Chapter 259 Stranger Things

Chapter 259 Stranger Things

As soon as Lyra went downstairs, she shut the front door gently and reached the bottom landing and turned toward the western corridor where Dax’s private quarters were located.

As she bypassed the main lounge, she bumped into someone, nearly making her jump out of her skin.

"Luna," a voice whispered.

Lyra froze, her hand instinctively flying to her chest before she recognized the bandaged nose.

It was Wayne.

He had changed into a clean shirt, but his eyes were a little narrowed and he looked exhausted.

"Wayne," Lyra breathed, lowering her hands. "What are you doing down here? You’re supposed to be in the clinic resting."

"I couldn't sleep," Wayne said flatly, stepping closer to her. "I was just checking the locks on the back and front gate. Where are you heading? I'm guessing the Alpha is out cold upstairs."

"I’m going to speak with Dax," Lyra whispered softly. "Ryker was too harsh on him in the dining hall. I saw the look on Dax's face when he left. If he’s hiding something about Sylvester, he won't tell Ryker. But he might talk to me if I approach him calmly.."

Wayne’s brow furrowed under his bandages, and he shook his head with a serious expression. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Lyra. I just passed his quarters five minutes ago to deliver the patrol logs. Dax is not in a good mood. He’s locked himself in there, and he’s completely unstable right now. When a wolf’s pride is wounded and he starts drinking like that, it’s dangerous to get close."

"I have to try, Wayne," Lyra insisted "Rex is in a comatose state in the medical wing, and Sylvester is running loose in our territory. We don't have time to wait for Dax to sober up. Don't worry, I trust Dax, let me handle the conversation."

Wayne simply shrugged. "Fine. But be careful, Luna. He’s completely unhinged tonight."

Lyra nodded and walked down the narrow western corridor. When she reached the door of Dax's room, she could hear some kind of muttering from inside.

She tapped on the door twice and when she didn't hear any response, she turned the brass handle slowly anyways and pushed the door open, stepping inside the dimly lit room.

The quarters were a complete mess.

The curtains were drawn shut, and the only light came from a single lightbulb.

Glass bottles were cluttered across the floor and some were even broken.

Lyra looked inside and Dax was sitting on the edge of his unmade mattress, his shirt unbuttoned to his waist, revealing the thick hair on his chest.

His flannel sleeve was still rolled up and the deep claw marks he said he'd gotten from Sylvester were still there.

And it looked rather painful.

He held a half-empty bottle of liquor by the neck, his eyes bloodshot and completely wild as they snapped up to lock onto her face.

"Well, well," Dax slurred drunkenly as he let out a harsh, mocking laugh. "Look who it is. The perfect, loving Luna has crawled out of the Alpha’s bed. Did Ryker send you down here to scold me some more, Lyra? Did he send his woman to finish the job?"

Lyra closed the door quietly behind her, stepping carefully around a pile of shattered glass. "Ryker is asleep, Dax. He doesn't know I’m here. I came down on my own because I wanted to check on your arm. And I wanted to talk to you rationally, without any shouting."

"Rationally?" Dax roared, slamming the base of his bottle onto the wooden nightstand so hard the wood actually cracked.

Lyra jumped at the sudden sound and scooted back slightly.

Dax stood up from the bed, his tall frame swaying slightly as his boots crunched against the glass. "There is nothing rational about this house anymore! My brother stands there and calls me a liar in front of the guards! I bled for this pack while you two were away, and he treats me like a criminal because some human parasite managed to slip past the lock!"

"Dax, listen to me," Lyra said as she took another cautious step forward. "I saw the injury. I know you didn't give those marks to yourself. But Ryker is right about one thing, Sylvester was a weakened human. He couldn't have broken those silver bars on his own. I need you to tell me exactly what happened down there last night. Did he use a spell? Did he say something to you before the fight started?"

Dax took a heavy swig from the bottle. "Oh, so you are just like him! You pretend to be sympathetic, but you're still just trying to cross-examine me like a prisoner! You want me to admit that I failed and somehow let your silly prisoner out, don't you?!"

"That's not what this is about, Dax!" Lyra’s patience began to fray and before she knew it, she was raising her voice. "Rex is completely losing her mind in the clinic right now because of whatever dark magic happened in that witch village! Sylvester is connected to it, and he is running loose right now! If you let him out, or if you hid something from us, you need to speak up before people die!"

"Shut up!" Dax screamed, his face turning a dark red as he threw the empty glass bottle directly at her head.

Lyra ducked instinctively to avoid the projectile as it shattered violently against the door behind her.

"I am completely tired of listening to the half-breed lecture me in my own family home!" Dax roared and lunged forward across the room.

Lyra reacted instantly and stepped to the side, dodging his initial grab, and drove her palm directly into his ribs to push him away.

But Dax was a heavy, trained pack warrior, and the alcohol seemed to numb his sense of pain.

He didn't stumble but instead spun around with a vicious, animalistic growl, his large hand snapping out to grab her by the collar of her shirt.

"Let go of me, Dax!" Lyra hissed, her fangs lengthening past her lips as she slowly transformed into a hybrid.

She threw a punch at his jaw, but Dax caught her wrist mid-air. He used his weight to slam her back against the wooden wardrobe, the heavy furniture rattling against the wall.

Lyra gasped as the breath was knocked out of her lungs, but she didn't stop fighting.

“Dax, stop! You're drunk!"

But Dax wasn't listening to her at all, he kept trying to grab her and restrain her.

As a last resort, she brought her knee up into his groin, making Dax let out a muffled grunt of agony.

His grip loosened for a split second, and Lyra used the opening to drive her elbow into his broken sleeve, hitting the claw marks directly.

Dax let out a sharp howl of rage, the intense pain making his inner wolf completely take over.

His eyes changed to golden brown as he lunged forward, wrapping his massive, muscular arms entirely around her waist and lifting her off her feet by force.

Lyra thrashed violently, her fists pounding against his back and her fingers digging into his shoulders, trying to use her hybrid strength to break the hold. "Ryker! Wayne! Help!" she screamed out.

But Dax was completely beyond reason. He ignored her blows, using his shoulder to drive into her stomach, completely pinning her limbs against his torso.

He marched straight toward the wide side window of his quarters that opened directly to the backyard.

He kicked the glass frame open with his heavy boot, shattering the panes, and scrambled through the low opening, carrying her out into the cold night air.

"Dax, stop this! What are you doing?! You're insane!" Lyra choked out, her head spinning from the pressure on her stomach.

Dax slammed her face-down onto the gas tank of his bike, his large hand pinning her wrists securely against the front handlebars with an iron grip.

He reached down with his free hand, violently kicking the starter, and the engine roared to life.

Lyra made one last desperate attempt to twist her torso and throw herself off the machine, but Dax swung his heavy leg over the saddle right behind her, his large frame completely trapping her body against the tank.

“Please…” she rasped as he kept her pinned down.

"Shut up!” He growled and before she could even draw breath to scream again, Dax brought his palm down and covered her mouth, making her screams muffled.

Then he wrapped his arms around her neck, choking her until she couldn't breathe or struggle anymore.

As Lyra went limp in his arms, Dax didn't waste a single second looking back at the main house windows.

He ran to the gate and as a guard came out and looked at him, stammering, he roared.

“Open the gates!"

The man looked baffled, “what's going on? Are we attacked?!"

But Dax staggered and shoved the man out of the way, grabbing the gate himself and yanking it open immediately.

He ran back to his bike, twisted the throttle completely open, and the motorcycle leaped forward loudly and he drove out of the pack with Lyra pinned between his body and the bike.