Alpha's Auctioned mate is an outcast

Casian returned to his study after concluding the meeting with Rowan, immersing himself in the welfare of the pack.

He might have refused to take a mate after Lilith's passing, but he had never abandoned his pack. He remained the Alpha they needed him to be.

"I learned that someone from the Moonstroke Pack was present at the auction hall, and those rogues we sensed that night were among them. I doubt it was a coincidence," Darius voiced his suspicions.

Ever since the night Rowan attacked Lyra, they had known he wasn't alone. There had been rogues lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike at Casian.

The Shadow Pack had ruled over supernatural beings for years, and it was no secret that they had many enemies. When Casian took the position of Alpha, he was well aware of the dangers that came with it. Many sought to destroy his bloodline by eliminating him, but none were as determined as Xavier Wingston, the Alpha of the Moonstroke Pack.

"I know they've been waiting for a chance to kill me," Casian admitted, his voice measured. "But now, I fear they know about Lyra."

He paused, sharing a meaningful look with Darius. The day Casian had taken Lyra under his protection, it had been clear what she meant to him. And now, the same people who sought to see him fall would use her as leverage against him.

Darius's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "So now the Alpha is concerned about the lady?" he asked, watching as Casian's expression shifted from calm to irritated.

"She is my responsibility now," Casian stated firmly. "She is a member of this pack, and as Alpha, it is my duty to protect everyone under my command."

"I believe what the Alpha says," Darius murmured, though his tone carried a teasing edge that didn't sit well with Casian.

"Then you should leave and focus on completing the pending work," Casian ordered, dismissing him without another glance. Darius obeyed, though Casian could still sense his amusement.

Shaking off his thoughts, Casian turned his attention back to his work. But before he could fully refocus, his sharp hearing caught the sound of a woman speaking outside his door.

His ears perked, and he immediately stood, striding toward the entrance.

When he pulled the door open, Penny and Lyra jumped, startled to see him standing there, watching them intently.

"Alpha," Penny muttered, quickly bowing in respect. But Casian's attention was fixed on the woman beside her.

"Do you need something?" he asked, his gaze boring into Lyra. She hesitated, momentarily tongue-tied, before slowly nodding.

Penny watched the silent exchange between them, standing dumbstruck as Casian wordlessly stepped aside, holding the door open for Lyra. Without a word, she walked in.

Thud!

The door shut behind her, and Lyra stood in the middle of the room as Casian slowly approached.

"What brings you here?" he asked, keeping his tone calm and neutral.

His intense gaze settled on her, and she nervously bit her lower lip.

'Isn't she beautiful? My mate, Lyra'

Hunter's voice stirred in the back of his mind, awakening at Lyra's presence.

A rush of warmth coursed through Casian when his eyes lingered on her lips—the same lips he had kissed the night she had thrown herself at him. But he quickly looked away, pushing aside the distracting thought.

"If you're here to talk about your family," he stated, his voice unreadable, "then I can assure you that they aren't dead yet. But in the future… I can't make any promises."

Lyra's eyes widened in shock. 'You didn't kill them?' she asked, her expression searching his for the truth.

Casian averted his gaze. "No, I didn't."

Lyra felt a wave of relief wash over her, and a small smile found its way to her lips.

"Are you happy that I spared them?" Casian's voice cut through the moment, startling her. The smile vanished instantly.

Casian couldn't understand how Lyra could still care about the family that had treated her like nothing.Discarding her without a second thought. He hated it. Hated that she could spare even a shred of concern for them. Did she have no self-respect?

Unable to bear it, he turned on his heels and strode back to his desk.

"Is that all you have to ask?" he said, resuming his work with forced indifference.

Lyra noticed the flicker of disappointment in his expression, and for some reason, it made her chest tighten. But she didn't dwell on it. Instead, she stepped forward, gathering her resolve.

"I can't spend my days locked inside that chamber. It makes me feel useless."

Casian's head snapped up at her words. His eyes darkened.

The way she called herself useless stirred something deep within him. He wanted to tell her she wasn't. That she had more worth than she realized. But he held back, knowing that saying it out loud would change something between them, something he wasn't ready to acknowledge.

'You should say whatever you feel, Casian,' Hunter, his wolf, nudged from the back of his mind.

Casian clenched his jaw and looked away.

"What do you want to do?" he asked, ignoring the insistent voice in his head. His wolf was restless, eager, but Casian refused to be distracted, especially not when the very thing he struggled to resist was standing right in front of him.

Lyra noticed how strangely Casian was acting, but that didn't stop her from speaking her mind.

"Anything. I'm good at household chores. I can work as one of the maids here."

The moment those words left her lips, Casian's expression darkened. Though the corner of his mouth twitched upward, the forced smile never reached his eyes.

"A maid?" He repeated, his voice unreadable.

A lump formed in Lyra's throat. She had chosen her words carefully, making sure she wasn't asking for much. But the grim look on Casian's face made her stomach twist uneasily.

"Y-yes, a maid," she said, her voice faltering slightly.

Casian studied her, his gaze sharp and assessing. Was she mocking him? Or was she really that oblivious to what she was asking?

With a sudden motion, he slammed the pen in his hand onto the desk. Leaning back in his chair, he crossed his arms, his piercing stare boring into hers.

"Are you mocking me, Lyra?" His voice was low, edged with something she couldn't quite place.

Her brows furrowed in confusion, and she shook her head quickly. "No, of course not. I simply don't want to be a burden to you. I can be useful if you let me work."

Casian's jaw tightened. Why did her words stir such frustration within him? Did she truly not understand?

Screech!

The chair scraped against the floor as he pushed it back abruptly. Rising to his feet, he moved toward her, slow and deliberate.

The sudden closeness made Lyra inhale sharply, her body tensing. But his next words left her completely baffled.

"What if I refuse?"

Silence stretched between them as Lyra stared into his brooding eyes, her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't understand why he was so upset when all she wanted was a chance to prove herself.

But if he wanted to challenge her, then she wouldn't back down.

"Then let me go."