The Lunar Crest Academy: Marked by The Lycans
Chapter 66: Penetrating Stare

Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Penetrating Stare

The night bled into morning far too quickly.

I hadn’t slept, not truly. Healers and doctors had been in and out for hours, their hands cold, their potions foul, their techniques both ancient and experimental. Some pressed roots to my skin, others whispered chants in forgotten tongues, and one even drew blood from my wrists to trace symbols around my chest. I felt like a corpse on display. Kieran hadn’t moved much. He sat on the couch like a predator watching the aftermath of his hunt, silent, brooding, sharp-eyed.

But by dawn, the bleeding had stopped.

I could breathe again. The unbearable pressure in my chest had faded to a dull ache. My body wasn’t whole, but it was mending, finally. The healers packed up their satchels and murmured instructions about salves and bitter herbs I had to use every day if I wanted the wound to close faster. Then they left, bowing to Kieran before disappearing like ghosts. _{f.(r)eewe/bnov\ll.com}

I pulled the blanket tighter around myself. My head throbbed, my throat was dry, but I felt....alive. Barely.

Kieran stood by the bed, his arms crossed, staring down at me.

"Tell me more about yourself," he said, voice low but clear.

The question startled me. I blinked up at him. "What?"

"I know you’re from a small feral pack, ShadowFang, but who were your parents?"

He wasn’t asking to be kind. He seemed like he answers.

"My father’s name was Gabriel Anderson. He was a beta," I replied quietly, unsure where this was going. "And my mum was Emily. She worked as a nurse in the Alpha’s infirmary. But they’re both dead now. Killed. Right in front of me me."

I didn’t know why I added that last part. Maybe to see if his expression would change. It didn’t.

"So," Kieran muttered, more to himself than to me. "Both your parents were ferals. That means you’re definitely one too."

He narrowed his eyes. "This doesn’t make sense."

"What doesn’t?"

He stared, jaw tightening. "My wolf called you mate. That’s never happened before. Not once. No Lycan has ever been mated to a feral."

I froze. My pulse stopped.

"Your wolf.... called me mate?" I asked, stunned.

He didn’t answer. He didn’t need to.

Just then, a knock broke the tension.

Theron entered without waiting for a response.

"My prince" He bowed to Kieran

Then he just walked over and placed a folded purple collared uniform at the edge of the bed.

"Figured you’d need this since you’re not in your dorm," Theron said simply another bow.to Kierna before walking out again without even glancing at me.

I stared at the uniform.

Kieran turned toward the door. "Get dressed. We’re going to class."

I blinked. "What? I can barely....."

"I am not leaving you in this dorm alone. The announcement about yesterday’s hunt will be made today," he said sharply. "I need to see if Astrid Voss shows up. If she doesn’t, that means she is still being held by the Black Guards"

I moved slowly, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed and reaching for the clothes. I paused when I felt his eyes still on me.

"Are you going to stand there and watch me dress?" I asked, raising a brow.

"Yes," he said without a shred of shame. "It’s not like I haven’t seen all of you before."

My face flushed with instant heat.

"Besides," he added, voice cutting and cruel, "just last night you were offering yourself to me, begging me to have sex with you. Or have you already forgotten?"

I clenched my jaw. "I didn’t beg.... And I was in pain and desperate."

"You still said it."

He scoffed, a cold smirk tugging at his lips, before finally turning away and walking out.

As the door closed behind him, I sat there in silence, heart hammering against my ribs.

Had I really done that?

Had I truly been willing to trade my body for a chance to survive?

I covered my face with trembling hands, shame prickling through me like needles.

At least I am alive and well now, that makes it all worth it

I sat there a while longer, clutching the uniform Theron had brought. The fabric was stiffer than what I was used to, but at least it wasn’t stained with blood or dirt My movements were slow, each twist and pull of clothing reminding me of the pain that still lingered in my muscles, but I managed to dress without collapsing.

Once I was done, I walked to the door, hesitated, then knocked softly.

It opened almost immediately.

Theron stood there, his expression flat and unreadable. "The prince just left," he said. "He tasked me to escort you safely out of the dorm."

He didn’t wait for a response before turning and walking.

