The Lunar Crest Academy: Marked by The Lycans-Chapter 226: Unexpected Company

Lorraine's POV

The woods didn't feel real.

That was the first thing that struck me as my boots sank slightly into damp earth and fallen leaves. The trees were tall and unfamiliar, their branches tangled together so tightly overhead that they swallowed most of the moonlight. Shadows stretched in every direction, shifting when I blinked, as though the forest itself was breathing.

I barely recognized where we were.

Or maybe I didn't recognize anything anymore.

My head throbbed violently.

The ringing sound inside my skull returned with a vengeance, sharp and piercing, like metal scraping against metal directly inside my brain. I gasped and staggered forward, my knees buckling as pain exploded behind my eyes. I clutched my head with both hands, fingers digging into my scalp as if I could physically hold my skull together.

Too much.

I had used too much of my powers.

"Liandrin…" I whispered hoarsely.

The image of her flooded my mind without warning, her blood pooling beneath her, her hand stretched out as she held Adrian in place with the last shred of her strength. She had sacrificed herself without hesitation so we could escape.

My chest tightened painfully.

I didn't know if she was alive.

I didn't know if I had just watched her die.

The thought nearly crushed me.

I forced myself to straighten, swaying as dizziness washed over me. My vision blurred at the edges, black spots dancing dangerously close. I blinked hard, swallowing bile, fighting the urge to collapse.

Not now.

I couldn't fall apart now.

They were scattered around me, sprawled across the forest floor like bodies after a massacre.

Alistair lay a few feet away, completely still.

Kaelani was on her side, one arm twisted beneath her, dried blood streaking her cheek and temple.

Varya was facedown, her red hair fanned across the dirt, her body rising and falling faintly.

Felix....

My heart lurched painfully at the sight of him.

He lay unnaturally still, limbs slack, his chest barely moving.

"Kieran," I breathed.

He was the only one not completely unconscious.

He stirred, groaning softly as he pushed himself upright, one knee planting firmly into the ground. His movements were sharp, alert, too alert for someone who had just been knocked unconscious.

Relief washed through me so fast my legs almost gave out.

I moved toward him instinctively, ignoring the scream of pain in my head.

He looked at me.

"Are you okay?" He asked but there was something oddly cold in his tone 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"I..." I swallowed. "I'm okay."

That was a lie.

Everything inside me felt like it was tearing apart.

But I couldn't let him see that.

I forced my shoulders back and stretched out my hand to help him up, even though he was already halfway to his feet.

He didn't take it.

He stood on his own, completely ignoring my hand as if it wasn't even there.

"Are you all right?" I asked quietly.

He didn't answer.

Not a single word.

Instead, he moved past me without looking back and crouched beside Varya, checking her pulse, then Kaelani, then Alistair.

I stood there frozen, my hand slowly curling back to my side.

Something inside my chest twisted sharply.

What's wrong? Why is Kieran barely looking at me? Why is he not talking to me?

The ringing in my head intensified again, but this time it wasn't just pain, it was dread.

Varya was the first to wake.

She sucked in a sharp breath and pushed herself up onto her elbows with a hiss, blinking rapidly as awareness returned. Her injuries were still visible, torn clothing, bruises, dried blood, but they were already healing. Compared to the damage she had inflicted on Kaelani, they were almost nothing.

Kaelani groaned and rolled onto her back moments later, eyes snapping open with fury already blazing in them.

"The hell...." she started, then locked eyes with Varya.

Her lips curled. "You."

Varya straightened, jaw tightening. "Don't start."

"Oh, I'll start," Kaelani snapped, struggling to her feet despite the obvious pain. "You think you're tough because you got a few hits in on me?"

Varya scoffed. "A few? You were on the ground more than you were standing."

Alistair woke shortly after, sitting up slowly, confusion flickering across his features. Unlike the others, he wasn't injured at all, there was barely a scratch on him.

His gaze immediately dropped to his hands.

Then to Felix.

His face drained of color.

Kaelani turned her anger back to Varya. "You had no right to touch me."

Varya's eyes flashed. "We were under his spell, Kaelani. Or did you conveniently forget that part?"

Kaelani let out a harsh laugh. "Excuses."

"Careful," Varya shot back. "You weren't exactly a match for me so if you don't shut it, I might just decide to finish the beating here."

Their voices rose, sharp and biting, insults flying back and forth like knives.

I barely heard them.

My eyes were locked on Felix.

Everyone else was awake.

Everyone else was breathing.

"Why is Felix not waking up?" I asked quietly.

The argument stopped instantly.

Varya's head snapped toward him.

Fear carved itself across her face.

Kieran was already moving.

He knelt beside Felix and pressed two fingers to his neck, then shifted, checking again. His expression darkened with every passing second.

"I can't find his pulse," he said.

The words felt unreal.

"No," I whispered. "No, no, no…"

Tears burned at the back of my eyes.

Varya rushed forward, nearly tripping as she dropped to her knees beside Felix. "You're wrong," she said desperately. "You don't know how to check properly. You're not a healer."

She pressed her fingers to Felix's neck, then his wrist, then his chest.

"Please," she murmured. "Please…"

Alistair stepped closer, his face solemn and hollow.

"This is my fault," he said quietly. "Adrian paired us against each other. He's a feral, and I'm an elite. He never stood a chance."

His voice cracked.

"I tried to hold back," Alistair continued. "I swear I did. But I couldn't stop myself."

"Stop," Varya snapped sharply.

Her hands were shaking.

"Would you stop talking like he's already dead?" she yelled. "I need silence. Absolute silence. Please."

The forest went eerily still.

Even the wind seemed to pause, leaves frozen mid rustle as we all held our breath.

Seconds stretched endlessly.

Then....

"I found a pulse!" Varya exclaimed.

Relief crashed through me so hard my knees nearly buckled.

But her face fell immediately after.

"It's very weak," she continued, panic creeping into her voice. "Barely there. And it's fading fast."

She looked up at us, eyes wild.

"He's dying," she said. "We need to do something now."

Before anyone could respond, a sound cut through the tension.

Footsteps.

Crunching leaves.

Every muscle in my body locked.

Crimson soldiers.

That was my first thought.

They'd found us already.

Of all the times...

I clenched my fists, pain screaming in my skull as I forced myself to stand straighter.

The footsteps grew closer.

We turned as one.

Claws ready. Teeth clenched. Bracing for blood.

The figure emerged from between the trees.

But it was not a Crimson soldier.

Astrid Voss.

My breath hitched.

"Astrid?" Kieran said, disbelief sharp in his voice.

She stepped fully into the clearing, the light catching the familiar sharp lines of her face. A slow, knowing smirk spread across her lips.

"I finally found my runaway students," she said calmly.