The Lunar Crest Academy: Marked by The Lycans-Chapter 234: It all Ends Tomorrow

Lorraine's POV

The moment my eyes landed on him, a deep fury tore through my chest.

Adrian.

He was tied up behind the tree, wrists bound tight behind his back, ankles secured, his body slumped against the bark like discarded trash. There was dried blood on his face, a split lip, one eye already swelling shut. A thick gag was shoved into his mouth, muffling whatever sounds he might've been trying to make.

For half a second, the world went quiet.

And then everything exploded.

"You," I breathed, and then my voice cracked open, sharp and furious. "You."

I tore myself away from Kieran and took a step forward before anyone could stop me. My hands curled into fists so tight my nails bit into my palms.

"You killed Felix," I said, my voice shaking now, rising with every word. "You killed him. He's dead because of you."

My chest burned. My head throbbed viciously, like something was pounding from the inside, trying to break out. That familiar pressure bloomed at the base of my skull, hot and unbearable, spreading down my spine and into my skin.

My heart started racing, too fast, too hard.

No. No, no, no....

The air around me felt wrong. Too thick. Too alive.

I could feel it then, my power, stirring, clawing its way up like a beast waking from a forced sleep. My skin buzzed. My vision sharpened until every leaf, every breath, every heartbeat around me was painfully clear.

And then I saw it, my reflection in Adrian's terrified, wide eye.

My eyes were starting to glow.

"Lorraine," Astrid snapped.

Before I could even react, she was on me. Her hands clamped onto my shoulders hard enough to rattle my bones, and she shook me once, hard.

"Stop," she hissed fiercely, right in my face. "No powers. Do you hear me? Stop it. Now."

"I...." My breath hitched. "He..."

"No," she said again, firmer this time. "Not like this. You are not going to use your powers on him!!"

The pressure in my head spiked painfully, and for a terrifying second I thought I was going to lose control anyway.

And then Varya moved.

She didn't shout. Didn't hesitate.

She crossed the distance in two strides and drove her fist straight into Adrian's face.

The sound was sickening, a dull, wet crack.

Adrian's head snapped sideways, his body slamming back against the tree. He let out a muffled cry through the gag before Varya hit him again. And again.

"You bastard!" she screamed, her voice breaking as she rained blow after blow onto him. "You did this! You killed Felix!"

She kicked him hard in the ribs, once, twice, a third time. Adrian curled in on himself as much as the ropes would allow, blood now streaking down his chin, his breathing ragged and panicked.

"Varya!" Kaelani shouted.

She rushed forward and grabbed Varya around the waist, hauling her back with surprising strength. Varya struggled, sobbing now, thrashing against her grip, still trying to reach him.

"Let me go!" she cried. "Let me kill him just like he killed Felix!"

"He's not worth it," Kaelani said, holding her tight. "Not like this."

Adrian looked wrecked by the time they pulled her away, face bruised, lip split wide open, blood dripping onto the forest floor. One of his eyes was already swollen shut, and his chest heaved painfully with every breath.

Good.

I turned away from him before I did something I couldn't come back from.

And then I looked at Kieran.

"What is he doing here with you?" I demanded.

Kieran exhaled slowly, like he'd been bracing for this moment. "It's not what you think," he said carefully. "The Crimson soldiers turned on him."

That got my attention.

"What?"

"Conan took back control of the Crimson Hunt," Kieran continued. "The moment he did, Adrian became expendable. They were going to kill him."

Astrid folded her arms. "Conan doesn't tolerate failed assets."

Kieran nodded. "I intervened."

"You saved him?" I snapped.

"I didn't do it for him," Kieran said quietly. "I did it for us."

He looked at me steadily. "I need him alive long enough to get us to Conan. Adrian knows things. Paths. Defenses. Conan's habits."

I laughed bitterly. "And you think that makes him trustworthy?"

"No," Kieran said honestly. "It makes him useful."

Astrid stepped forward then. "This actually works in our favor," she said. "The more united we are, the better our chances against Conan."

"No," I said immediately. "Absolutely not. He killed Felix. He started the battle at Lunar Crest. He betrayed all of us."

I pointed at Adrian, my hands shaking again. "The moment you remove that gag, he's going to use his voice. He'll command us to turn on each other. You know that."

Kieran didn't argue. "I do. That's why it stays on."

I looked at him sharply.

"He doesn't get ungagged until we reach Conan," Kieran continued calmly. "And when we do, Adrian gets two choices."

My stomach twisted.

"He fights with us," Kieran said, "or he betrays us and dies anyway. Conan wants him dead. He doesn't have an exit."

I stared at Adrian again. His gaze flicked toward me, fearful.

Good.

I nodded once, stiffly. "Fine."

Everyone looked at me.

"But understand this," I said coldly. "The moment Conan is dead, I kill him. Myself."

No one argued.

Astrid broke the tension. "We camp here tonight," she said. "We move at first light."

Kieran turned to me. "Come with me."

I hesitated, then nodded and followed him as he led me deeper into the forest. We walked in silence until the ground softened beneath our feet and the air cooled noticeably.

A swamp stretched out nearby, mist curling lazily above dark water. But just beyond it, beneath a massive tree, the ground was dry and smooth, the roots forming a natural shelter.

It was… peaceful. Unexpectedly so.

"Do you want to spend the night here with me?" Kieran asked softly.

"Yes," I said without hesitation.

He sat down against the tree, and I lowered myself onto him, resting my head against his chest. His arms wrapped around me instinctively, solid and warm.

I looked up at him, really looked at him, and it felt like falling all over again.

"How are you?" he asked quietly.

I swallowed. "Felix's death devastated me," I admitted. "But I have to keep going. He'd hate it if I didn't."

Then I sighed. "I'm still angry with you."

"I know."

"You don't get to leave like that," I said. "Not again."

"I thought I had to," he confessed. "I thought Felix's death was my fault. Seeing you like that, it broke me."

"It wasn't your fault," I said firmly. "It was Adrian's."

I lifted my head, meeting his eyes. "And haven't you learned yet? You leave, I always find you. Our paths are tied. Stop trying to carry everything alone."

Something in his expression cracked.

He pulled me closer and kissed me.

The kiss was slow at first, tender, aching, full of everything we hadn't said. His lips were warm, familiar, grounding. I melted into him, my hands gripping his shirt like I was afraid he'd disappear again.

"This ends tomorrow," he murmured against my forehead. "Everything ends tomorrow."

I nodded. "And then we live."

For a moment, I let myself imagine it, peace, quiet, a life without blood and fear, with him.

His lips found mine again, deeper this time, and I kissed him back, letting myself sink into the warmth, the closeness.

His hands were on moving slowly down my back to my thigh and I didn't stop him.

Cause I wanted him, I wanted this.