The Lunar Crest Academy: Marked by The Lycans

Lorraine's POV

Take my wolf?

For a moment, I almost laughed in his face. The sheer absurdity of it. My wolf, dormant, barely even a whisper in my head most of the time, what use could it possibly be to him? My wolf was no weapon. She was silent, a shadow hidden deep within me. So why.... why would The Leader want something so… broken?

But when I looked at him, I saw no doubt. His smile stretched, cruel and hungry, like he was savoring the moment before a feast.

"I'm only doing her a favor, Kieran," The Leader said, his tone oily with false benevolence. His eyes glowed, sharp and dangerous, as they landed on me. "Her wolf is too powerful for a weak body like hers to house it. The Moon Goddess herself dwells within her, and she isn't even using that power. She doesn't deserve such power. I'll be doing everyone a favor by taking it, and by showing the world how it should truly be wielded."

The words rattled through me, my chest tightening until it hurt. My lips parted, my voice sharper than I thought I could manage despite the terror gripping me.

"My wolf is not yours to take."

My defiance only made him laugh. It wasn't a chuckle, it was a sharp, biting sound that rang through the yard like the snap of a whip.

"Oh, Lorraine…." His head tilted, like he was looking at a child who knew nothing of the world. "You think this is about ownership? No. This was decided long before you were even born."

His words made my head spin with confusion

"I saw a vision," he continued, stepping closer. "A vision of a feral girl, one cursed with the wolf of the Moon Goddess herself. A tremendous power hidden in a fragile shell. That was when I knew. That was when it became clear, that power was never meant for you. It was meant for me. And I have waited my entire life for this moment."

My heart hammered violently against my ribs.

He spread his arms wide, as though addressing an invisible crowd. "All my life has been a preparation for this day. Every plan, every move, every sacrifice. Even Adrian, yes, Lorraine, even he was part of this. Do you think it was coincidence that he was sent here? No. I placed him in your path. Because in my vision, you stood here, in the heart of Lunar Crest Academy. And here you are, exactly as I foresaw. Poetic, isn't it?"

Adrian was a part of this too?

My breath hitched, a shiver crawling up my spine.

The Leader lowered his arms, his gaze hardening. "And today, here in the middle of this academy, I will strip you of your wolf. You will finally give me what was promised."

His words slammed into me like chains tightening around my throat. He wanted to rip, my wolf, the only piece of myself I had ever longed to know, out of me

But he wasn't done twisting the knife. His tone softened almost mockingly.

"There's no need to be sad, Lorraine Anderson. From the very beginning, I told you, you are special. You were always meant to be the answer to my problems. Unlike the others who die meaningless deaths, yours will be remembered. Yours will be for the greater good."

Greater good. My fists clenched at my sides. To him, I was nothing but a vessel, a means to an end. He wanted to gut me of everything sacred, everything that made me me, and parade it as some grand sacrifice.

Before I could even spit out the rage building in my chest, another voice cut through the suffocating air.

"You are not touching Lorraine. Not while I'm still here."

Kieran's voice. Steady. Deadly. His presence at my side was a force of gravity, pulling me back from the edge of despair. His stance was primal, his body poised between me and The Leader like an unmovable wall.

A growl rolled from The Leader's chest, low and taunting. "I suppose I'll just have to kill you first, little prince. Come on, then. Come at me."

His words dripped with challenge, but his eyes glimmered with excitement, like he had been waiting for this fight all along.

Kieran didn't flinch. His eyes darkened, shadows swallowing the glowing dark red of his eyes. His claws elongated, sharp as steel. His fangs bared. Every muscle in his body coiled with lethal intent.

And for the first time, I realized just how terrifying he could be when unleashed.

The Leader smirked, raising his arms in mock invitation. "Show me what you've got, boy. Let's see if you're worthy of her."

Kieran crouched, ready to leap, his growl reverberated through the earth itself.

*********

Alistair had never run like this before.

The moment he slipped beyond the gates of the academy, the morning air slapped against his face, cold and sharp, and his legs carried him forward with a desperation he had never known. The leather bound book Kieran had thrust into his hands felt like it weighed a hundred pounds, though it was small enough to tuck under his arm. It wasn't just a book. It was the reason he was still alive. The reason he had to keep running.

If any Crimson Hunt soldier caught him now, there would be no mercy. He knew their punishments, he had seen them. His skin crawled at the thought of being strung up, flayed alive, his wolf howling in agony as steel dug into flesh. That was the fate of traitors.

And he was one now.

The siren tore through the air. A chilling, wailing sound that echoed over the academy walls and into the dark woods.

Alistair faltered for a heartbeat, his chest seizing. No.… no, no, no! His breath rasped, his pulse hammering like a war drum. There was only one reason for that sound. They had found the captain's body.

Which meant Kieran and Lorraine were in trouble. Grave trouble.

