The Lunar Crest Academy: Marked by The Lycans
Chapter 76: An Anomaly

Chapter 76: Chapter 76: An Anomaly

Kieran’s POV

Adrian’s voice broke the silence that had wrapped around me like a noose.

"What are we going to do now?"

My fist clenched around the crumpled note in my palm, its edges sharp against it. My jaw clenched, blood still thrumming with rage. I turned my gaze toward him

"We?" I repeated coldly. "I appreciate you telling me about this.... but I am not working with you."

Adrian’s brows drew together, but I didn’t give him time to respond. I straightened my tie and adjusted my jacket.

"I’ll handle it myself."

Adrian stepped forward, his tone sharper than it should be, especially when talking to me "You don’t get to say that."

I stopped, slowly turning to face him.

"I’m her friend too," he said, his voice rising. "And I know that’s something you hate, because it seems you don’t like seeing me close to her. But unlike you, I actually care about her. Genuinely. You think your twisted little power plays annd jealousy equal affection?"

He stepped closer. "You Lycans, you always think you’re above emotions, above humanity. Maybe that’s your problem. You don’t even know how to care about someone."

The words hadn’t even finished leaving his mouth before I moved.

I was on him in less than a breath, my hand clamped tight around his throat, lifting him clean off the floor and slamming him against the nearest wall. His boots scraped uselessly at the wall, his hands clawing at mine.

His voice came out as a strangled gasp

"Do it. Kill me."

His face turned red, veins pulsing at his temples.

"It’s either you kill me now," he rasped, "or we rescue Lorraine together."

I stared into his eyes, searching for weakness. Fear. Cowardice. I found none.

Just defiance.

And..... something else.

Desperation.

I dropped him.

He collapsed to his knees, coughing violently, one hand at his bruised throat. I turned away, exhaling hard.

"We’re not letting them escape," I said finally. "Desmond Ashthorne is being hunted by my father. There’s no way in hell I’m handing him a clean getaway. But...."

I glanced back at Adrian. "We’ll make them think we are."

Adrian slowly got to his feet. "You’re going to deceive them?"

I nodded. "Buy us time. Gain access. Get Lorraine out before anything goes wrong."

"But what if it all goes to hell?" Adrian asked quietly. "What if they force you to choose, help them escape or let Lorraine die?"

He paused. "Would you defy your father.... the Alpha King...... for her?"

I didn’t respond.

I held his gaze for a long, still moment.

Then I turned and walked away without a word.

Adrian called out behind me, his footsteps rushing to catch up.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

I didn’t respond.

I just kept walking, faster now, every step fueled by a storm brewing inside me. Adrian’s footsteps grew louder as he struggled to keep pace.

"You didn’t answer my question," he pressed. "We need a plan. What are we going to do? We need....."

I stopped.

Abruptly.

He nearly crashed into me.

"Say another word," I said, my voice low and edged with warning, "and I’ll rip out your tongue."

He froze.

But of course, he couldn’t help himself, he couldn’t keep his mouth shut

"I know you’re absolutely capable of doing that," Adrian muttered, lifting his hands in surrender.

I took a step toward him.

He backpedaled immediately.

".....But I don’t think Lorraine would be happy with that," he added quickly. "I’m her best friend, you know."

I glared at him, eyes like daggers. "You are not her best friend."

I turned and kept walking, more irritated now than before. But like a tick you can’t shake, he was still there, trailing me with breathless determination.

"How would you know who her best friend is?" he challenged. "You barely know anything about her."

I didn’t stop, didn’t look back.

"The feral boy and girl, those two are the closest thing she has to best friends," I said sharply. "I’ve seen them together. I’ve seen the way she cares about theem. I know more about her than you think."

Adrian didn’t back down.

"Oh yeah?" he said, half jogging beside me. "Do you know their names, then? Lorraine’s feral best friends?"

I faltered.

Only for a second.

But I kept walking, forcing my voice to sound unaffected. "Their names don’t matter."

Adrian barked out a laugh.

A loud, bold one that made my jaw clench.

"You don’t know their names," he said gleefully.

