Chapter 255 Archive of Broken Minds

Chapter 255 Archive of Broken Minds

Lyra didn’t wait for Ryker or Dax to clear the way before she bolted past the porch and raced toward the library.

As soon as she pushed open the door, she knew something was indeed wrong.

Books were scattered everywhere, large leather volumes lay face down on the floor, some of their yellowed pages ripped and crumpled.

In the center of the reading area, Rex was on the floor, surrounded by piles of open books.

She was crying and laughing at the same time, her fingers were tearing out the books with a frustrated look on her face.

"I have to find it," Rex whispered, giggling hysterically as she tore a page out. "It has to be here. I have to find the cure. But the pages are moving, the letters are hiding from me!"

Lyra ran to her immediately, dropping to her knees in the middle of the mess.

She reached out, grabbing Rex by her trembling shoulders. "Hey! Rex, what is going on with you? Why are you on the floor? Get up, look at me!"

Rex didn't look up as she violently wrenched her shoulders out of Lyra’s grip, shuffling through another pile of papers.

"No, no! Leave me alone! I don’t have time to stand up. I have to find the cure. I have to find the cure for him!"

"The cure for who?" Lyra asked, her voice shaking as she tried to catch Rex’s hands. "Rex, listen to me. We’re back. We just got back from the human town and the submission ritual with Ryker worked."

Rex paused for a split second and smiled weirdly. "Oh... that’s good. That’s very good. Your husband and you can be together again. The Alpha and the Luna are balanced. That’s wonderful, Lyra. But I have to find the cure for him. For him! I have to find the cure for him!"

She began to chant the words over and over and at that point, Lyra could not quite make sense of what was going on.

"Rex, please stop saying these things," Lyra said. "You’re making me really uncomfortable. I'm sure whatever you're finding can wait, just calm down, give me the book, and let’s get you off this floor."

Lyra leaned forward, reaching out with both hands to firmly pull the book away from Rex's chest.

Instantly, Rex cried out, lunged forward and grabbed Lyra by the collar, swinging her right hand across Lyra’s face.

The sound of the slap echoed loudly and Lyra stumbled backward in shock.

Before she could even realize what was going on or regain her footing, Rex grabbed a large book from the table and threw it straight across the room.

The heavy book flew through the air, almost hitting Lyra squarely in the head.

She ducked instinctively, closing her eyes as the leather spine smacked hard against the stone pillar behind her, scattering loose sheets everywhere.

Before Rex could launch another volume, a strong pair of arms suddenly wrapped securely around Lyra’s waist from behind, dragging her backward out of harm's way

Lyra spun around and realized that it was Dax.

He held her tight against his chest, his eyes fixed angrily on the screaming girl on the floor.

"I told you to get away from her!" Dax barked down at Lyra, his arms remained locked around her waist. "She is acting completely crazy! She’s been like this since midnight!"

Right then, Ryker stepped into the room. "Hey! What the hell is going on in here?"

Ryker’s eyes instantly went to his brother’s arms wrapped around Lyra's waist.

He frowned and he quickly stepped forward, grabbing his wife from his brother's arms and pulling her securely against his own chest.

He scanned her face, his thumb brushing the reddening mark on her cheek. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

"It’s Rex," Lyra gasped, pointing a shaking finger toward the center aisle where Rex was now rocking back and forth, muttering to herself. "I don't think she's doing okay, Ryker, she is completely sick."

Ryker turned toward his brother. "Dax, what happened to her while we were gone? You were in full command of this house."

Dax simply shrugged his shoulders, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against a desk. He looked completely unbothered. "I don't know, brother. She’s always been in the library. I don't keep tabs on the book girl every hour. She just started acting completely mad out of nowhere."

"What have you guys done about it?" Ryker demanded. "Have you called the pack doctor down here to examine her?"

"No," Dax said flatly, shaking his head. "We didn't think it was serious. We thought she was just having a regular tantrum because you suspended her."

