The Lycan Kingpin's Captive: A Baby For The Beast

Chapter 21 - Mira

My news didn’t affect him as much as I thought it would, but then again he has such a good poker face.

The man was made to lie and manipulate the same way as all Alphas do - lie, cheat, take what’s left of

you, and toss you to the side.

I should have known better, instead, I allowed myself to believe Alpha Nikolaos might be different. How

foolish!

Now here I am yet again, struggling to fall asleep with thoughts of the Alpha plaguing me. The look of

betrayal in his eyes when I turned to face him, the way he comforted me after the pack house was

invaded.

“You’re deluding yourself, Mirabella; he simply wants your womb and nothing else. Do not romanticize

this…It’s madness!” I repeat the mantra again, hoping it sticks but I have a restless night again.

But the scent of autumn keeps me awake all night, taunting me with reminders of what I’ll never have. I

just have to hold on for a few more months…then I’ll be free of this.

I am woken up by an odd scent permeating my room and my eyes shoot open as I become aware of

someone else in the room with me. Jumping from the bed, I back up towards the bathroom, but he

mirrors my movements.

Fear grips my heart, but as he steps out of the shadows I can feel my heart skipping a beat - why is

Alpha Nikolaos in my room?

“Alpha Nik…” I trail off with a frown, then I shake my head as his grin grows wide. “No, you’re not Alpha

Nikolaos.”

Sandalwood, mint, and….something that causes my throat to feel strangled by an icy chill as if I’ve

taken a deep breath in a blizzard. I can’t explain it, but this man smells like winter. I don’t like the way

he’s looking at me with pity, and when he cocks his head to the side, it angers me more.

“Who are you? Why are you in my room?!”

He has his hands in the pockets of his jeans, mimicking the Alpha’s casual stance as his eyes blaze

Alpha crimson. “I’ve just come to see the mother of my niece or nephew, that’s all. I heard you’re

making quite the…ruckus.”

That smile hides something that causes my throat to constrict with fear. This is the Alpha’s twin brother,

but what is he doing here?

“You have to excuse my doubt, sir, but I don’t believe you,” I say as I slowly grow tired of the games

these Alphas play.

He chuckles. “Whether you believe me or not is none of my concern, dear girl, but what you want with

my brother…now that is my concern.”

Crossing his arms over his broad chest, he languidly walks over to me with that grin ever present. My

body is shaking as I am backed up against the wall next to my bed.

“So, what makes you so special that Niko chose you to birth his firstborn?” he asks, seemingly

perplexed.

“Because it was easier than getting another woman who would expect more out of him,” I reply

robotically, but I can tell he doesn’t believe me.

“Hmm, sounds believable, but I think there’s something more. Niko wouldn’t just pick a woman off the

street to be his surrogate. So tell me truthfully, little one, why did he choose you?”

I frown at whatever he’s insinuating. “I’m not sure I follow? Are you assuming there’s something more

to this?”

“You tell me,” he says with a shrug. “From what I can see, there’s nothing overly interesting about you

except for those innocent big brown eyes.”

The comment is biting, but I don’t let it affect me. “Why don’t you ask the Alpha himself? I’m sure he’ll

tell you exactly the same thing since I asked him that exact question weeks ago.”

This man, the Alpha’s twin, seems to take a beat and think for a little bit. “I did that, but even as he

gave me the same answer, I can tell there’s something more,” he says, smirking. “Especially when he

talks about you. Yes, I do think my brother is truly enamored with you.”

I suck in a surprised breath at this insinuation, then I shake my head at this preposterous notion. “I

think you’re mistaken, sir. Alpha Nikolaos doesn’t feel anything for me-”

“He allowed you to touch him when he cannot stand the touch of another; please explain that,” he says,

interjecting. “And from what Lilah has told me, he even let you sleep in his bedroom.”

I blanch at this, my heartbeat quickening. What is this man saying? There’s no way Alpha Nikolaos

would treat me any differently than others since I am a complete outsider. And he can’t have an

aversion to being touched, because I have…

My mind goes back to when he caught me in after I nearly fell in the bathroom. We had a moment

where we just stared at each other, our faces close. But he immediately jumped back after I touched

his chest.

Could this be true? But I…I clung onto him the night I was attacked and he let me…

“No…” I trail off, but I don’t believe my own words and when I peer up at him, he’s wearing a smirk as if

he knows I just came to the same conclusion.

He leans in close and his overbearing scent knocks the breath from my lungs. “You’re doing something

to my brother, something he doesn’t like. That change can either make him or break him; do you want

to be known as Alpha Nikolaos’ downfall, little girl?”

I shake my head vehemently. “I won’t-”

“Because if you allow him to get soft, if he thinks your protection means more than that of the pack,

you’ll be nothing but his destruction-”

“That’s enough, Bastien.” Our heads whip towards the door where we see Alpha Nikolaos standing.

He’s wearing a scowl, glaring at his brother while his hands are balled into fists at his side.

His brother, Bastien I know now, chuckles and takes a step back from me. “Just introducing myself,” he

says and winks at me before walking over to Alpha Nikolaos.

“I told you there’s no need for that; she’s just a surrogate,” he growls, the anger in his scent palpable.

My heart is sitting in my knees right now, not only from what his brother has said but from the way the

Alpha is looking at me. He’s claiming I’m just a surrogate, but that look in his eyes tells me he’s

worried.

