The Alpha’s Game

Elara's body screamed in protest the moment she moved. Pain licked across every inch of her skin, the bruises from yesterday's fight settling deep into her muscles. She exhaled sharply, dragging herself upright, her breath coming in uneven pants. The bed—too soft, too warm—felt like another cruel trick. A false comfort before the next inevitable test.

A sharp knock on the door shattered the silence.

Lira didn't wait for permission before pushing inside. She held a bundle of folded clothes, her expression unreadable. "Get up. Training starts now."

Elara forced herself to stand, biting down on a wince. Lira tossed the clothes onto the bed—a simple black top, tight-fitting training pants, and sturdy boots. No dresses. No pretense.

So they were done playing games.

She swallowed hard, running a hand over the bruises blooming along her ribs before pulling on the training gear. The fabric clung to her like a second skin, highlighting every curve, every imperfection. It felt like another power play—Kael's way of making sure she couldn't hide anything from him.

By the time she stepped outside, the sun had barely begun its ascent, casting long, cold shadows across the palace grounds. The air was crisp, but anticipation burned hotter in her chest. The moment she entered the training grounds, all conversation ceased. Warriors turned, their gazes sharp, assessing. Some smirked. Others sneered.

She was an intruder. An Omega in the domain of Alphas and Betas.

Kael stood at the center of it all, arms crossed over his broad chest, golden eyes locked onto her the moment she stepped forward. His gaze dragged over her form, slow and deliberate. A silent assessment. A challenge.

"Elara."

Her name on his lips was a command. She stopped before him, forcing her chin up, refusing to let the bond make her weak. She wouldn't yield.

His smirk was lazy, predatory. "Obedience. Endurance. Submission." He took a slow step closer, lowering his voice so only she could hear. "Prove you belong, or crawl back where you came from."

A flicker of heat coiled in her stomach—rage, defiance, something darker she didn't want to name. She clenched her fists at her sides. "I don't crawl."

Kael's smirk deepened. "We'll see."

Without warning, he tossed a weighted pack at her. She caught it with a grunt, the force of it nearly knocking her off balance. The weight was punishing, dragging against her already sore body.

"Run," Kael ordered, voice like steel. "Until I say stop."

Elara didn't hesitate. She would not give them the satisfaction of seeing her falter. With every step, the pack grew heavier, her breath harder to catch. The warriors watched, some muttering, others laughing. Kael said nothing, but she felt him, his presence stalking her like a shadow.

He moved beside her after a few laps, his voice low, taunting. "Keep up, little Omega."

She bared her teeth in something that wasn't quite a smile. "Try and keep up with me."

His chuckle was dark, approving. But he didn't go easy on her.

Elara pushed forward, her legs burning, her body screaming. The world blurred at the edges, sweat dripping down her spine. She refused to stop. Refused to collapse.

By the time Kael finally called for her to halt, her vision swam, her breaths ragged. She swayed slightly but locked her knees, refusing to drop.

Kael stepped closer, his eyes dragging over her, unreadable. Then, so quietly only she could hear, he murmured, "You lasted longer than I expected."

Elara lifted her chin, swallowing the bitter taste of exhaustion. "You'll have to do better than that to break me."

Kael's golden eyes gleamed, something dark and dangerous stirring within them.

"Oh, little Omega," he mused, a wicked promise curling at the edges of his lips. "We're just getting started."

Elara barely had time to catch her breath before Kael spoke again. "Again."

She clenched her jaw, fighting the urge to curse him, but she grabbed the weighted pack and resumed running. This time, it was worse. The burn in her legs, the sharp sting in her lungs—her body was already raw from the first round. But she refused to falter. Not in front of them. Not in front of him.

She wasn't sure how long it lasted. The jeers, the muttered bets on when she'd collapse, the sound of her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. Then, finally—

"Stop."

Elara staggered but didn't fall. Sweat dripped down her back, her clothes clinging to her like a second skin. Her vision swam, but she forced herself to stay upright.

Kael strode toward her, slow and deliberate, his golden eyes unreadable. "You lasted longer than I expected."

Elara met his gaze. "Not long enough, apparently."

His lips twitched, amusement flickering there for a split second before it vanished. "Let's test that."

Before she could react, he moved.

A blur of motion—then pain exploded across her back as Kael's leg swept her feet from under her. She hit the ground hard, the breath knocked from her lungs. Before she could roll away, his boot pinned her shoulder.

Murmurs rippled through the gathered warriors. No one had expected him to attack her himself.

Elara gritted her teeth, her nails digging into the dirt. "Coward."

Kael leaned down, his weight pressing just enough to keep her there. "A lesson," he murmured, his voice infuriatingly calm. "Strength isn't just about endurance. It's about knowing when to strike."

She growled low in her throat, her body tensing—then moved. Fast. She twisted, kicking up with all the force she had left. Her boot connected with his thigh. Not enough to do real damage, but enough to startle him.

He stepped back, just enough for her to roll onto her knees. Panting, she glared up at him. Waiting.

Kael smirked. "Better."

Elara wiped the sweat from her brow, every muscle screaming in protest. "Good enough for you, my King?"

The murmurs turned to outright whispers. She was baiting him. Again.

Kael crouched down in front of her, his eyes dark, unreadable. "Not yet." His voice dipped lower, just for her. "But you are getting under my skin."

The bond flared between them, thick and suffocating. Elara's breath hitched, but she held his gaze. If she was going to drown in this, she'd do it on her terms.

