The Lunar Crest Academy: Marked by The Lycans-Chapter 222: At My Mercy

Lorraine’s POV

Varya stirred first.

Her head was still resting on Felix’s shoulder, his arm instinctively tightening around her when she moved, as though afraid she might slip away if he loosened his hold even a little. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Her lashes fluttered.

Then she groaned softly.

"I could hear all that," she said hoarsely, her voice rough but unmistakably Varya. "Even from my subconsciousness." She let out a weak, humorless breath. "And all I can say is.... this is fucked up."

Felix froze.

Then he looked down at her like she’d just risen from the dead. "You’re.... you’re awake?" His voice cracked embarrassingly, relief and panic tangling together.

"Unfortunately," Varya muttered. She shifted slightly, wincing, but didn’t pull away from him. "And before anyone asks, yes, I heard everything." Her gaze drifted toward Kieran and Liandrin. "So technically you guys are related, Liandrin is your aunt."

No one said anything at first.

Kaelani let out a sharp laugh that sounded hysterical.

"Nope," she said abruptly. "Absolutely not."

Every head turned toward her.

"That," Kaelani continued, gesturing wildly between Liandrin, Kieran, and me, "is way too deep. Way too messed up. Blood curses, dark magic, psycho uncle?" She shook her head hard. "I want no part of this."

She turned on her heel. "I’m going back to my people, I am going back home."

"Stop."

Kieran’s voice cut through the room like a blade.

Kaelani halted mid step, then slowly turned back, her brows knitting together. "Excuse me?"

"I said stop," Kieran repeated, his tone even but unyielding.

Her eyes flashed. "You don’t get to order me around. Not now, not ever. Whatever this is...." she pointed sharply at Liandrin, at me, at the room itself, ".... it’s not my fight."

She moved again.

Alistair stepped in front of her.

Not aggressively. Not forcefully. Just.... solidly.

"Stop," he said quietly.

Kaelani stared at him in disbelief. "You too?"

"Kieran’s right," Alistair replied. "At least listen."

She scoffed. "Listen to what? More horror stories? Another tragic backstory?"

Before anyone could answer, a sound reached my ears.

Low. Distant.

A rhythmic thrum.

My head snapped up.

Cars.

Lots of them.

Footsteps followed, many of them, crunching against dirt, spreading outward, encircling.

My heart dropped into my stomach.

"Kieran is right, you cant go anywhere, we have company," I said.

Alistair’s head tilted slightly, his expression sharpening. "Yes," he said grimly. "A lot of them."

Felix’s face drained of color. "What do we do?" he asked, panic breaking through his usual nervous composure. His arm tightened protectively around Varya. "What do we do?"

Liandrin whirled on Kieran, fury blazing across her face.

"You led them back here," she snapped. "I told you not to go on that pointless rescue mission. And now my house is exposed."

Varya tried to push herself upright. "We can fight them" she said immediately. "We cant take them all out."

Kieran shook his head. "That’s not an option, especially not from you, you are brutally wounded."

She looked at him. "I can still fight."

"You’re still healing," he countered. "And judging from the sounds I’m hearing, they’ve surrounded the house. We can’t escape"

Kaelani threw her hands up. "See? This is exactly why I wanted no part in this. I had no part in this. I don’t want to be here."

"Well," Felix said shakily, "no one’s stopping you from leaving now."

She huffed, but didn’t move.

Liandrin turned sharply toward a dusty shelf lining the wall. She swept aside jars and bones and ancient trinkets, her fingers closing around an old, yellowed parchment. She rolled it tight and shoved it into Kieran’s hands.

"The black dot," she said urgently, "marks Conan."

Kieran took it without hesitation.

"No matter what happens tonight," Liandrin continued, her voice low and fierce, "find him and bring me in his head."

He tucked the parchment into his coat.

The front door exploded inward.

Wood splintered. Dust filled the air.

Crimson soldiers poured into the house.

Dozens of them.

No, more, much more than dozens

At least fourty of them flooded the living room alone, blades drawn, armor gleaming red under the dim light. More crowded the doorway behind them, weapons raised, eyes scanning hungrily.

My pulse roared in my ears.

Kieran moved instantly, stepping closer to me, his hand closing around mine with crushing certainty.

"No matter what," he murmured, "stay with me."

I nodded, my fingers tightening around his.

The soldiers parted.

A path opened through them.

For one second, I thought it might be Conan, The Leader.

But it wasn’t.

Adrian Vale stepped forward.

His smile was slow. Sinister. Almost pleased.

The room went deathly still.

My breath caught.

He walked with deliberate calm, boots echoing against the floor, eyes locking onto me like I was the only thing he could see. Kieran shifted, angling his body to block me, but Adrian merely laughed softly.

"Finally," he said. "I found you at last."

My heart pounded painfully.

"The last time I saw you," Adrian continued, his voice silky and cruel, "you ripped out my sister’s heart."

My stomach twisted. It was a battle and I was out of control then.

"And tonight," he finished, his gaze never leaving mine, "I promise you... I’m going to make you suffer the same fate."

Kieran moved before I could even breathe.

He stepped fully in front of me, his grip on my hand tightening

"Stay the hell away from her," he said.

His voice was calm.

Too calm.

He didn’t shouted. He didn’t need to. It carried the weight of a command that had been obeyed for centuries, the kind of tone that expected the world to move out of its way.

Adrian laughed.

It was light. Amused. Almost delighted.

"The fact that you’re still acting all high and mighty," Adrian said, spreading his arms slightly as if to indicate the crimson soldiers flooding the room, "when your life is literally in my hands... that’s the funniest thing I’ve ever seen."

My stomach twisted.

Felix took a sharp step forward, his face flushed with anger

"No, Adrian," he snapped. "The funny thing is you acting like you have any power when you’re only just another of the Leader’s underlings."

The room went quiet.

But Adrian’s smile didn’t fade.

Instead, it sharpened.

He turned his head slowly toward Felix, eyes cold. Then he took a single step closer to him.

Just one.

"The Leader," Adrian said softly, "has been incapacitated."

My heart stuttered.

"By me," he added.

Adrian straightened, pride rolling off him like poison. "I am the new Leader of the Crimson Hunt."

Felix stiffened.

"And you," Adrian continued, sweeping his gaze across the room, Liandrin, Kaelani, Alistair, Varya slumped weakly against Felix again, and finally his gaze was back to me, "are all at my mercy."

My chest felt too tight. Too small to hold my breath.

"And guess what?" Adrian said, tilting his head, almost playful. "My mercy died with my sister."

His eyes locked onto mine.

"So you are all going to die," he finished.

"Tonight."