Lorraine’s POV
Kieran’s hand was still in mine, his thumb absently stroking across my knuckles like he didn’t realize he was doing it. His face was unreadable now, there was an anger buried sowhere deeper than I could reach. His words still rang in my head, a smart enemy is deadlier than a strong one.
Then, after a long pause, he asked, "How’s Elise doing now?"
I sucked in a slow, shaky breath. My throat ached just thinking about it.
"She... she started convulsing." My voice was brittle, like I had to force the words out one after the other. "They called the doctors. It was terrifying. Her entire body was shaking so violently, her eyes rolled back. The doctors said she went into a spasm attack caused by the amount of wolfsbane in her bloodstream."
Kieran stilled beside .
"They said it’s killing her from the inside," I continued. "It’s in all her blood, Kieran. The only way to remove it completely would be to drain her, tto take all of her blood, and that’s just...."
"Fatal," he finished, his voice low.
I nodded. "Exactly."
For a mont, we didn’t say anything. The wind was soft across the courtyard, but I could hear his heartbeat pick up beside . Or maybe it was mine.
"Her skin is turning blue," I added. "Like her body’s shutting down organ by organ. They said.... she might not survive the night."
Kieran’s jaw tensed. I saw the change ripple across his expression, like a storm cloud rolling in fast. His eyes narrowed slightly, lips parting but no sound coming out. He looked away, but not far, just enough to steady himself, like sothing in him cracked then quickly sealed over.
Then he turned to fully. "I want to see her."
I blinked. "Now?"
He nodded. "Now."
I didn’t ask him why. I didn’t press. I just started walking beside him, our strides barely matching
As we moved across the campus toward the hospital, students darted past us, whispers riding behind them. They didn’t matter. Not now. Not while Elise lay there fighting for her life.
Kieran didn’t speak again. He was focused, his mind sowhere deep, locked in gears I couldn’t reach. But I could feel the tension in him, the weight pressing into his spine and shoulders like he was bracing for sothing.
We reached the hospital entrance, and I finally asked "Is sothing wrong Kieran?"
"What’s wrong?" I asked again, softer this ti, but his gaze remained ahead, cold and unreadable.
He didn’t look at .
"Just lead to her," he said.
I did.
My heart thundered in my chest as we walked through the sterile, echoing hallway. The closer we got to Elise’s room, the more nauseous I beca. I didn’t know what I was more scared of, Kieran’s reaction when he saw her... or what Adrian and Felix would do the mont we walked in.
I gripped the doorknob, hesitated, and pushed it open.
Adrian and Felix were still in there, standing vigil like guards who hadn’t slept in days. Felix was sitting by Elise’s bedside, holding her pale hand, his other hand trembling. Adrian stood just behind him with his arms folded tightly across his chest. The second the door creaked, their heads snapped toward it, and the mont they saw who walked in behind , everything stilled.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Adrian barked, stepping forward, eyes narrowed and shoulders squared in that protectively angry way of his.
Felix stood slowly, still clutching Elise’s hand. "Are you serious right now, Lorraine?" His voice cracked like he’d been crying silently this whole ti. "You brought him in here?"
I moved fast, stepping between Adrian and Kieran like a living barrier. "Stop, Adrian. Just stop."
"You said they found her in his bathroom," Adrian growled. "You stord out of here not too long ago, and now you’re back with him like nothing happened? He’s the reason Elise is like this...."
"No," I snapped, my voice louder than I ant it to be. I turned to both of them. "You’re wrong. Both of you are wrong."
Adrian froze. Felix’s eyes darted to Kieran.
"Kieran didn’t do this," I said, my voice trembling. "He would never do sothing like this."
Adrian’s jaw clenched. "Then how do you explain..."
"Soone’s trying to fra him," I cut in. "Don’t you see? They planted her in his bathroom to make it look like he’s the one responsible. Whoever did this... they’re not just brutal,, they’re smart. They wanted us pointing fingers at the wrong person while they disappear into the shadows."
Felix looked at , his expression torn and bruised. "And you’re sure about this? That he didn’t do it?"
