The Triplet Alphas' Curse: Rejected by the Wolfless Luna.

Halfway back to the cell, sharp footsteps echoed through the corridor, and the two guards escorting Aire immediately straightened.

Lysander emerged from the shadows.

His expression darkened the moment he saw her. His gaze swept over the blood at the corner of her mouth, then to her wrists, and back to her face.

A curse left him under his breath.

The guards exchanged uneasy glances. "My lord." They bowed to him.

Lysander barely acknowledged them. "I’ll take her." He told them.

Neither guard moved. They shared a wary look, spechlessly warning the other not to give in.

Lysander’s eyes shifted toward them.

The temperature in the corridor seemed to drop. "I’ll take her," he repeated. "No words of this to Vaelor."

The hesitation lasted only a few seconds, then both guards stepped aside.

"Yes, my lord."

Aire watched them leave.

The moment they disappeared around the corner, Lysander turned toward her. For several seconds he simply stared.

Then he grabbed one of her wrists.

Aire tensed up immediately. "What are you—"

Lysander ignored her.

His fingers twisted slightly around the vines. The reaction was immediate, and the vines loosened around her wrists, but didn’t drop.

Aire’s eyes widened.

They loosened completely and dropped against her skin like dead ropes, motionless.

For the first time in weeks, they weren’t digging into her flesh.

Aire stared at him. "What did you do?"

Lysander didn’t answer. Instead he looked around, then grabbed her arm and dragged her deeper into the corridor.

Aire eyes hardened. Her cvest heaved in refusal. "Lysander—"

He kept walking, ignoring her.

The shadows around them grew thicker, and darker.

Soon they stood in the darkest section of the hallway where even the silver flames struggled to reach them.

Bam.

Her back suddenly hit stone. The impact knocked the breath from her lungs, as he pushed her to the wall.

Aire inhaled sharply.

Lysander planted one hand beside her head, then the other, trapping her while using his body as a cage.

His golden eyes burned. He looked visjbly angry now. Aire blinked, staring at him. Her mouth parted in suprsie, as she had no idea what she did to him.

"What were you thinking?" The question came out with a half growl and a demand.

Aire glared at him. "What did you do to them?"

It was Lysander’s turn to blink now. "What?"

"The vines." She went on, like he hadn’t just demanded a reply to her, and slam her back so hard. She looked down at her wrists. "What did you do?"

Lysander followed her gaze. "They’ll wake up in two hours."

Aire frowned. "What?"

"A small trick." He disclosed. His jaw tightened. "Some little trick Vaelor taught me."

Aire nodded once. "Okay."

She rubbed her palms together, and then she stepped away from the wall.

Or tried to.

She got exactly two steps away, when Lysander stopped her, with the same amount of anger from earlier.

"I asked you a question." He snapped at her, and his hand closed around her arm again.

The next second she was back against the wall.

Aire sucked in a sharp breath.

Lysander leaned forward. He was far too close now. His voice dropped. "Trying to escape while Vaelor was inside the estate?"

His eyes flashed with more anger. "Are you stupid?"

Aire swallowed.

His grip on her arm tightened. "Or determined to die?"

The words struck her harder than she expected. A strong wave of anger ran through her after hearing what him downplay the idea of her dying.

She shoved him away from her, hard.

Lysander stepped back. Not because she moved him, but because he allowed it.

"What do you care?" Aire snapped.

His expression darkened.

Aire pointed at him. "What exactly do you care?" She laughed mockingly. "Whatever twisted reason you people have for keeping me here—"

She jabbed a finger toward his chest. "....you are not getting it."

Lysander stared at her like she had lost her mind. However, he allowed her to keep speaking.

Aire kept going. "You lock me in a cage. You torture me, and then you drag me around like an animal."

Her voice rose.

"And now you’re angry because I tried to leave?" She laughed furiously now. The sound cracked. "What did you expect?"

Lysander moved suddenly. In just a second, he stood in front of her. The next second, his palm wrapped around her jaw.

Not painfully, but firmly as his fingers curved against her face and lifted her chin. Her angled her chin higher, so she’d look at him.

Aire froze when their eyes met.

Neither looked away, and the corridor suddenly became very quiet.

Lysander leaned closer to her ear. His voice dropped, and he whispered. "I expected you to survive."

Aire’s heart stumbled. She swallowed, and leaned away from him, to prevent herself from feeling the tingling feeling of his breath.

She blinked, then frowned, remembering who he was.

Her eyes hardened immediately. She clenched her fist, trying hard not to slam gim hard across the face. "Do not pretend you care." She warned him.

His jaw flexed. "You think I don’t?"

"Should I thank you?" Her voice dripped sarcasm. "Thank you for the bread, the bath?" She met his eyes, "Or thank you for the privilege of being imprisoned?"

His eyes flashed.

Aire didn’t stop. Her feelings erupted. "You are all insane." She yelled at his face, and shoved his arm away.

She lifted a finger to his face. "You." She added another finger to the first one, counting. "Morrigan." She lifted another finger. "Vaelor, and every single one of you."

Her chest rose and fell rapidly.

"You act as though I owe you gratitude because you occasionally decide not to hurt me."

Lysander stared at her. He took a step away from her.

Aire was breathing too hard now. She felt so angry, exhausted, and broken. "And what exactly was I supposed to do?"

Her voice cracked. She miss the wolf realm. She miss her mates. Whatever this place was, it damages her. It breaks her.

She gestured towards the cell route. "Stay there forever?"

He did not answer.

"You locked me underground, and left me in the dark."

Lysander’s expression changed slightly.

Aire hated her emotions. She hated that she suddenly felt her tears threatening to form. She hated everything. Most of all, she hated that she missed home.

The thought hit so hard her throat tightened.

Everyone’s gone.

Aire looked away.

Lysander immediately caught her shoulders firmly. He held her still, stopping her from turning away.

"Aire."

She shook her head.

"Aire."

"No."

"Aire."

"No!" She yelled at him, and her refusal echoed through out the hall.

Heavy silence followed her words.

Lysander’s hands remained on her shoulders.

Aire stared at the floor, then at the wall. She stared at anywhere except him.

When she finally looked up, he was closer. The space between them had disappeared, and Aire’s pulse betrayed her.

His eyes dropped briefly to her lips, then returned to her eyes.

Aire’s heart pounded.

For one ridiculous second, the corridor felt too small, too quiet, and too warm.

None of moved, or spoke.

The tension stretched from Lysander.

Slowly, he stepped back and the moment shattered. His expression became unreadable again.

He grabbed her wrist. "Come on."

Aire blinked. She slapped his hand to leave her wrist, but he didn’t budge.

"I’m returning you to your cell." He told her.

Her eyes widened.

"Leave me be. I’ll walk down myself."

"I am walking you back."

"Lysander—"

"No."

She planted her feet. He dragged her anyway, and Aire stumbled after him.

"This conversation is not over." He told her.

Aire scoffed, taken aback by his sheer audacity of thinking she would talk about it again. "Yes, it is."

"It absolutely is not."

"It is." Aire glared at the back of his head.

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