Chapter 157 Guardians of Broken Glass

Chapter 157 Borrowed Thorns
Lyra POV

I sat beside Eliza's bed, observing her steady breathing in tranquil sleep. Her face was free from any expression of pain or fear. A small victory, but one that filled me with both relief and concern.

"You took too much," my wolf cautioned, pacing restlessly within me.

"I didn't have a choice. She needed rest," I whispered aloud, though no one could hear. "Did I take too much?"

"The negative energy you absorbed will dissipate naturally," my wolf assured me. "But it will make you irritable and anxious until it does. Be mindful of your reactions."

I nodded, understanding the warning. Already I could feel a restlessness building inside me, a vague sense of unease that wasn't entirely my own. The room suddenly felt too small, the walls pressing in around me. My skin tingled uncomfortably, as if thousands of tiny insects were crawling beneath the surface. Was this how Eliza felt all the time? The thought made my heart ache for her even more.

As twilight deepened outside the window, the door opened quietly, and Olivia slipped in. Her eyes immediately went to her sleeping daughter, widening in surprise.

"Luna," she whispered, "I'm sorry I overslept. I meant to be back sooner."

"It's fine," I assured her, rising from my chair. "Eliza's been sleeping too."

Olivia approached the bed, gently brushing a strand of hair from her daughter's forehead. "How did you get her to sleep? She hasn't rested properly in days."

I hesitated, selecting my words with care. "I let her express all her negative emotions," I said, omitting the truth about my energy manipulation. "Sometimes that's all someone needs to finally rest."

Some secrets are better kept buried, I thought. But for what? Protection? The question nagged at me. Was I protecting Eliza by hiding my abilities, or myself? The line between selflessness and self-preservation had become increasingly blurred since I'd discovered my true heritage.

"Olivia," I said softly, "what exactly happened to Eliza? I know she was attacked, but..."

Olivia's face crumpled, the pain of a mother forced to witness her child's suffering etched into every line. "She was assaulted by members of the Crimson Pine Pack," she whispered, her voice breaking. "They violated her. My baby girl..."

A cold fury washed over me. "Crimson Pine?" The words felt like poison on my tongue. "Dominic's pack?"

Olivia nodded, tears streaming down her face.

"Like alpha, like pack," I thought bitterly. The revelation shouldn't have surprised me, yet it did. Even knowing Dominic's capacity for cruelty, I hadn't imagined his influence would corrupt his entire pack. My mind flashed back to my time there—though I couldn't remember. Had they all been complicit in Dominic's deception? Were they all capable of such brutality? The thought that I had lived among such monsters for two years made bile rise in my throat.

I squeezed Olivia's hand. "I need to go," I said, hoping my voice didn't betray my anger.

I hope Dominic hasn't left yet. He needs to answer for this.

Olivia nodded, understanding in her eyes as I slipped out of the room.

Outside the medical center, Gabriel stood waiting, his tall frame silhouetted against the darkening sky. His presence was both a comfort and an irritation—the latter emotion likely influenced by the negative energy still churning inside me.

"Are our 'guests' still here?" I asked without preamble.

"Dominic left," Gabriel replied, his expression unreadable. "Callum is still at the Alpha house. We've been discussing—"

"What did you discuss?" I interrupted, unable to mask my disappointment that Dominic had escaped my confrontation.

"An alliance," Gabriel said carefully. "To protect Wave Crest from the Council's attack—"

"I don't need their help," I cut in sharply, my voice rising. "Wave Crest is my pack."

I turned and strode away, my emotions a tangled mess of anger, frustration, and something else I couldn't quite name. Every step I took seemed to intensify the storm inside me. Part of me recognized that my reaction was heightened by the negative energy I'd absorbed, but that awareness did little to temper my emotions. If anything, it made me angrier—at Dominic, at the situation, at my own vulnerability.

Gabriel caught up to me easily, falling into step beside me. "You're right," he said, surprising me. "I told them exactly that—that you're Wave Crest's Alpha, and ultimately, the decision is yours. If you say you don't need their help, then you don't."

His words soothed something in me, an acknowledgment of my authority that I hadn't expected. But before I could respond, a wave of dizziness washed over me. The negative energy I'd absorbed from Eliza rolled through my body like an angry storm.

"It's starting," my wolf informed me. "Our body is neutralizing the negative energy we took from the girl. It will pass soon."

I stumbled slightly, and Gabriel's hand shot out to steady me.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

"It's nothing," I said, then reconsidered. "Actually, I used my energy absorption to help Eliza sleep. I took some of her negative energy, and now my body is neutralizing it."

Gabriel's brow furrowed. "That's dangerous, Lyra. Using your abilities like that could have side effects. The Council is already watching you. We need to face them at full strength, not weakened like this."

"I know my limits," I insisted, though his concern touched me.

Gabriel leaned closer, his breath warm against my ear. "You better be. Cause I won't let anything happen to you again."

The proximity sent a shiver down my spine, my body responding to his nearness despite my mental turmoil. The mate bond between us vibrated, growing more insistent with each passing day as my heat approached.

As we neared the Alpha house, I spotted Callum standing alone on the porch. His eyes fixed on me as we approached.

"So how do you feel about the collaboration—" he began, then stopped abruptly, his nostrils flaring. His gaze intensified, studying me with unsettling focus.

"Thank you for the offer," I said firmly, "but I don't need it."

"Ah, okay..." Callum replied distractedly. "We can discuss changing your mind later..."

His attention seemed elsewhere, his eyes never leaving my face. "Who were you just with?" he asked suddenly.

I blinked in confusion. "Excuse me?"

Callum stepped forward, invading my personal space. "Who were you just with?" he repeated, his voice taking on an urgent edge.

Gabriel moved between us, his posture protective. "Step back, Callum."

Callum seemed to catch himself, shaking his head slightly. "I apologize for my rudeness," he said, though his eyes remained intense. He lowered his voice. "I just wanted to know... that scent on you... Where were you just now?"

"The medical center," I answered cautiously. "I was visiting a patient. Why? Does the antiseptic smell that strong on me? I was about to shower—"

"No, not antiseptic," Callum interrupted. "The patient you visited... could I meet her?"

A chill ran down my spine. "How do you know it was a 'her'?"