I turned and glanced at Kieran, he hadn’t said a word since we entered. His face was unreadable again
"Yes," I answered firmly. "He’s here to help. That’s all."
Felix stepped forward, his jaw clenched, his expression torn between doubt and desperation.
"I want to believe you," he said, voice low but intense, "I do. But sothing’s off."
I turned to face him fully. "Felix...."
"How many tis," he cut in, "has soone like him, a lycan, a powerful Lycan at that, ever genuinely cared about one of us?" He gestured at Elise’s broken body. "They don’t do anything for ferals unless it benefits them too. It’s always strategy. Power. Politics. Never compassion."
My heart squeezed at his words, not because I agreed, but because I understood. Too many ferals had bled out in silence under these sa ceilings, and no one ever lifted a finger, unless it served their agenda.
"And she was found in his bathroom," Felix went on, his voice rising. "And he’s still yet to offer any kind of explanation for that."
Adrian nodded behind him, arms folded, brows drawn tight. "He did this to Elise. Why else would she be there? He shouldn’t even be in this room. His kind doesn’t feel compassion. They’re incapable of caring."
I could feel the air thickening, heating with tension. Kieran still hadn’t said a word, he just stood there, towering and still like a shadow of war. His eyes weren’t even on Felix or Adrian. They were glued to Elise.
To her skin, pale and blue like snow drowned in water.
Adrian took a step forward.
Then another.
And suddenly he was advancing on Kieran.
"Adrian, don’t!" I stepped into his path and put both palms on his chest. "Stop it. Just stop it."
"If he doesnt leave then I’m pushing him out," Adrian growled. "He doesn’t belong here..."
"No! He’s not the...."
But he didn’t hear
His arm shoved outward, ant for Kieran, but I was in the way. His strength wasn’t cruel, but it was careless. And in one sharp motion, I lost my footing and hit the cold hospital floor hard.
Pain radiated up my back and elbow, and for a second I couldn’t breathe.
The silence that followed felt like the kind you’d find in the eye of a hurricane.
And then.... it cracked.
Kieran moved.
A blur of fury.
His arm shot out, and before Adrian could take another step, Kieran’s hand wrapped around his throat like a steel vice and slamd him against the wall.
"Don’t touch her."
His voice was a low growl, barely human.
Adrian struggled, his boots barely scraping the floor, hands clawing at Kieran’s arm, but Kieran didn’t budge. His eyes had turned a grim red, glowing with deadly calm.
"I let you talk," Kieran said, voice like ice over fire. "I let you accuse . I even let you stand here and breathe my air."
His grip tightened slightly, just enough to make Adrian’s breath hitch.
"But you pushed her. You put your hands on her. And for that.... you should be grateful I haven’t ripped them off."
"Kieran..." I forced myself up to my knees, breath caught in my throat.
But his eyes didn’t leave Adrian’s.
"Please Kieran, don’t hurt him" I uttered, still on the floor
Then Kieran let go. Adrian dropped to the floor with a gasp, coughing and glaring, but even he knew he’d gone too far.
I scrambled up and placed a hand on Kieran’s chest cause he looked like he still wanted to pounce on him again
"That’s enough please" I whispered.
For a mont, he didn’t answer.
And then, slowly, he exhaled.
The red in his eyes dimd, fading back to that familiar light red, almost golden. He looked at then, his gaze anchoring, steady.
I turned back to Adrian, who was on his knees catching his breath.
"You hurt whild trying to fight soone who’s only here to help," I said quietly, the ache in my ribs sharp "I know you really do not like him but he is only here to help Adrian, give him a chance"
Adrian didn’t answer. He just looked away.
And in the heavy silence that followed, Elise let out a quiet, painful whimper from the bed.
We all froze.
Kieran was the first to move. He walked to her side, eyes scanning every twitch in her fragile body.
"Stay with her," he said without turning. "I’ll be back."
"Where are you going?" I asked.
He looked at , his gaze quiet...
"I... I’ve seen this before. And I know how to make her conscious"
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