His throat tightened, but he forced his legs to move faster. Faster than he ever had before. He pushed his wolf to the brink, demanding more speed, more strength, his vision blurring as the trees whipped by in dark smears.

You can do this, he growled in his head. You have to. For them. For us.

The woods stretched endlessly, and still he didn't stop. His lungs burned, his muscles screamed, but he didn't allow himself to slow down. If he stopped now, they would die. If he stopped now, Kieran's trust in him would mean nothing.

Finally, through the twisting shadows, he saw it.

Just as Kieran had described.

A pair of heavy wooden doors half-buried into the earth, hidden beneath an outcropping of roots and stone. The underground hideout.

Alistair stumbled toward it, nearly collapsing with exhaustion, but before he could throw the doors open, shadows shifted in the trees.

Figures emerged from the darkness, dozens of them, circling him with predatory precision. Spears glinted in the morning sunlight, pointed directly at him. Their robes were black and red, embroidered with insignias he recognized instantly.

Royal Lycan Guards.

"Intruder!" one of them howled, his voice echoing like a death knell.

Alistair's heart lurched into hia throat. He lifted one trembling hand.

"I...! I'm not an intruder...." he panted, struggling to breathe. "I…. I…"

But before he could finish, the doors creaked open, and more figures stepped out into the clearing.

Astrid. Magnus. The Queen. And otherswolves

Alistair froze, sweat dripping down his face. His body screamed for him to collapse, but he forced himself upright.

"Alistair?" Varya's voice rang with disbelief.

He managed a weak smile, though his chest still heaved like a bellows. "Varya. I never thought I'd say this, but.… it's actually nice to see you."

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Astrid's sharp voice cut through the tension. "What the hell are you doing here, Ashthorne? How did you find this place?"

Alistair straightened as best as he could. His legs trembled, his voice hoarse but urgent. "There's no time for long talks, Director Voss. Kieran sent me. Kieran and Lorraine, they're in danger. He asked me to give you this."

With shaking hands, he extended the book. Astrid snatched it, her eyes narrowing as she glanced over the book

"We have to move now," Alistair pressed, desperation roughening his voice. "If we want to save them, we can't waste another second."

A step forward, regal and commanding.

The Queen.

Her presence sucked the air out of the clearing. She looked at him, her gaze piercing, unreadable.

"You saw my son?"

Alistair blinked. "Your son?" His eyes widened. He looked at her again, really looked. The bearing, the aura of authority, the steel hidden beneath her grace. "You… you're Kieran's mother? The Queen?"

Her silence was enough of an answer.

Cyrin moved like a shadow, his growl low and dangerous. "You stand before the Alpha Queen herself, and you will speak with respect, or you will lose your head and your heart along with it."

Alistair's stomach plummeted. He dropped his gaze immediately and bowed his head so fast his neck cracked. "Y....yes, Your Majesty. Forgive me. But yes, I saw him. I worked with him inside the academy. We got that book together. But now…" He hesitated, swallowing hard. "Now I think The Leader has found them. And if that's true…. then…"

The Queen's eyes widened, her composure faltering. "The Leader? He's at the academy?"

Alistair nodded quickly. "Yes, Your Majesty. Right now. And if he has Kieran and Lorraine.…" He trailed off, not needing to finish.

The clearing fell silent

Varya's voice broke it, sharp and cutting. "Who is The Leader?"

Cyrin's jaw tightened. His gaze flicked to her, grave. "The Leader of the Crimson Hunt. A dangerous man."

The Queen's decision was immediate, her voice ringing like steel. "We march on the academy. With full force. Right now."

Magnus stepped forward at once, his expression stern, his tone heavy with warning. "What if this is a trap, my Queen? Alistair Ashthorne was a shady student in the academy. He is part of the Crimson Hunt. This could all be a ruse to lure us into their jaws."

Varya nodded firmly. "I agree. This reeks of manipulation. Whoever this Leader is, I'm certain our prince can handle himself. He has proven capable enough before."

But the Queen turned, her eyes flashing like moonlight on a blade. Her voice dropped, low and dangerous.

"Whoever this Leader is?" She shook her head, incredulous. "You don't understand. Allow me to enlighten you."

The entire clearing seemed to hold its breath.

"His name," the Queen said, her voice trembling with the weight of revelation, "is Conan Valerius Hunter. The Alpha King's elder brother."

The words struck like thunder.

Alistair's head snapped up, shock coursing through his veins. Varya's mouth fell open. Even Magnus, ever composed, stiffened, his eyes narrowing in grim recognition.

"So forgive me," the Queen continued, her voice cracking for the first time, her mask slipping to reveal raw fury, "if I am a little reluctant to leave my son in the clutches of that man. Trap or not, trick or not, we march. We strike now. We take the academy by storm. Because if we don't…"

Her gaze turned toward the distant direction of Academy. Her jaw clenched.

"…then my son will not live to see another day"