I turned to see Eric waving at me from the door. “What’s up?” I asked, glad for the interruption. Anything was better than the awkward confrontation with Ryan.
As I approached Eric, he glanced over my shoulder at Ryan, still standing there in a daze. “Did Lirian not show up today?” Eric asked, seemingly unaware of the situation.
I shook my head. “No, he didn’t. I was just about to call and check in on him.”
Eric nodded thoughtfully. “I heard he got hurt. I was thinking of checking on him after school. Do you want to come with me?”
I froze, my heart skipping a beat at the mention of Lirian being injured. "Injured? What happened?" I asked, unable to hide the concern that laced my voice.
Eric sighed, his usual laid-back demeanor darkened. "Lirian... he's the hardest person I've ever seen on himself.
Always pushing, always chasing power. Day and night, training non-stop. Injuries for him are normal, but this time... it seems worse." Eric hesitated, his eyes shifting as if weighing whether to say more.
My pulse quickened. "Worse? How bad?"
He glanced away, his voice lowering. "He didn’t show up at school this time. I guess... one, he's hurt very badly. Second is..." Eric trailed off.
I frowned, not quite understanding. "second is what?"
Eric looked at me seriously, his words measured. "second is... he doesn’t want you to worry."
My stomach tightened, a mix of dread and confusion churning inside me. Lirian didn’t want me to worry? Why wouldn’t he tell me if something serious had happened? All this sounded confusing and worrisome to me.
That afternoon, Eric and I were supposed to visit Lirian together, but an impromptu task came up for him, leaving me to go alone. As the time approached, my nerves frayed. The Iron Claw Pack’s territory wasn’t exactly a place people casually visited.
There were countless rumors about the wolves there—rumors that made my steps heavier as I neared the border.
I smiled awkwardly, unsure how to respond to that. "Well, I wanted to check on him."
The steward nodded but gave me a concerned look. "He's been pushing himself too hard lately. The young master is very skilled, but even he needs rest. If you could, Miss, perhaps you could persuade him to take it easy?"
I wasn’t sure how much influence I had over Lirian, but I followed the steward down the long, cold hallways until we reached Lirian's room. The tension in my chest grew with each step.
When we arrived at his door, the steward knocked before opening it gently. "Young master, Miss Sophia is here."
I peeked inside and saw Lirian sitting on the floor, shirtless, carefully tending to his wounds. His strong, muscular body was covered with bandages that wrapped tightly around his chest, some of them soaked with fresh blood.
His usually flawless skin was now marked by cuts and bruises, a sharp reminder of his intense training. Under the soft, dim light, his skin gleamed slightly, highlighting every curve and line of his toned physique.
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The readers' comments on the novel: After I left, the twin Alphas went crazy