The Lunar Crest Academy: Marked by The Lycans
Chapter 115: Enemies Within

Chapter 115: Chapter 115: Enemies Within

Lorraine’s POV

I didn’t even think twice when he said it

"Yes," I said. "Let’s go. Let’s leave this place for a few days."

His gaze flicked up at me, surprised at how fast I agreed, like maybe he’d expected more hesitation, more resistance. But I had no room left for doubt. Not after the week I’d just had. Not after almost being claimed like prey. Not after slitting throats and bathing in my own blood just to survive.

I wanted.... no, needed, to breathe. With him.

A soft warmth touched my forehead, and I blinked when I felt the press of his lips there. Gentle. Soft. Completely opposite from the man who had ripped into my dorm not long ago. This was Kieran, my Kieran

He pulled back, one arm still lightly resting on my waist. "Do you want to leave now?"

I glanced down at myself.

Blood crusted along my skin. My fingers were sticky. There were stains on Astrid’s jacket, and the sharp sting from a slash on my arm reminded me that I probably looked, and smelled, like a walking battlefield.

"I’m still a mess," I said, making a face. "I need to at least freshen up first."

"Right," Kieran replied, suddenly scanning the room like he’d only just realized I wasn’t exactly travel-ready. "Hospital rooms are supposed to have bathrooms, right?"

I tilted my head at him, my lips twitching in amusement. "You’re acting like this is your first time in a hospital room."

"It is" He said wighout meeting my gaze. Instead, he pointed toward a small door near the corner of the room. "That should be the bathroom."

I blinked. Wait, what?

"Wait. You’ve never stayed in a hospital room before?" I asked, brows raised.

"No," he said casually at first, like it wasn’t worth thinking about, but then he stopped. Like he remembered something. His entire body tensed in an instant. His voice was lower now, rougher. "Not... really."

I noticed the shift immediately.

"You have," I said slowly, searching his face. "You’ve been here for someone. Who was it?"

He didn’t answer. Instead, he waved me toward the bathroom again, brushing it off. "We’ll talk about that another time, Lorraine. Just go freshen up."

But I wasn’t letting that slide. Not when his face had gone that still. Not when his gaze dropped to the floor like he was trying to bury a ghost behind his irises.

I reached for his hand and held it firmly. "Kieran. Who was it?"

His jaw clenched.

And then his eyes met mine, just once, before the words dropped from his lips like dead weight.

"My mum."

Silence fell between us as I stared at him.

Kieran has never mentioned his mother before, the Alpha Queen.

Kieran didn’t say anything else. And I didn’t press, because the ache in his voice, the stiffness in his posture... I recognized the kind of pain that came from loss. Not the kind you could fix. Not with words. Maybe not ever.

But I didn’t let go of his hand.

"I’ll be quick," I said softly and turned toward the bathroom.

His fingers lingered around mine for a second longer before letting go.

And as I stepped inside and shut the bathroom door behind me with a soft click, and for the first time in what felt like days, I exhaled.

Slipping off Astrid’s jacket, I let it drop to the floor, sticky and heavy with dried blood. My shirt was already long gone, ripped away by the wolf that wore Kieran’s face. So I stood naked, my muscles sore, my side stinging from where one of the elites had caught me earlier. _{fre(e)webnove.l.c.om}

I stepped into the shower and turned on the water.

Warmth poured down my back, soft and steady like the rain I used to hide under. The moment it touched my skin, I felt myself sigh. It wasn’t just a bath. It was a release. The blood, the fear, the exhaustion, all of it ran down the drain, swirling into something nameless.

I let my head fall back against the tiles.

I stayed there longer than I meant to, letting the heat soak into my bones, trying to forget the feeling of claws scraping my arm... or the haunting void I saw behind Kieran’s eyes when he wasn’t himself. But the memory of his kiss slowly replaced that darkness, and my body hummed.

Eventually, I reached for the hospital soap and began to wash away everything. The filth. The pain. The past. One lather at a time.

It wasn’t until I stepped out, fresh and towel-wrapped, that reality hit me.

I had nothing to wear.

My old clothes were ripped and bloodied. I couldn’t exactly walk out there in a towel, not when Kieran was waiting on the other side of that door.

Crap.

I stared at the mirror, water still dripping from the ends of my hair. Great. Just great.

I tightened the towel around my chest, debating whether I should risk dying of embarrassment and go out or just.... live in this bathroom forever.

