOU BASTARD!"

He did not respond. Just carried her back through the halls, past the watching portraits, and out into the cold mountain air.

The car door slammed shut behind her. Before she could react, the blindfold was shoved over her eyes, a gag forced between her teeth, and rough rope, dipped in wolfsbane, secured around her wrists.

"Mmph...mmph...rrr...!" She thrashed

Kieran’s breath was hot against her ear."One more sound, and I will make sure you regret it with your life."

Then the engine roared to life.

The drive was endless but silent...at least from Kieran’s end.

Autumn however thrashed, growled, made every noise she could through the gag, but Kieran remained rigid. The only sign that he was even aware of her was the way his fingers tightened on the steering wheel every time she let out a particularly furious sound.

Finally, the car stopped.

She was hauled out again, still blindfolded, still gagged, still kicking.

The air changed...musty, enclosed.She could tell they were moving up on some stairs...An attic, maybe.

The gag was ripped away first. She gasped, coughing.

"What the fuck...?"

The blindfold came next.

She blinked, eyes adjusting to the near absence of light.

She was right. It was a small, dusty attic. A single metal cot in the corner. No windows. Too low. Barely enough space to stand or stretch!

Kieran crouched in front of her, with a staunchly expression.

Just then,there were some footsteps. A woman appeared in the doorway.She looked older, with sharp eyes and a submissive hunch to her shoulders.But she wore a war veterans vest!

"Alpha," she murmured, bowing her head.

Kieran did not look at her. His gaze stayed locked on Autumn.

"She gets no food," he said coldly. "No water. Not a single drop until I say so."

The woman nodded."Yes, Alpha.Understood!"

Autumn’s stomach dropped."You can’t be serious.You are locking me up here...and leaving me here to die???"

But without answering her question, Kieran pulled a vial out from his pocket, grabbed her cheeks, forced her mouth open and poured the liquid in. Before she could spit it out, he sealed it with a quick kiss, lingering enough to make sure she gulped the entire thing down.

It was bitter. No! Bitter wasn’t even a word that could describe what the taste was like. It was the most disgusting thing that Autumn ever put in her mouth...even the wild leaves and shrubs tasted better.

" What the heck... are you trying to poison me???"

Kieran spat out as if getting rid of the after taste himself...finally turning to leave without any more conversation.

She lunged after him."Kieran! Look at me, you coward!"

He paused. Glanced back.

The air between them crackled.Something fizzed, making the air shimmer. Hot!

Her cheeks flushed! His jaw clenched.

For a heartbeat, neither moved.

Then he turned away again.

"You brought this on yourself,"was all he said before the door slammed shut behind him.

Leaving Autumn alone.

Heaving.

Hungry. And mad! Like infuriatingly mad.

And burning!

The sourc𝗲 of this content is free(w)𝒆bnov(𝒆)l