Kael stood abruptly, turning away. "Training is over."

Elara exhaled, trembling from exhaustion and something far more dangerous.

This was only the beginning.

Elara barely had time to breathe before Lira's hand clamped onto her arm, steering her away from the fading jeers of the warriors. The sweat on her skin chilled against the cool stone air, her muscles screaming in protest with every step.

"You're a mess," Lira muttered, half-dragging her down the corridor. "And you stink."

Elara let out a dry, breathless laugh. "Glad to know I leave such an impression."

Lira didn't smile. She just kept moving, her grip firm but not cruel. Unlike the others, her touch didn't feel like a punishment. It felt… neutral.

A rare kindness in this place.

They entered a dimly lit chamber where steam curled lazily in the air. A massive stone tub sat in the center, filled with warm, inviting water. The scent of lavender and herbs clung to the space, a stark contrast to the blood, sweat, and dominance that made up the rest of the stronghold.

Lira didn't look at her as she set down fresh clothes on a wooden stool. "Get in before you collapse."

Elara hesitated, eyeing the tub warily. The luxury of it felt wrong, another reminder that Kael controlled every part of her life now. But her aching body betrayed her pride, her legs already screaming in protest.

She stripped off the torn training gear and lowered herself into the bath, biting back a groan as the heat bit into her bruises, sinking into every wound Kael had forced into her body. She let her head fall back against the edge, her eyes shutting for a long moment.

Silence stretched between them.

Then—the sound of rustling fabric.

Elara's eyes snapped open just in time to see Lira shedding her outer tunic.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice rough from exhaustion.

Lira raised a brow. "What does it look like? You're not the only one who had to put up with Kael's orders today."

Without another word, she stepped into the opposite end of the bath, sinking in with a sigh that almost—almost—made her look human instead of the sharp-edged Beta she usually was.

Elara watched her carefully. Not because she was wary, but because she realized this was the first time she had seen Lira without her usual armor of indifference.

"You're staring," Lira noted without looking at her.

Elara huffed. "Not much else to look at."

A pause. Then, to her surprise, Lira smirked. Just a little.

"Fair enough."

Steam curled between them, filling the space with something heavier than heat. Not tension, exactly. Just… something unfamiliar. Something that felt like the closest thing to peace Elara had found since she arrived here.

"You're not like them," Elara said after a long moment.

Lira finally looked at her, her expression unreadable. "Like who?"

"The others. The warriors. The ones who look at me like I'm prey that doesn't know it's already dead."

Lira exhaled through her nose, resting her arms along the edge of the tub. "That's because they only see one thing when they look at you."

Elara arched a brow. "And what's that?"

Lira's gaze flickered to her briefly. "A problem."

Something about the way she said it—flat, matter-of-fact—made Elara's stomach twist.

A problem.

Not a mate. Not an Omega. Not even an enemy.

Just an inconvenience.

Elara looked away, letting her fingers skim the surface of the water. "And what do you see?"

For the first time, Lira hesitated.

Then she let out a quiet sigh, closing her eyes as she leaned her head back.

"Ask me when you survive another week."

Elara didn't press.

She just sank deeper into the warmth, letting the silence between them settle like a fragile thing neither of them was willing to break.

…

…

Elara sat on the edge of her bed, fingers tracing a fresh bruise along her ribs. The bath had helped, but the soreness remained, sinking deep into her bones. Every ache, every mark on her skin, was a reminder of the brutal day she had endured. A reminder of Kael.

Or maybe, she thought bitterly, a reminder of herself—of her own stubbornness, her refusal to bow.

The room was quiet now, but she could still feel Lira's presence lingering in her mind. That unexpected moment of companionship in the bath had caught her off guard. It wasn't kindness exactly, but it wasn't cruelty either. Just something… neutral.

And in this place, neutrality felt like the closest thing to safety.

A soft knock at the door.

She barely had time to exhale before Lira stepped in, carrying a tray of food. No pleasantries, no unnecessary words. Just silent efficiency as she set the tray down on a nearby table.

"You're still standing," Lira observed, arms crossing over her chest.

Elara gave a dry smile. "For now."

Lira studied her, too closely, too carefully, as if assessing just how much was left in her before she broke. The same way Kael did.

A beat of silence.

Then Lira tilted her head slightly. "Kael never lets anyone talk back to him. Yet, you do."

Elara swallowed, but kept her face blank. "Maybe I have a death wish."

Lira let out a short breath—not quite a laugh, not quite amusement. "Or maybe," she mused, leaning slightly against the wall, "you're the first problem he doesn't know how to solve."

Something tightened in Elara's chest at that.

A problem.

Just something in his way.

Then, without any excuse, Lira left out of the room, closing the door quietly.

Elara reached for the food, but the sight of it turned her stomach. Hunger gnawed at her, but her mind wouldn't quiet long enough to let her eat. It was still cycling through every interaction, every fight, every unspoken moment where Kael should have crushed her beneath his will—but didn't.

Was she really getting under his skin?

Or was he merely waiting for the right moment to destroy her?

She didn't know which possibility was worse.

Elara laid back against the bed, staring at the ceiling, fingers absently tracing over the bond mark that wasn't there but still burned beneath her skin.

Kael was losing control.

And that meant—

She shut her eyes. No. She wouldn't think about that.

But the thought had already settled too deep.

The bond tightened, coiling around her like something alive, something waiting.

The game had truly begun.