Chapter 36 036
LYKA
I watched his face carefully as my question left my lips. For a brief moment, his expression darkened....so fast it was almost easy to miss. His jaw tightened, his eyes hardened, and something unreadable flashed across his features. But just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, replaced with his usual cold indifference, as if that flicker of emotion had never existed at all.
The sudden switch unsettled me.
“What did you mean by that?” I asked cautiously, my heart beginning to race. “Did you know my parents?”
His eyes flickered again....just for a fraction of a second....but that was enough. I saw it clearly this time. He was hiding something. My brows furrowed in suspicion as he abruptly turned around, his movements sharp and hurried, like a man running from a thought he didn’t want to face.
“What is wrong?” I pressed, following after him. “Why are you leaving?”
He didn’t answer immediately, and that only fueled my resolve. I wasn’t about to let this slide....not when he had just casually dropped something so significant and tried to walk away like it meant nothing.
What was he hiding exactly?
“Do not get too curious,” he said suddenly, stopping just long enough to turn back and pat my head. “You know what happens to a curious cat, right?”
My eyes twitched at his words.
A curious cat?
What was that supposed to mean? Was he mocking me? Warning me? Or was it something else entirely....something layered with meaning I hadn’t yet grasped?
I stood there, momentarily dumbfounded by his choice of words. The gesture felt oddly familiar, unsettlingly intimate, and it stirred a strange discomfort in my chest. But I refused to let confusion weaken my resolve.
“Why?” I challenged. “Can’t I be curious? Maybe you knew me before I came to this place… isn’t that possible?”
He shook his head without looking at me, already moving toward the door. He didn’t slow his steps or spare me another glance as he walked out of the room, leaving me standing there with more questions than answers.
The door closed softly behind him, but the silence he left was deafening.
Different thoughts flooded my mind, overlapping and crashing into each other. My heart refused to calm as my thoughts drifted back to the letter I had seen earlier at my doorstep....the one that had set all of this into motion.
“The person close to me might know about my pack massacre…” I murmured, the realization sending a chill down my spine.
I stopped mid-thought.
Without another second of hesitation, I rushed out of my room.
The hallway felt colder now, longer, darker. My footsteps echoed softly as I hurried toward the spot where I had dropped the letter earlier. My heart sank the moment I reached it.
Empty.
Of course it was empty. I had watched someone take it....a maid, quick and suspicious. There was no reason for the letter to still be there.
“Looks like I have to meet this person…” I whispered, my voice trailing off as I stared down the dim corridor, shadows stretching unnaturally along the walls.
Whoever they were, they were playing a dangerous game.
I returned to my room, unease clinging to me like a second skin. But before I could fully process everything, a sudden wave of heat washed over me....intense and overwhelming.
It felt like my skin was on fire.
“What is this?” I gasped, clutching at my chest. “Am I developing a fever?”
I touched my forehead and recoiled at the heat. Beads of sweat dotted my skin almost instantly, my breaths turning shallow as confusion settled in.
Why now?
“Maybe this is punishment,” I sighed weakly, sinking onto the edge of my bed. “Punishment for lying about being sick… for being manipulative.”
The irony wasn’t lost on me.
But this felt different. Too sudden. Too intense.
I couldn’t afford to actually fall sick....not after the stunt I had pulled earlier. Swallowing hard, I forced myself to stand.
“Maybe the weather here just doesn’t agree with me,” I muttered.
I stepped out of my room, only to collide with someone standing directly in front of my door. My eyes widened instantly.
It was her.
The same maid from earlier.
“You!” I bellowed, pointing at her.
Before I could say another word, she fled.
Her movements were fast....unnaturally fast. She disappeared down the hallway in seconds, leaving me staring after her in disbelief.
There was no way I could keep up with that speed. Not in my current state. My legs felt weak, my body strangely heavy.
But how had I become this weak so suddenly?
“She has insane speed,” I muttered, trying to steady myself. “Definitely not normal.”
I was certain now. Whatever was going on, it wasn’t coincidence. And she wouldn’t be able to hide forever....not after making herself this obvious.
Feeling increasingly disoriented, I staggered toward the kitchen when I failed to find another maid nearby. The dizziness worsened with each step, my vision blurring slightly.
“What is wrong with us, Alexia?” I murmured.
No response.
That worried me more than anything.
Just as panic threatened to overwhelm me, I spotted a maid inside the kitchen. Relief washed over me so strongly I almost cried.
“Bless the Moon Goddess,” I breathed. “Please… can you get me something to relieve this fever?”
The maid studied me carefully before shaking her head.
“I don’t think this is a fever, Milady.”
My brows knitted together.
“Then why am I feeling so hot?” I snapped, irritation creeping into my voice. I tugged at my dress instinctively, desperate for relief, stopping myself only because of where I was.
“It might be because you are in your heat period,” she said calmly.
My world tilted.
Heat… period?
My eyes widened as the realization hit me full force. I had completely forgotten about it.
How could I forget something so crucial?
But that only led to another question....why now? I had gone through past heat periods with minimal reaction. Why was this one different?
Before I could voice the thought, Alexia finally stirred.
‘Because we found our mate,’ she groaned weakly. ‘And we are supposed to be with him.’
My stomach dropped.
That wasn’t an option. Not now. Not with him.
I knew exactly what was meant to be done during heat, but there was no way I was going to involve a man who wasn’t even willing to take responsibility.
“Can you please help me?” I asked the maid, my voice trembling as the heat intensified.
She nodded immediately, concern flashing across her face.
I stepped closer, gripping her hands tightly, desperate. “Is there a lake… or somewhere cold nearby?”
She hesitated. “If you are in your heat period, doesn’t that mean there’s another way to relieve it?”
I shook my head quickly.
‘Yes, there is a way,’ Alexia purred insistently. ‘Stop torturing us, Lyka.’
I ignored her.
“No,” I said firmly. “Please. Just tell me where the lake is.”
Seeing the desperation in my eyes, the maid finally nodded and pointed in the direction.
I didn’t wait another second.
I rushed out, my body burning, my thoughts spiraling as I ran toward the lake, hoping....praying....that cold water would save me.
But as the heat surged stronger, one terrifying question echoed in my mind:
Am I really going to be saved… or am I running straight into something I won’t be able to escape?