I followed in silence, limping slightly as we moved through a narrow, dimly lit corridor that led away from the main hallway. We didn’t take the grand stairs or the decorated passages like I imagined Lycans normally would. Instead, he guided me through a path behind the walls, stone corridors and steep steps that smelled of dust

Theron never looked back. Never slowed down. He just kept moving like he wanted this over with.

Finally, we stepped out through a concealed door that opened behind a crumbling statue of a wolf in the far side courtyard outside the Lycan’s dorm

He stopped. "I believe you can find your way from here."

I stared at his back. "You sound like you don’t like me."

He didn’t turn. "I don’t."

I blinked. "Why? If I may ask. Because I’m a feral?"

Theron finally turned then, his eyes locking with mine, not cold, but blazing. "I have no care for whatever lowly status you hold in the werewolf hierarchy."

My lips parted, confused.

"I hate you," he said simply, "because you make my prince confused."

His voice was quiet, but each word landed with weight.

"I’ve been by his side since we were boys. I’ve seen him command armies, break enemies, carry the weight of the werewolf kingdom without flinching. He has always been certain. Of everything. His purpose. His path. His strength." He paused, jaw tight. "But ever since you came into his life, you bring chaos with you. You rumple his perfectly laid life. You make the prince of the most powerful sect in the werewolf kingdom confused."

He stepped closer, eyes narrowing.

"You make him doubt himself. And you do it so effortlessly. And I hate you for that."

Before I could respond, Theron turned and walked off, disappearing into the shadows of the corridor we came from, leaving me alone in the morning chill

I walked back into tge academy grounds with the weight of a thousand stares crawling down my spine. Students were already trooping in from all directions, Lycans in their striking red-collared uniforms, elites in blur, and nobles with their familiar green collars.

But no purple collars.

I scanned the crowd again, slower this time. No ferals. None of my dorm mates. None of my friends.

A sick feeling twisted in my stomach.

Everywhere I turned, students stared. Some with wide, stunned eyes like they’d just seen a ghost. Others, especially the elites, looked like they wanted to shred me to pieces on the spot. One girl even bared her canines when our eyes locked.

Then someone tapped my shoulder.

I spun so fast I almost fell, half-expecting claws or a snarl.

Instead, Adrian’s wide grin greeted me before he pulled me into a suffocating hug.

"Lorraine!!" he practically shouted.

I struggled in his arms. "Adrian! For once in your life, behave like the noble you are," I hissed, trying not to laugh. "No noble will ever hug a feral like this."

He pulled back, still beaming. "Well, who cares what everyone else thinks? I’m just happy to see my friend alive and standing."

I couldn’t stop the smile that stretched across my face. The last time I saw Adrian, he was on the ground, bleeding, barely able to move.

My heart quickened. "What about Felix and Elise?"

His grin faltered slightly.

"Elise...." I cut in quickly. "Especially Elise. Is she okay....?"

I remember Elise head been cracked open as she fell on a boulder, she was lying on a pool of her own blood

Adrian’s face dropped. His smile faded, and something bleak crept into his expression.

My chest clenched. "No," I whispered. "Don’t tell me she....."

Tears were already forming, my body reacting before my mind could brace itself.

But then Adrian’s face cracked into a wicked grin and he burst into laughter. "Before you start bawling and ruin your ’badass feral survivor’ reputation, Elise is fine! She’s in the academy hospital. Felix is with her, taking care of her. She’s healing just fine, I swear."

I punched his arm. Hard.

"How dare you lie to me like that?" I snapped, but he danced backward, still laughing.

"You should’ve seen your face Lorraine...."

"I’ll show you my face when I break your jaw"

And just like that, we were running, weaving between stunned students as I chased him, both of us laughing now, laughing like we hadn’t just crawled out of death the day before.

It felt..... good.

For a fleeting second, I felt normal. Alive.

But then something shifted. A chill ran down my spine, slicing through the moment like a blade. I stopped mid-step, turning instinctively.

And there he was.

Far across the courtyard, standing still as a statue among moving bodies. Kieran.

His red eyes burned a.cross the distance, locked on me and Adrian.

No expression. No movement.

Just rage.

Hot, dangerous rage cloaked in that cold, regal exterior.

I swallowed hard, I have never seen him this furious before.