I stopped again and turned slowly to face him.

"You dare to laugh at me?" My voice was dangerously calm.

Adrian instantly straightened his posture. "All I mean to say is....." he cleared his throat, taking a cautious step back, "I do know their names. And you don’t. So that must mean...... I’m closer to Lorraine than you are."

With that, he spun around and started walking quickly ahead of me, clearly trying to get out of arm’s reach before I changed my mind about letting him keep his tongue intact.

I watched him for a moment, eyes narrowed.

Petty little noble.

But it wasn’t his stupid smirk or arrogant words that stung the most.

It was the truth buried underneath them.

He knew more about her than I did.

And I didn’t like that.

Lorraine’s POV

The door creaked open with a shrill groan that pierced the silence like a scream. I heard footsteps, two pairs, heavy, deliberate, but I couldn’t lift my head. I didn’t have the strength. My body was tied down with thick ropes soaked in wolfsbane, each knot a searing brand against my skin. Every shallow breath was agony. Every second that passed, the poison burrowed deeper into my blood.

But I refused to scream.

I wouldn’t give them that satisfaction. Not now. Not ever.

Rough hands shoved me upright.

The movement forced more of the wolfsbane to seep through my raw skin, and the pain surged like a wave of molten fire. I choked on it, jaw locked tight, eyes fluttering, but still, I made no sound.

"You said this", a voice sneered "is our ticket to escaping the Academy?"

I blinked through the haze, eyes struggling to focus. Alistair stood beside another man. Larger. Older. Harsher. His presence was cold and commanding, like a wall of solid iron.

Alpha Desmond Ashthorne.

"She’s the only leverage we have left," Alistair answered, voice taut. "After everything that happened, you know how furious the Lycans were. They hunted down and killed all your guards, Dad. It’s just us now."

His tone held something that sounded likr fear.

"Even the other Elite students and staff won’t side with us anymore," Alistair went on. "They’re too scared to cross the Alpha King. That’s why you shouldn’t have made such a public embarrassment of them... You shouldn’t have stabbed him."

"You sound like you’re blaming me."

Desmond’s voice was low, dangerous. A rumble before a storm

"I came here to avenge the death of my daughter. Your sister."

His words crackled like ice.

"And now you’re blaming me for how everything turned out?"

"I’m not blaming you, Dad. I’m just....."

"You’re just what?" Desmond snarled. "Trying to say we should’ve planned it better? That I should’ve gotten your permission?"

"No, that’s not what I..."

But Desmond’s patience snapped.

He turned sharply and punched Alistair, hard. A sickening crunch echoed off the stone walls as Alistair staggered backward, gripping his face, blood dripping from his mouth.

"I am your father. And I’m still the Alpha of the BloodFang Pack. You don’t speak to me like that."

Alistair swallowed and lowered his head. "I’m sorry, Father."

He didn’t wait to be dismissed. He simply turned and walked out, the door shutting behind him like a tomb sealing shut.

Now it was just me and Desmond.

He turned to me slowly, like a predator studying prey that had already stopped struggling. Then he crouched in front of me, so close I could smell the iron in his breath. His hand lashed out and grabbed my face, his grip cruel and unforgiving, fingers digging into my jaw.

"You’ve been quiet," he said mockingly, his eyes narrowing. "Alistair tells me a little feral like you somehow managed to worm your way into the favor of a noble.... and even catch the Lycan Prince’s eye."

He sniffed me suddenly, a deep, invasive breath that made my skin crawl.

"No scent," he murmured. "That means no wolf."

Then his eyes narrowed.

"But you had power. I saw it myself, how you knocked us all out back at the auditorium. That wasn’t normal. That wasn’t something a feral, especially a wolfless one, should be able to do." _{f(r)eew(e)bnovel.(c)o(m)}

He leaned in closer, his voice a venomous whisper.

"You’re not natural, girl. You’re something else. Something that shouldn’t exist."

His grip tightened, drawing fresh pain from the burns on my face.

"Whether your precious friends help us escape this cursed Academy or not..... I’m going to kill you. Slowly. Because things like you don’t belong in our world."