The Alpha Weredragon's Favorite
CHAPTER 45

Lyra

I lay in bed, Sally's soft snores lulling me into a state of drowsiness. As much as I tried to clear my mind, thoughts of Ryan trickled their ways into the center of my mind. He had wondered where I was, showing he cared. But before that, he had wanted to humiliate me. I could still feel the sting of his words, the way he had ordered me to shift in front of everyone. He knew I couldn't do it, knew it would make me look weak. And yet, there was a part of me that wondered if he'd done it for my own good, to push me to be better.

I rolled over onto my side, staring at the wall. I had been so sure that Ryan was different, that he saw me for who I really was. But now, I wasn't so sure. He had hurt me. Humiliated me. He had wanted me to suffer. I heard it in his tone. Saw it in his deep blue eyes.

But then, there was the way he had looked at me after class, the concern in his gaze. He had seemed genuinely worried, and that had caught me off guard. I had wanted to believe that he cared, that he wasn't just using me.

I sighed, confusion a solid knot in my chest. I didn't know what to believe anymore. I had been hurt before, had been betrayed by those who should have loved me unconditionally. And the thought of going through that again, of being hurt by Ryan like my family had hurt me, terrified my very soul.

Yet I couldn't deny the pull I felt towards him, the way my heart raced whenever he was near. I wanted to believe that Ryan cared, that he saw something in me worth fighting for.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. There was no way I could make a decision while my emotions were so raw. I needed time, needed space to think.

As I drifted off to sleep, it wasn't Ryan who appeared in my dreams. as he had practically every night since I'd met him again. It was the White Wolf.

I was in a huge, moonlit forest. The trees around me whispered secrets in the wind, and their leaves sparkled silver in the moonlight. Suddenly, a wolf stepped out of the shadows. Its fur was as white as snow, and it glowed, making the clearing around it bright. Every step it took was strong and graceful, its muscles moving under its smooth fur.

The wolf's eyes were the most amazing thing. They shone in the moonlight, changing from a shiny silver to the sparkle of the brightest night sky. Looking into those eyes, I understood things I couldn't explain... Along with a sense of what was coming.

As I slowly walked closer, I noticed special markings on the wolf's fur. They looked like constellations, glowing a little and pulsing like a heartbeat. I knew these markings weren't just for show. They held a power I couldn't even begin to understand.

The White Wolf raised its head to the sky and let out a howl that sent shivers down my spine. The sound was haunting and beautiful, like a song that touched my very soul. It felt like the whole world stopped to listen, even the moon seeming to watch and wait. The howl seemed to break through some invisible barrier, calling out to hidden powers I couldn't see.

The wolf turned back to me, its eyes meeting mine. And then, even though its mouth never moved, I heard a message echoing in my head. "The balance is in danger. Don't trust the shadows because they might be hiding knives. Look for the truth from the one you know."

As the wolf's message faded, the dream world around me started to blur and shift. The trees, the moon, the wolf itself - everything began to fade away like mist under the morning sun. I tried to hold onto the dream, to cling to the White Wolf and its cryptic warning, but it slipped through my fingers like sand.

I woke with a start, my heart pounding in my chest. The dorm room was still dark, the only sound Sally's soft breathing from across the room. But even as I lay there, trying to catch my breath, the urgency of the White Wolf's message hung

over me.

What did it mean? What balance was in danger, and who was I supposed to ask the million and one questions in my head?

The answer came to me in the next breath: Jacques.

I walked through torch lit corridors leading to the cell block, my thoughts a mixed bag of emotions. Jacques had admitted he was wrong about me, and that made me close to him. It also made me feel bad for questioning him because it seemed to cause him pain. This last weekend when I tried, his mouth had locked up, and his eyes had rolled back in his head.

Yes, I dreaded what he might reveal. Yet that didn't stop me from wanting any information he could provide.

As I neared Jacques' cell, an eerie silence enveloped me. The usual sounds of the guard's distant murmurs were absent, replaced by an unsettling stillness. The hair on the back of my neck stood up.

I reached Jacques' cell door and peered inside. The basket of fruit tarts I held crashed to the floor. Jacques lay slumped against the cold, stone wall, his eyes staring blankly into the void.

Horror and helplessness washed over me. Who would do this?

Before I had a chance to call for help, footsteps echoed behind me, and I turned to see Ryan along with two guards.

Ryan peered past me to view Jacques lifeless body. His face instantly hardened a mask of suspicion and barely controlled anger. "What have you done?" he demanded.

His words struck me like a physical blow, and I stumbled back a step. "You think I killed him?" I asked, my voice trembling. "I came here for answers, just like you would expect. I had no reason to harm him!"

I could feel my anger rising. How could he think I was capable of something like this?

Ryan crossed his arms, his deep blue eyes narrowing as he studied me. "We found you alone, with a dead prisoner. What am I supposed to think?"

His accusation cut deep, and I felt a wave of hurt wash over me. I had thought we were making progress, that he was starting to trust me. But no. He still saw me as a suspect, someone to be doubted and questioned.

I opened my mouth to defend myself, to tell him how wrong he was, but the words stuck in my throat. How could I make him see the truth when he was so blinded by his own suspicions?

I couldn't let my emotions get the best of me. Not now. There was too much at stake. I swallowed my anger and took a step towards Ryan, looking him straight in the eye.

"I didn't do this," I said, holding Ryan's gaze, silently pleading with him to believe me. I searched his face for any sign of understanding or belief in my innocence. But his expression remained unmoved, his eyes cold as they raked me from head to toe.

Anger consumed me and I lashed out, my voice rising with each word. "Maybe it was you who ended him. The last time I left Jacques, he was healthy."

Ryan's jaw clenched, and for a moment, he looked uneasy. It only deepened my suspicions. What if Ryan had something to do with Jacques' death? The thought made my stomach churn.

Ryan turned to the guards, his voice stern. "Begin a full investigation. Scout the area for scents, anything that might give us a lead."

Then he looked back at me, his eyes hard. "You can go, but don't wander far from your dorm. I may have more questions for you later."

Yes, he still saw me as a suspect, someone who couldn't be trusted. I felt tears stinging my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Not in front of him.

Without another word, I turned and walked away, my heart heavy. I knew where he stood.

And it wasn't on my side.