Chapter 62 Challenge
~ Lyra's POV ~
My feet wasted no time as they carried me in the direction of the ruckus, my body already reacting before my mind fully caught up. Even before I arrived, my ears caught fragments of raised voices, sharp with tension and hostility.
I recognized them immediately. The argument was between none other than Dagan and Taren, and just as I had suspected the moment I heard the disturbance, the subject of their disagreement was Lyra.
“You should be directing your questions to Alpha, not to me,” Taren said calmly in response to something Dagan had thrown at him. His voice remained level and controlled, but the restraint in it seemed to irritate Dagan even further.
“You are not the one to tell me what I can ask Alpha and what I can't,” Dagan snapped back, his tone rising noticeably. “Why are you carrying her like that? Does she not have legs to walk?”
“She is unconscious,” Taren replied without hesitation, his patience thinning. “An unconscious person can't walk, witch or no witch.”
At that exact moment, I arrived at the scene. My attention locked immediately on Dagan, even as Taren resumed moving away from the clinic with Lyra still cradled securely in his arms.
“When did you become a busybody?” I asked Dagan sharply, irritation and annoyance bleeding openly into my voice.
“A busybody?” he repeated incredulously, his expression carefully arranged into one of feigned innocence. “She walked in here using her legs, and now she is being carried out. Except she has suddenly lost the use of those legs, I think a good number of us would like to know why she is like this, and whether she succeeded or not.”
As he spoke, he glanced deliberately at the others standing with him. A few warriors stood nearby, watching closely. Elder Cross was there as well, his lips pressed into a thin line. Carla, Elder Rowan’s only daughter, stood among them, her face tense and anxious.
That was the moment I finally accepted what I had been suspecting for a long time, a truth I had deliberately chosen to ignore. Something was wrong with my beta. The contempt in Dagan’s eyes had been growing clearer by the day, no longer subtle or easily dismissed. He had an issue with me, and I was certain now that it went far beyond Lyra.
Just as his question settled heavily in the air, Elder Rowan appeared a few steps behind me. His presence alone was enough to draw gasps. Eyes widened in disbelief, mouths falling open as they stared at him.
I could not blame them. Even I had been shaken by the speed of his recovery. I had felt Lyra’s power when she healed me, but I had not known she could restore someone so close to death so completely and so quickly. I had been bewildered myself, but Lyra’s collapse had not allowed me the luxury of dwelling on it.
“She succeeded,” Elder Rowan said firmly, his voice steady as he addressed Dagan directly. “Are you satisfied now?”
“Father,” Carla cried out as she rushed toward him. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she scanned his face, her hands trembling as she reached him. “You are alright.” Her voice broke with relief as she wrapped her arms tightly around him.
“Yes, I am,” Elder Rowan reassured her gently after returning the embrace. When he released her, he turned to face Dagan and the others, his gaze calm but resolute.
“I hope you can all sheath your swords,” he said evenly. “The girl has done nothing to deserve the judgment being cast upon her. As it stands, I owe my life to her.”
“That is not something to boast about, Rowan,” Elder Cross cut in sharply, his face twisting in disgust. “I would rather die with my dignity intact than allow a witch to heal me.”
That was when I stepped in.
“Thank you for making that clear, Cross,” I said coldly. “Any day we find you in such a position, we will gladly let you die with your dignity intact.”
I then turned my full attention to Dagan, the one who concerned me the most in that moment. “And you, Dagan. I have noticed you have been challenging me a lot lately. Do you have a problem with me?”
His expression changed instantly. The defiant glint in his eyes vanished, replaced by a carefully crafted look of submission. It did not fool me.
“I would never dare challenge you, Alpha,” he said quickly. “I do not even have what it takes to do that.”
“You wish you did, right?” I replied, taking a slow step toward him.
“No, I don't,” he said, retreating slightly. “I am only looking out for the safety and well being of our people.”
The answer rang wrong in my ears.
“You don't think I am doing that well enough?” I asked, taking another step closer, my gaze narrowing. The warriors standing near him subtly moved away, sensing the dangerous shift in my mood as anger surged toward the surface.
“I never said that,” Dagan answered, stepping back again.
“You just implied it,” I reminded him, closing the distance even further.
“Ignore him, Kael,” Elder Rowan’s voice sounded firmly in my mind. “This is not the time for confrontation. Lyra needs you.”
His words cut through my fury, dampening the fire threatening to consume me. I stared at Dagan for a few seconds longer, letting him feel the weight of my warning, before turning away without another word.
When we reached Lyra’s room, Taren had just finished laying her gently on the bed. Her stillness made my chest tighten as I moved to her side immediately, sitting beside her without hesitation.
“How is she?” I asked quietly.
“She is still out,” Taren replied, stepping back to give me space.
“How is her training going?” I asked, my eyes never leaving Lyra’s face. Without conscious thought, my fingers lifted to trace the curve of her cheek, sliding softly down to her jaw.
“She has completed the basics,” Taren said. “The next phase is meant to take place in the archives beneath the stronghold. The only way to reach it without leaving your quarters or drawing attention is through the hidden passage in your library.”
I nodded slowly. I already knew this. After he had explained it the last time, I had expected as much.
“You have my permission,” I said. “The library will remain open. Do whatever it takes to ensure she completes her training.”
“Yes, Alpha,” Taren answered.
“I will be embarking on a journey tomorrow,” I continued. “I am leaving her in your care and Elder Rowan’s. Make sure she is well looked after.”
“My care?” Elder Rowan asked in surprise. “I thought we were meant to go together.”
“We were,” I replied, meeting his gaze. “But you just survived death. You are sitting this one out. I need another capable hand overseeing her welfare, and I cannot think of anyone better than you.”
Even as I spoke, a heavy unease settled in my chest. Leaving Lyra in this condition at this time did not sit right with me at all.