Chapter 51: Drowsy
~~~
The air thickened the moment Wryn’s gaze locked onto us. Her face twisted with every second she stared, surprise melting into anger, then to something taut and quiet. Lethal. The black wolf ears atop her head twitched sharply, fur rising as her lip curled.
Kael didn’t so much as blink. She stood tall, one arm still grabbing onto mine like a chain, her smile worn into a thin line, as she let out a tch sound at the sight of Wryn.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Wryn’s voice cracked, filled with emotion as she stared accusingly at Kael.
Kael tilted her head, her tone flat. “Relax. I’m just hanging out with Markus. What’s your problem?”
Wryn’s eyes narrowed, her chest rising and falling in uneven bursts as her fists curled at her sides. “My problem-” she started, voice strained, but the words caught, faltering on her tongue.
Kael didn’t let her off the hook. “So, you don’t even know the problem. Unless… the real issue is that you can’t stand him being with anyone’s company, anyone but yours.”
Wryn snarled, her glare flaring with fury. Her body drew closer, muscles taut as every line of her frame bristled, ready for the kind of confrontation she knew best.
But before she could move, my hand shot out, catching hers. “Wryn… don’t.” My voice came out low, earnest, tighter than I intended.
My grip landed upon her tense arm, a feeble attempt at stopping her. She was about to tear herself free, rage seething from every fibre of her being, her shoulder lifting as she readied to jerk me off, but then she halted.
Her eyes dropped to the scar etched across my wrist, crawling along its permanent etchings. For a moment, something cracked in her expression. The anger in her eyes faded, replaced with a fleeting moment of guilt, but gone almost as fast as it came.
She growled low in her throat, then yanked my arm into her grasp, pulling me behind her as her glare burned into Kael.
“I’ll be taking him now,” she declared, giving no room for anyone to refute.
Wryn’s grip was firm as she dragged me along, my arm caught in hers. The haze still hadn’t lifted yet, my steps still dragging, and my balance faltering as it failed to keep up with her pace.
Each step felt unsteadier than the other, one like a newborn lamb’s, and before I realised it, I’d leaned against Wryn’s frame, my chest pressing into her.
She looked back immediately, the hard glare she’d worn a moment ago softening as her eyes found me. Her gaze trailed downward, catching the tremor in my legs. Without a word, she bent down, sliding her arms beneath me.
“Wha-!” A yelp of surprise slipped out as she lifted me clean off the ground, her hold steady, unyielding. My body tensed, but she only whispered, soft enough that it brushed against my ear.
“Stay still.”
I swallowed, breath hitching, too worn out to argue. From the corner of my eye, I caught Kael, still, aloof, her expression unreadable. But the rapid flick of her rat’s tail betrayed her. Agitation. Resentment. She was far from calm.
Kael gave a mock-laugh, her voice dripping with forced casualness. “It’s funny, the way you act as if he belongs to you. Where were you when he actually needed someone? Better late than never, I guess… though with you it’s usually never.”
Wryn didn’t even break stride at Kael’s taunt. “All I hear is a loser’s squeaking,” she shot back, dismissive in her tone, as she carried me along.
I barely caught Kael’s sharp intake of breath before the air cracked with a loud clang of metal behind us.
Wryn didn’t allow me to look back.
~~~
By the time Wryn guided me into the infirmary, the sterile silence followed us. Empty beds, dim light. She eased me down onto one of them with surprising care, steadily lowering me as she set my body against the sheets.
Her shadow loomed over me, face set hard, voice weighed down. I couldn’t help but gulp at the intimidating sight, suddenly made aware of how small I’d become under her glare. With Kael gone, I'd become the lightning rod for her storm.
Wryn finally spoke up, a low sound, more growl than voice. “What happened to you?” she asked, each word heavier than the next. “Why were you so shaky? What the hell were you doing with that rat?”
The questions stabbed through me, as I fumbled for an escape.
“It’s just… I was tired, that’s all. You don’t have to worry. Really-” I tried to shift the topic, forcing lightness into my voice. “But it’s good to see you again, Wryn. I missed you. You looked-”
She didn’t answer. Instead, her hands went to my waist, unbuckling my belt.
I jolted upright, panic spiking. “Wryn! What are you doing?”
She froze for a fraction of a second, her eyes cutting to me. A mere glance at me, before she simply ignored my question and tugged again, working my pants loose.
“Stop!” I blurted, voice cracking as I tried to push her hands away.
Finally, she stilled. Her eyes fixed on me, unflinching in her tone. “If you won’t tell me what’s wrong with you… then I’ll check your legs myself.”
She didn’t budge. Her grip was steady, while my own arms shook like they belonged to someone else entirely. A fleeting battle waged between her iron restraint and my failing resistance. And bit by bit, her struggle ebbed until only her stare remained.
"Last chance." The words came slowly, pouring intent behind every syllable. "Tell me. Otherwise I’ll have to look through every inch of you."
I froze, tongue thick and useless in my mouth. I couldn’t tell her. I didn’t want her anywhere near the truth. I was afraid, afraid of what would follow. Of what destruction would lie in her wake.
“I can’t”
The words scraped out thinner than I meant them to, more plea than defiance. For a moment, nothing moved between us, just her shadow bending over me, her hands hovering like she still couldn’t decide on which side to topple her piece.
Her jaw shifted, the faintest grind of teeth, as the fire in her eyes dimmed to smolders. Not acceptance, not quite. More like a weary truce.
Then came the smallest sigh, as her fingers finally loosened.
“…You look awful,” she said at last, almost begrudgingly. “Pushing you like this now would make me a monster.”
Her hand rose slowly, settling on my head with a gentleness that almost startled me. She stroked once, then twice, fingers threading through my hair in something dangerously close to comfort.
“It’s fine,” she murmured, softer than I’d ever heard her. “For now, just rest. You need it. I’ll question you later.”
Her fingers worked like magic, easing every knot of tension inside me. Even though I knew how rough and calloused her hands usually felt, it was different this time.
My eyelids grew heavy, drowsiness gradually pulling over, warm and heavy, until I almost let go-
Then after a moment, a searing pain shot through my scalp. Her nails dug in, unrelenting in their touch. I hissed, flinching, eyes snapping open.
And there she was. Wryn’s face had contorted into something so savage, so furious… a face I’d never really seen in her. And as I followed her gaze, realisation slowly dawned on me.
She wasn’t looking at me. Not at my eyes, not at my face. Her gaze was elsewhere, beneath, nearer to my nape.
At Kael’s brand. The so-called mark of “friendship.”
~~~
By the way, I'm also happy to announce I've received another really nice piece of fan art from GudaGudaman! This time featuring Kael!
If you wanna see more of his artwork, do check out his twitter link below!
https://x.com/g_gudaman