Lyra stepped out of Ryker’s embrace as she stared at her brother-in-law. "You didn't think it was serious? Have you seen her, Dax? She is completely covered in dust, she’s tearing the whole library apart, and she just violently attacked me! You should have called the doctor the exact moment she started acting this way!"

"Hey! I wasn't told to become a royal babysitter, okay?" Dax snapped back, his voice rising as he stepped into her space. "We had real things to take care of while you two were off in the human town! I had to take the patrols out to the eastern ridge twice to make sure the entire area was free of vampires! My job was to secure the borders, not to baby-sit her! Plus, if you ask me, I think she’s just trying to get my attention by making a scene."

Lyra let out a disgusted laugh. "No! That is incredibly insensitive of you, Dax! Why would you think she would go to this extreme length just to get your attention? Clearly, Rex is not feeling well from the inside! Maybe something happened to her!"

"How am I supposed to know that?" Dax yelled back, waving his hand aggressively. "She’s been acting crazy from the exact moment that stupid pack bond came up! I don't have time for this bullshit. Welcome back, guys. But clearly, if you're going to come back here just to start fighting with me after I kept your borders safe, then I almost wish you hadn't gotten back at all!"

With that, Dax turned on his heel and stormed out of the library, slamming the double doors behind him so hard the glass panes rattled.

Ryker hissed as he stared at the closed doors. "I think it is time to teach my brother some serious lesson in basic manners. He cannot speak with me like that, and he absolutely cannot speak with my wife like that in my own house!"

As Ryker started to march toward the exit to follow his brother, Lyra grabbed his arm, pulling him back with everything she had.

"Hey, honey, please don't," Lyra pleaded, her voice soft but desperate as she looked into his angry eyes. "Don't fight him right now. It's way too early for any of that. We just got back to the estate and I’m sure maybe he’s just completely overwhelmed with taking care of the entire pack in your absence. Please, let’s just take Rex to the doctor first, and we will deal with everything else later, okay?"

Ryker looked at her pleading face and finally nodded as he took a long, calming breath. "Fine," he muttered, covering her hand with his. "We handle Rex first."

He turned around slowly and walked over to the pile of books where Rex was still sitting.

He knelt down in the dirt next to her. "Hey, Rex. Come on. How are you doing?"

Rex blinked, "Alpha... you're back. Welcome home to the IronFangs. But I have to find the cure for him. I have to find it before the sun sets again."

Ryker looked back at Lyra, completely confused. "For who? What cure are you talking about, Rex?"

"I don't know," Lyra said, stepping up beside him. "She just keeps saying that over and over again. She won't give a name."

Ryker turned back to the girl, reaching out a large, gentle hand to touch her arm. "Hey, Rex, come on. You have to go to the clinic right now. I think you're not feeling too well, and the doctor needs to look at you."

The moment his fingers touched her sleeve, Rex scrambled backward like a wild animal, her teeth bared as she kicked a pile of papers at his chest. "What? No! I am well! I’m completely okay! I don't need the clinic! I just have to find the cure for him! Let go of me!"

She began to fight him violently, her fingernails scratching at Ryker’s bare forearms as she tried to bite his hands to stay near the books.

Ryker’s patience was slowly running out. As much as he pitied her, he couldn't risk her tearing his old wounds open or destroying any more of the pack's ancient history.

At once, he let out an earth-shaking growl from the center of his chest.

“Submit!"

It was a command and as the alpha of the pack, no one could reject that command.

At once, Rex froze, and a terrified whimper escaped her throat.

She dropped straight onto her knees on the hard floor, curling her body into a small, helpless ball against the wood.

Ryker didn't waste another second. He bent down and lifted her slight, trembling frame effortlessly onto his muscular shoulder.

"I'm taking her to the doctor right now," Ryker said. "Lyra, grab the keys and lock these doors behind us.”