The Lunar Crest Academy: Marked by The Lycans
Chapter 71: Out of His Sight

Chapter 71: Chapter 71: Out of His Sight

Lorraine’s POV

The voice echoed inside me like moonlight woven into sound, gentle, calming, ethereal.

"Lorraine" it called, soft and steady, like a lullaby made of wind and stars.

My breath caught.

Everything around me, screams, blood, chaos, vanished. The world dulled to a hush, like someone had placed a blanket over the noise. Then, my legs gave out beneath me.

I wasn’t unconscious. I was aware, so painfully aware, but I couldn’t move. My limbs felt distant and heavy, as if my body no longer belonged to me. All I could do was lie there, staring at the ceiling of the auditorium as the scent of burnt flesh and spilled blood clung to the air.

Before I could force myself upright, I saw movement, shadows gathering around Kieran. Varya and the other Lycans had reached him. His body, bloodied and bent, was still kneeling with that silver sword plunged deep into his back. Varya propped him up with surprising gentleness for someone usually so cold. Another Lycan stepped in to support him as she shifted her stance.

They were already moving him away, and I hadn’t even gotten a chance to touch him.

"No, wait!" I struggled upright and stumbled after them. "How is he doing? We should take him to the academy hospital. That sword, it, it’s silver, right? Silver wounds don’t heal easily, even for Lycans. We need to...."

Varya suddenly stopped in her tracks.

My words faltered.

She motioned to another Lycan and the lycan came to take her place, supporting Kieran’s arm as they kept moving him

She turned fully, the look in her eyes sharper than any blade I’d ever seen. Her gaze swept over me like I was filth that had crawled out of the mud.

"We?" she repeated, tilting her head as if she’d misheard. "Do you suddenly think you’re part of us?"

"I..." I began, heart pounding. "You can scold me another time, Varya, but today, Kieran, he....."

Crack.

Her hand hit my face so hard, my head snapped to the side. Pain bloomed across my cheek, my skin already stinging from the slap. I didn’t cry. I didn’t scream. I just stood there, blinking the stars out of my eyes.

"It’s Prince Kieran to you, you lowly feral," she spat, her voice low with fury. "I saw what happened in there."

Her eyes shimmered, not with tears, but with disgust.

"I don’t know what exactly you are," she continued, stepping closer, "but whatever it is, stay away from our prince, you witch. He knelt down and lowered his guard for you. Because of you, that worm of an Alpha got a silver blade into his spine."

My stomach twisted.

"You make him weak, Lorraine. And if you actually care about him, if there’s any sense of decency left in that pathetic heart of yours, you’ll stay out of his sight."

She turned without waiting for a response. Her boots struck the floor with brutal finality as she walked away, joining the Lycans who were already moving Kieran through the hallway and out of reach.

I stood there, alone, frozen in place, watching them disappear with him. Step by step, farther and farther, until Kieran’s bloodied silhouette vanished beyond the corridor, swallowed by shadows and silence. And I could do.... nothing.

Nothing.

I turned away, my legs numb, and dragged myself toward the nearest tree. There was a stone bench beneath it, half-covered in moss and leaves. I collapsed onto it like a broken doll and stared blankly ahead, unable to breathe past the weight crushing my chest.

I didn’t notice Adrian approach until he silently sat beside me.

"You good?" he asked, voice soft, careful.

I shook my head, a bitter laugh caught in my throat. "I’m not."

He said nothing, just waited.

"Kieran is hurt because of me, Adrian," I whispered. "He might die because of me."

My voice cracked.

"Why am I so weak? So weak thst he always has to save me. And the one time he needed saving.... I just stood there. Helpless."

"Don’t say that," Adrian said gently. "You’re not..."

"I heard my wolf’s voice today."

That silenced him.

I stared at the ground, voice hollow. "For the first time in my life, I heard her. I thought I’d be over the moon when it finally happened. I imagined what it would feel like, to not be alone in my own head anymore. But it wasn’t like that. It was...... fleeting. She called my name, and then, just like that, she was gone."

I swallowed hard, blinking away the the sting behind my eyes.

"She left me, Adrian. Like even my wolf thinks I’m too weak for her. I felt so.... empty after. And when I saw Kieran bleeding out with that silver blade in his back, it was like...." My hand went to my chest. "It felt like someone had stabbed me too. And I couldn’t even help him. I just stood and watched as the lycans took him away. Powerless."

The tears came silently at first, then freely, slipping down my face like hot rivers. I hated it. I hated this. I hated being the girl who cried while others bled for her.

Adrian shifted closer and gently pulled me into his side, letting my head rest on his shoulder. He didn’t speak, he didn’t need to. His presence was quiet and steady, the kind of comfort that didn’t demand anything back. So I cried. I let myself fall apart for just a moment in the warmth of someone who didn’t see me as a burden.

Then I saw her.

Astrid Voss, running out of the academy auditorium like she was chasing the wind. Her expression was twisted with something close to panic.

I bolted up, quickly wiping my face with the back of my sleeve. My legs stumbled to catch up with my intent as I rushed toward her.

"Astrid!" I called.

She spotted me, eyes locking on mine. "Where the bloody hell is Kieran?"

I blinked. "The Lycans took him," I said, voice still hoarse. "Why? What’s going on?"

Astrid glanced back toward the building like she expected it to collapse. Her face paled. "I just got word. Kieran’s father, the Alpha King, is on his way here."

My breath caught.

"He’s furious," she added, lowering her voice but not her urgency. "And if he finds out his only heir was taken down by a pack of elites, on academy grounds..... goddess helps us all."

My heart dropped.

The Alpha King was coming.

And he was coming angry.