Without thinking, she pushed the door open and stormed in.
The noise died instantly.
All eyes turned to Lyra shocked and confused. The man's brows furrowed as his jaw tightened. The girl beside him gasped in fury, "YOU!" She recognized Lyra.
Lyra froze.
Her eyes wide, darting to the naked man who turned with his whole body shamelessly after she interrupted.
It was Rina.
Lyra had never seen a naked man in her entire life and this sight was repulsing to her with all the hairs on the guy's body.
The air grew heavy with silence. Lyra opened her mouth to say something, anything but nothing came out. She was shocked beyond words, witnessing such a picture.
She hadn't meant to see this. She thought someone was hurt and now her curiosity led her into trouble.
Rina stared straight at her with anger and disgust. If a glare could kill.
"Sorry." Lyra murmured as she tried to rush out.
Suddenly, her hair was pulled harshly. The impact was great that made tears stream down her cheeks unexpectedly.
"Sorry? You said sorry?" Rina's voice was full of malice. When Lyra looked at Rina, she saw how furious she looked. Either way with or without an apology, she'd not get out unscathed.
"I didn't mean..." A slap was sent across her face. She fell down from the impact and pushed the door with her body, which closed with a thud.
"WHat are you Doing?" The man seethed, still standing naked shamelessly. He was too comfortable with his hairy body.
"She saw us." Rina whispered, "She's going to report us."
Rina kicked Lyra on the back. Lyra gasped, her body lurching as pain shot through her side. Rina continued kicking and stamping at her severally. "I won't tell anyone." Lyra pleaded softly which earned her other merciless kicks.
However, before Rina continued, the guy pulled her back and whispered to her that she was going to kill her. Lyra who lay on the ground unmoving and with blood oozing from her nose and sides of her mouth, she felt her entire body in pain.
"She's moving." Rina hissed, panic creeping into her voice. "We need to get her out of here before someone sees."
The guy scoffed, his eyes narrowing "We? You're the one who went psycho. Why the hell should I help you clean this up?" The guys asked her.
"Don't act all innocent now Bryce" Rina spun toward him. "If she talks, you think she won't mention you?"
"Watch your tone!" he growled, clenching his teeth.
"I'm sorry, alright? We need to help each other. The laundry room is at the end of the hallway. Let's take her there first."
Bryce agreed and then proceeded to carry her. Lyra let out voices of protest, "I'll not say anything."
"Quiet down!" Bryce barked.
Bryce carried Lyra to the laundry room and set her down in the farthest corner. As soon as he did that he left. Rina gave Lyra a pointed look.
"It's never wise to poke your nose where it doesn't belong," she said. "Curiosity has a price."
Without another word, she stepped out, and the door shut behind her with a hollow thud. A click followed. They had locked her in.
The room was cold.
"Lyra I told you to mind your business. Look where it led you." Lyra thought. "Even if it was someone getting beaten what could you do?" She shivered and her body curled inwards.
***
"You are sweating and you look pale," Noah noticed as he walked with Kross from the Training ground, the gauntlet where they had gone to supervise the training and spar. "Are you okay?"
Kross gave a slight nod.
Noah's eyes narrowed, "The full moon is in two hours." He glanced at the sky through the high windows at the hallway, "You should rest. We don't know if the curse is truly gone... or if the ravager will show up.."
"I have documents to sign." Kross said, his tone flat but brittle. His sharp eyes in contrast with his sweating pale face despite the cold air.
Noah hesitated, "The curse..."
"Noah, I'm fine," he added, "I'll be in my room."
Without another glance, he turned and disappeared through his chamber door. Kross walked, he thought he was tired and when his beta pointed it out, he knew something was wrong.
Kross didn't feel the ravager at all. not in his mind, not in his bones, not anywhere. The curse was gone, he thought so. In his mind, he thought it was exhaustion. He hadn't slept in over a week. That had to be it.
He went and sat on his chair. He looked at the documents he had to sign, there were only two of them.
A sudden whiff of sweet and fresh freesia drifted past, subtle but arresting. It curled through the air faintly. Kross inhaled sharply before he even realized it, chasing the scent deeper into his lungs. His jaw clenched. Muscles locked. The papers in his hand trembled before he set them down.
He didn't want to exhale. Didn't want to lose it.
His heart kicked once, hard, then settled into a faster rhythm. Something inside him stirred, awake and alert, something primal. His instincts flared to life.
He had never smelled anything like it.
Something so pure and unnaturally compelling.