Bastien waves his wrist in a dismissive motion. “Be that as it may, I still wanted to see her,” he says,

placing an arm around his brother’s shoulder. “And I learned a few things that intrigued me.”

Alpha Nikolaos growls. “Stop it and please leave,” he says. Bastien chuckles and winks at me again.

“I’ll be in your office,” he says before walking out the door.

Now it’s just me and the Alpha in my bedroom. I try not to avert my eyes, but the heat of his gaze

sends shivers down my spine, so I look at my feet.

I hear him walking towards me and my heart starts picking up its pace, strangling me with its incessant

beating. He comes to a stop in front of me and I force myself to peer up at him through my eyelashes.

The look of anger is gone, but his green eyes are still clouded. He reaches out and touches my chin,

tilting it up to face him before running the pad of his thumb over my bottom lip. This close, I can see the

flecks of gray in his beard, and somehow it makes me wonder how old he is.

“Did he scare you?” he asks, flooring me with the concern in his voice. © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

I shake my head lightly. “N-no, he didn’t,” I reply and a ghost of a smile teases his lips. Bastien didn’t

scare me because he doesn’t exude the same raw power as his brother, but I don’t mention this.

“Good,” he says. I strain my ears to listen to his heart, the uneven thudding surprising me even more. Is

he nervous just as I am? Do I have the same effect on him?

“Mia,” he starts, then shakes his head. “Sorry, Mirabella. In the next few days, things might be

changing. I’ll leave to speak with your father to inform him about Mikhail’s plans and the next step

forward.”

I can tell there’s more to it, so I keep quiet and simply nod.

“However, once he finds out about that child in your belly, he might want us to…make it formal,” he

says and I notice his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallows deeply.

Wait, what?

“Formal?” I frown. “What do you mean? You can simply keep me out of the conversation-”

“Ah, but I can’t. Your father will know this information is legit because you’re supposed to be Mikhail’s

captive. He’ll test Mikhail first, obviously, but I think he might…want us to wed since I am the son of his

best friend.”

My stomach clenches, an uneasy coil forming. Formal…my father will want Alpha Nikolaos to marry

me?

“I don’t…I don’t think he’ll do that!”

“You’re his only blood left; he will. But Mia…” he trails off sighing, seemingly annoyed. “Fuck, I will

never get used to the name Mirabella. He won’t be happy that I’ve used you as only a surrogate, so we

might have to…act as if we’ve been together since your rescue.”

I bite my bottom lip in a bid to calm my nerves, but it doesn’t help. Marry Alpha Nikolaos, act as if we’re

together…Act as if I am in love with him?!

“Are you okay with that? Your brother mentioned you don’t like being touched-”

“I’ll do what I have to do,” he growls, gritting his teeth. “Fucking Bastien.”

“The contract-”

“Will come into effect once your father dies, and it should be soon. Mikhail will retaliate one way or

another, but don’t worry about that. I will protect you.” He says before letting out a long sigh. “You will

still have your freedom, little rabbit, it will just take a bit longer.”

I don’t know how I feel about this. I am already filled with confusion about this man, now we might have

to pretend we’re a couple? It’s a dangerous slope, being close to him already muddles up my mind!

My bottom lip slowly gets pulled out between my teeth by his thumb and I hear a stifled growl rumbling

in his chest. “You’re distracting me by doing that and I don’t like to be distracted.”

“I didn’t-”

“Hmmm…” he says, then he places his hands on either side of my head, caging me in. “Everything

about you is distracting, kouneláki, your very presence chips away at every bit of my self-restraint.”

He pushes his body up against me and I can feel the outline of his thick cock against my belly. He’s

hard and for some reason, it doesn’t scare me…it excites me.

“Is that…good or bad?”

He chuckles and the sound makes my core throb with need. “Your innocence is so alluring, do you

have any fucking idea what you do to me?”

I shake my head and feel his cock twitch against me. For the first time ever, I want to be on my knees

for a man… I want to submit everything to him.

“I don’t like the touch or feel of others, but I want you on top of me, underneath me, screaming my

name, raking your nails down my back, and meeting my thrusts,” he says, his hand slipping down to my

throat and squeezing gently.

“I want to hear your moans, feel your pussy clench around my cock like it clenched my fingers. I want

you dripping for me, Mia, I want to make you MINE.”

He growls out the last word and I whimper, but not in fear.

Then he sighs, takes two steps back and I immediately feel naked. “But I can’t have that. I cannot want

you like that because that would make you my weakness - I cannot have any weakness.”

My heart shatters. “Because you’re an Alpha,” I murmur and he nods.

“Because I am an Alpha. Weakness cannot be tolerated or welcomed, so if we have to act like we’re

together that’s all it will be. Acting.” He says with finality.

So…he does want me as I want him, but he won’t have me because of his duties. This is not just a

dangerous slope, it’s the makings of an avalanche. Pretending to be in love won’t just be pretending if

we keep it up, The close proximity, knowing how we make each other feel…

“I understand and will go with whatever you decide if it gives me my eventual freedom,” I say,

straightening my back and crossing my arms so he doesn’t see how hard my nipples are.

He sighs and raises his arm, but then stops as if he’s touched a live wire. With one more look at me, he

storms out and I slip down to the floor.

Hurt, excited, and…so darn confused.