Chapter 33 Lyra
I was taken aback by her question, but I answered her anyway. “I’m Lyra, and you are?” looking at her intently.
She gave me a look as if to say, “You dare ask me who I am? Don’t you know me?” But she remained calm and said, “You are not from here? You don’t look like the ladies from the West.”
“I’m not from here, ma,” I said, baring my neck in respect. Even though I didn’t know who she was, with the aura oozing out, I knew I should show her some respect.
“That explains it. And what brings you to this pack?” she asked again.
How do I answer these questions she keeps throwing at me? I don’t know who she is. She sounds like a very important personality in this pack. My identity is unknown to everyone except Zach and Julie, so what do I say?
“I-I came to check the library,” I stuttered nervously.
She eyed me skeptically, her gaze piercing through me as if she could see right through my facade. “The library, you say? That’s an odd choice for a visitor like yourself.”
I struggled to maintain my composure, hoping she wouldn’t see through my hastily concocted lie. “Yes, um, I heard there were some interesting books here, and I thought I’d take a look.”
Her expression softened slightly, but the intensity in her eyes remained. “Well, you’re in luck. Our library has quite a collection. Just make sure to stay out of trouble while you’re here.”
I nodded vigorously, as a sense of relief washed over me. “Of course ma. Thank you.”
She gave me a once-over look, trying to decode me. I wondered what was running through her mind, but she said nothing and walked away.
Julie hurriedly walked to me in haste and asked me in panic, “What did you say to her? What did she ask you?”
“Calm down, young lady,” I said, trying to reassure her. “One question at a time. Who is she?”
“If I knew she was around, I shouldn’t have allowed you to leave your room. That woman is the definition of trouble, and I don’t want you getting in her way,” she ranted.
Julie calmed down and answered my question. “Who is she?”
“That’s the former Luna, the Alpha King’s mother,” she said.
A gasp escaped my lips; that was so close. From the look of things, I doubted if she would take her mind off me easily because she was taken by surprise that I didn’t know who she was.
“What did she say?” Julie asked.
“She asked if I was from here, and I told her I wasn’t, that I had come to check the library,” I replied.
Julie sighed loudly.
Since you’re here now, can you please walk me to the library? I said.
As we walked, I was in awe of the architectural design of the building: high ceilings with gigantic pillars, everything screaming of class and opulence.
In no time, we were at the library. It had an ancient statue at the entrance, which somehow gave a creepy vibe that made me skeptical of going back to my room.
I hesitated for a moment, feeling a shiver run down my spine as I glanced at the statue. Julie noticed my hesitation and asked, “Are you okay, Lyra?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I replied, trying to shake off the eerie feeling. “Let’s go in.”
“But,” she said, “this is how far I can go with you. Catch up with you later,” as she bounced off.
“Wait,” I called out, but before I could turn around, she had gone far ahead. I wouldn’t mind catching up with her since I hadn’t become a bonafide member of the pack yet.
Bracing myself, I walked in. Inside, there were ancient statues of different creatures. I made my way to the section where books were kept and diligently sorted through them, searching for the one that described my needs.
After much effort, I found a book on werewolves’ supernatural powers. I took it carefully, opening the page.
As I scanned through, I saw various werewolf supernatural abilities, some of which I had experienced recently.
Then I came across the section on shadow lineage. It described powers such as Shadow Manipulation, Cloak of Invisibility, Fear Induction, and Night Vision, among others.This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.
But what captured my interest the most was learning how to control these powers effectively. I realized that I needed proper training to harness the ability and use it for positive purposes.
Taking down necessary notes, I was struck by the importance of physical exercise in mastering these abilities. It had been a while since I had trained, but seeing the training arena on my way to the library, I knew it was time to get back into shape.
I packed my things quickly, then hurried to my room and changed into a training kit I found in my wardrobe. Kessler had been thoughtful enough to stock it with necessary clothing for all occasions.
As I rushed down in anticipation, Sasha asked me, “Will Kessler approve of your training?”
“Fuck Kessler,” I replied sharply. “I need it for my mental health.”
Sasha chuckled. “Like you haven’t thought of it.”
I shook my head in disbelief, knowing exactly what Sasha was implying, but I couldn’t entertain the thought. “Sasha, you are so impossible,” I said with a sigh.
“What will it feel like to have him in…” Before she could finish her sentence, I interrupted her, not wanting to hear any more. I severed the connection.
Sasha let out a purr of amusement and relaxed, sensing my discomfort.
As I entered the training arena, all eyes turned to me, and a wave of unease washed over me. It felt like a bad idea, and for a moment, I considered turning back to my room. But my legs felt rooted in place, unable to move.
Scanning the room for familiar faces, my eyes landed on Xavier. He gave me a lopsided smirk and walked over to me.
“Hi,” I muttered nervously as he approached.
“Hi,” he replied, not beating about the bush. “You haven’t been coming to the garden.”
“Yeah,” I replied, my voice slightly strained. “I’ve been busy.”
He gave me a once-over, his gaze assessing me in a way that made me feel exposed. “What is wrong with everybody I meet today?” I wondered silently, feeling unnerved by the scrutiny, first from the former Luna and now from Xavier.
“What?” I asked, feeling like he was piercing through my soul with his gaze.
He seemed to hesitate as if debating whether to say something, but then he shook his head, perhaps deciding against it.
“Let’s get started,” he finally said, changing the subject. “Am I sparring with you?” I asked, redirecting the conversation to our training session.
“Isn’t it obvious, or do you have another in mind?” He replied, giving him a tight smile as I took a defensive stand.
Without warning, he rushed towards me and tackled me to the ground. I gasped at the suddenness of his movement, feeling his proximity as he hovered over me, his gaze shifting between my eyes and my lips.
He brought his mouth close to my ear, his voice taking on a seductive tone as he whispered, “I know who you are.” His words sent a shiver down my spine.
Who else knows about me? I wondered, feeling a sense of vulnerability creeping over me.
As I attempted to move away quickly from Xavier, I could feel someone’s eyes on me. I froze in place, realizing it was Kessler. He looked angry but managed to stay composed.
“Fuck my life,” I muttered under my breath. Would things ever get better, or was I doomed to face one challenge after another?