Marked by the Cursed CEO Alpha-Chapter 21: Unofficial

[Rogan’s Apartment]

Lyra woke before her alarm.

She was staring at the ceiling with a dull ache threaded through her bones.

For a moment, she didn’t move. Her body felt heavy, like she hadn’t slept at all. Her limbs ached in a way she couldn’t place, not soreness, not pain, just exhaustion that sat too deep to shake off.

She swallowed and winced.

Her throat was dry and her chest felt tight, as if she had been breathing shallowly all night.

Lyra pushed herself upright slowly and the room tilted.

She sat there until it steadied, fingers gripping the edge of the mattress.

"What is wrong with me?" she murmured.

When she stood, her knees protested faintly. She crossed the room and caught her reflection in the mirror without meaning to.

She barely recognized herself.

Her skin looked pale, almost washed out and there was a faint shadow beneath her eyes that hadn’t been there before. Her lips were dry, her hair tangled more than usual, like she had been restless in her sleep.

She pressed her palm to her chest instinctively.

The strange pressure was gone, mostly but something lingered beneath it. It was a faint awareness and low, steady hum she couldn’t explain.

Lyra frowned.

She splashed cold water on her face, hoping it would chase the feeling away. It helped, a little but not enough.

In the kitchen, Rogan was already awake.

He looked up the moment she entered, his gaze sharpening as it swept over her.

"You are up early," he said.

"I didn’t really sleep," Lyra replied, reaching for a glass.

Rogan watched her closely as she filled it with water and drank too quickly.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Tired."

That wasn’t a lie, just not the whole truth.

Rogan nodded slowly but something in his eyes tightened. He could still sense it. It was faint now and muted again but not gone.

"You did not go to work today," he said casually.

Lyra stiffened. "I already took a day off."

"Good," Rogan replied. "One day of rest won’t hurt."

She hesitated, then nodded. Her body felt too heavy to argue.

"Okay," she said quietly.

Rogan turned back to the stove but his shoulders were tense.

Lyra leaned against the counter, glass warming in her hands.

Whatever had happened last night hadn’t ended when she left the building.

It had followed her home and even now softened, dulled, pushed down, it felt like something inside her had been stretched too far and hadn’t quite snapped back into place.

She didn’t know it yet but the bond had left its mark.

And this time, rest wouldn’t be enough to erase it.

"Seraphina will come to see you later today," Rogan informed and Lyra didn’t argue.

She just nodded and started eating her breakfast.

.....

[Blackthorn Enterprise]

After checking on Kaelen, Riven didn’t waste time by lingering around. With Elder Varyn around Kaelen, he had nothing to worry about.

He was back in his office within the hour.

The door closed softly as his assistant stepped inside.

"Lock it," Riven said.

The click echoed.

Riven turned from the window. "I want a full background on Lyra Hale."

The assistant didn’t react. "Depth?"

"Everything," Riven replied calmly. "Education, employment history, residential records. Any pack affiliations, any inconsistencies."

"And unofficial?" the assistant asked.

Riven met his gaze. "Especially unofficial."

The assistant nodded once, fingers already moving over his tablet. "Surveillance?"

"Discrete," Riven said. "No contact, no interference."

He paused, then added, "I want eyes on her movements. Who she talks to, who she goes home to, everything."

The assistant hesitated. "Sir, she is human-facing."

Riven’s expression didn’t change. "She was present when the curse surfaced the other day and yesterday."

That was all it took.

"I will have a preliminary report by tonight," the assistant said.

"Good."

As the assistant turned to leave, Riven spoke again. "And keep this contained."

"Yes, sir."

The door shut behind him.

Riven remained where he was, staring at the city without really seeing it.

A weak, unshifted wolf, he had said, yet Kaelen’s control had nearly shattered.

That didn’t align.

Riven exhaled slowly, his jaw tightening.

Whatever Lyra Hale was, she wasn’t insignificant and until he knew why, he wasn’t taking his eyes off her.

....

[Rogan’s Apartment]

Seraphina arrived in the late afternoon.

Lyra heard the knock while she was curled up on the couch, a blanket pulled loosely around her shoulders, the dull ache in her body refusing to fully fade.

Rogan was at the door immediately.

Seraphina stepped inside with a calm that didn’t belong to visitors.

She was tall, silver threaded through her dark hair, her presence gentle in a way that made Lyra straighten instinctively.

Her eyes swept the room once before settling on Lyra, sharp beneath the softness.

"I heard you weren’t feeling well," Seraphina said lightly. "Your uncle was worried."

"I am fine," Lyra replied automatically, pushing herself upright. "Just tired."

Seraphina smiled and then looked at Rogan.

"Can you give us ladies some privacy, please?"

Rogan nodded in response before stepping in the other room.

"That might work on Rogan," she said, setting her bag down. "But not on me."

Lyra blinked. "I—"

"It’s alright," Seraphina continued, already moving closer. "I didn’t come to interrogate you. I came to see you."

She sat across from Lyra, her gaze steady, observant. "Now," she said gently, "tell me what happened."

Lyra hesitated for a moment before she began, "It started at work. Last night, I felt strange, a pressure. Like something was pulling at me." She shook her head. "I thought I was imagining it."

Seraphina’s expression didn’t change but something in her eyes sharpened.

"And then?"

"I couldn’t stay," Lyra continued. "I felt dizzy, too warm so I stepped outside for some fresh air." She paused, fingers twisting together. "And on the stairs, it got worse. I saw someone."

Seraphina leaned forward slightly. "Someone?"

"A man," Lyra said. "I didn’t see his face, just his presence." She swallowed. "It felt wrong."

Silence followed.

Seraphina nodded slowly. "How do you feel today?"

"I woke up exhausted," Lyra said. "Like I hadn’t slept at all, my chest still felt tight."

Seraphina reached out then, resting two fingers lightly against Lyra’s wrist.

Lyra startled but didn’t pull away.

The contact was brief, almost imperceptible.

Seraphina leaned back, her smile returned, softer now and reassuring. "You are going to be fine."

Lyra searched her face. "You don’t look convinced."

"I am," Seraphina said gently. "But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t rest."

She rose smoothly. "Drink water, eat properly and stay home today."

Lyra nodded. "Okay." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Seraphina turned toward the door, then paused.

"And Lyra?" she added. "If you feel that sensation again, stronger than before, tell your uncle immediately."

Lyra frowned. "Why?"

Seraphina smiled again, warm and unreadable. "Because some things are easier to manage when they are acknowledged early."

She stepped toward the door, then glanced back at Rogan who had now stepped out of the room he had entered earlier

"Come see me later," she said quietly. "If you have time."

Rogan nodded once.

Seraphina left shortly after.

Rogan watched from the doorway until the door closed.

"What did you sense?" he asked quietly.

Seraphina didn’t answer.

When she stepped into the hall, her calm fractured, just slightly because whatever Lyra was becoming, it was accelerating.

And no amount of telling her to relax would stop what had already begun.

....