The towel was secure, barely. My hair dripped softly onto my shoulders.

With a deep breath, I walked toward the door and cracked it open just a little. "Kieran," I whispered, "I... um, I need your help."

But the moment the door creaked open, I nearly jumped out of my skin.

His face... his perfectly sculpted, unfairly beautiful face, was right there.

I gasped and flinched back instinctively. My foot slipped against the wet floor just as the towel threatened to betray me.... but I didn’t hit the ground.

Kieran’s arm shot forward with lightning speed, sliding around my waist like it had always belonged there. In one fluid motion, he pulled me against him, close.... too close, until my chest pressed against his and my breath hitched in my throat.

"Careful," he murmured, his voice lower, huskier than before. "You could’ve hurt yourself."

I blinked up at him, heart pounding wildly. His eyes, stormy red now softened into something gentler, searched mine, lingering with that impossible intensity that always seemed to trap me.

Neither of us moved.

His hand was still at my waist, warm and firm. My hands had instinctively landed on his bare chest. When did he even lose his shirt?

My skin tingled where he touched me, and I was suddenly very aware of the fact that I was wrapped in nothing but a towel.

His gaze flickered down briefly, and I saw the corner of his lips twitch.

"Kieran," I said, my voice trembling, not from fear but from the overwhelming presence of him.

He leaned just a fraction closer, enough for me to feel his breath fan across my cheek. "You called for help," he said softly. "I’m here."

Goddesss help me.

I swallowed hard and looked away, trying to find my voice. "I, um... I don’t have anything to wear."

He smiled then, low and slow, and for the first time in a long time, it didn’t feel cold or mocking. It felt... warm. Real.

"I figured," he said, stepping back just enough to reach for something behind him.

"I had one of the nurses get us a change of clothes, this is for you." He handed me a folded bundle, soft sweatpants and a loose shirt, still warm from the dryer.

I stared at them like they were a priceless gift.

"Thank you," I breathed, clutching them to my chest.

Kieran’s gaze lingered on me a moment longer. Then he leaned in again, brushing a damp strand of hair from my cheek. "Hurry," he said, voice a whisper now. "We’ve got a getaway to plan."

And then he turned and walked away, leaving me breathless in the doorway.

********

The blaring scream of the siren pierced through the cold early morning air like a dagger.

It wasn’t the usual wake-up call or the combat alarm. This one was heavier, sharper, an emergency assembly summon that made every heart in the academy skip. Doors flung open, feet scrambled across gravel and polished tiles alike as students from all dormitories, rushed towards the main auditorium.

The air was tense.

Inside the vast, dimly lit hall, the students filled the space with murmurs and speculation. Why was an emergency assembly being called?

Then they appeared, Astrid Voss and Director Magnus Thorn.

They stepped onto the raised platform in tandem, their presence silencing the entire hall. Astrid was dressed in all black, her hair tied back, her eyes unreadable and cold as the void. Beside her, Thorn’s expression was equally grim, his arms folded across his chest like a locked gate.

"We received information," Astrid’s voice cut clean through the air, calm but razor-edged, "that a criminal group has infiltrated the walls of this academy."

The room stiffened.

"A cult," Magnus added. "Affiliated with the Crimson Hunt."

Gasps echoed.

"The same Crimson Hunt that nearly destroyed the balance of our world a decade ago," Astrid continued. "They are not just criminals. They are enemies of the Alpha King. Enemies of our order. Enemies of life itself."

She took a step forward.

"If anyone in this room, any student, has aligned themselves with this cult, this is your chance to come forward. Right now. Right here. Tell us, and maybe you’ll live to regret your choices."

Hundreds of eyes glanced at one another, measuring, second-guessing, wondering who might be hiding something.

But no one moved.

Astrid’s lips curved into a a tight smile. "Very well."

She turned her gaze to Magnus, who gave a subtle nod before his voice boomed through the hall.

"As of this moment, the academy is under lockdown. No one leaves this building. No one returns to their dorms unsupervised. A complete search of every student’s belongings, room, and person will commence. If you are innocent, you have nothing to fear. If not...." He paused, his eyes scanning the crowd. "You’ll wish you’d stepped forward."

Astrid’s eyes flared with icy steel. "Anyone caught with any material, weapon, or symbol affiliated with the Crimson Hunt will not be given mercy. You will not just be killed, you will be tortured untill you beg to be killed."