Lyra(2022)
Lyra stepped through the door of the pack doctor's home, and she was stunned at the amount of medical equipment she saw. Monitors, beds, medical carts, and more were neatly placed about the large open space leading into the home. "Dr. Orlan! We need you, now please" Eleni's voice echoed throughout the completely sterile room. Lyra was still trapped in a suffocating bubble, desperately trying to disassociate from the events that occurred. She had no intention of facing the reality of what just happened, and all her heart could really focus on was Thyrius. She was scared, and anxious. Her heart was beating through her shirt and her lungs could barely operate with efficiency. She saw a gorgeous woman rush into the room, wearing a white coat, and navy blue scrubs, but Lyra had no clue what she was saying, all she could focus on was the ringing in her ears. It had gotten unbearable with the passing moments. She brought her blistering hands up to her ears hoping to drown out the noise.
"Lyra!" Her name snapped her out of her trance, and the ringing stopped. "Lyra, here, we need to cover those blisters in burn cream and bandages." The woman Lyra had assumed to be Dr. Orlan spoke with urgency. Turning to Eleni, she smiled slightly, and nodded, praying she would understand that Lyra was in no condition to speak. "Here, sit over on that bed and let Dr. Orlan bandage them up." Eleni was gentle with her, as if she were a spooked animal cornered in an alley. Lyra allowed them to work on her hands and was almost immediately pulled back into the depths of her mind.
She needed to find out about her family, and who she really was, she had enough of the secrets and the mysteries surrounding her life as of late. She couldn't deny that Thyrius had her heart in the palms of his hands, and that she was inevitably affected by his presence. Though, that didn't mean that he could control her like a puppet. If she had this power, and there was something good she could do with it, she would. It felt like hours before the bandages covered her hands. When Dr. Orlan placed the last bit of tape on her hands, the door burst open, slamming into the wall behind it. Lyra looked up and into the storming eyes of her mate. "What happened?" His growl made Lyra's insides churn with lust and fear. When his eyes took in her bandages, the storm that clouded his eyes turned icy. "Who did this?" His rage was clear before, but now it rumbled throughout his body, and Lyra felt the intensity of it from across the room.
"Ferals were able to cross the border into our lands, and attacked us while we were meditating." Eleni's voice was rushed, and she had also bandaged the cut on her forehead. You should have seen Lyra! She blasted the hell out of one of them! It was awesome." Eleni continued to gush. Her blonde locks had blood sticking to them, and Lyra felt queasy, having the memory of killing one being constantly ate away at Lyra, having killed more only added to the insanity that invaded her mind.
A few moments of thick and heavy silence passed before Gus ran into the room and straight to Eleni. They shared a kiss before he gathered her in his arms and took her into the other room. Lyra took that as a sign that both of the couples needed to have a serious conversation, and she swallowed a nervous lump that formed in the back of her throat. "This is why I didn't want you going to the coven. I don't want you to get hurt." His voice sent familiar chills down her spine, and she found herself gazing at his lips. Shaking her head she gave a small laugh. "Even if that was true, trouble has seemed to find us no matter where we are. So going to the coven is just as dangerous as staying here. We don't have the answers we need, and the sooner we get them, the sooner all of this is over, and I can finally have peace again." The emotions that built up in Lyra began to spill into her words, and her voice broke at the end. She was so tired, and she didn't know how much longer she could keep herself together.
Having Thyrius present only made those emotions stronger. She felt his arms circle around her, and his head dropped onto hers softly. She could feel his heartbeat in her ears and it sung to her like a mother's lullaby. She wanted to record it and play it over and over. Her heartbeat began to match his, and she could feel herself calm down. "I know that you want your peace back, and I am sorry. I understand that you can take care of yourself, especially with ferals. I did overreact a little bit, but I haven't felt a bond like this since...Well, our bond consumes us, and I allowed it to cloud my judgment on things. Come, let's get some sleep. You're going to train a little more before you go to the coven. I still don't like the idea, but I understand it is our best bet, so I want you as prepared as possible." Lyra could only nod, she understood his words, and she didn't feel the need to say anything else. She followed him back to his room, the exhaustion finally consuming the rest of her body.
The next morning was more hectic than Lyra was comfortable with. The training grounds were packed with men and women alike. There were shouts and grunts coming from all angles of the field, and Lyra's nervousness was no doubt showing ten fold. She knew that her and Eleni were going to be separated from them at the edge of the open field, but it didn't help her quell the shakiness in her bones. Her long hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail and the black sports bra and shorts held her soft flesh together, and to Lyra's surprise, the ensemble was comfortable and soft as well. "We are gonna run a few laps around the field and then we'll get to the whole super power lightning beam stuff." Eleni's voice threw her out of her natural daydream, and she smiled at the perky blonde nervously. "Of course. But, won't I be too tired physically to train my mind after that?" Eleni could only scoff. She saw past Lyra's attempt to skip out physical exercise, and shook her head. "Nope! C'mon Ms. Lyra. first lap" Eleni barked out with a fierce growl, making sure to send Lyra a wink as she ran off.
At the edge of the field, Lyra plopped down, aggressively trying to find any amount of air to suck back into her deoxygenated body. A few laps had turned into ten, and Lyra wanted nothing more than to sleep. They only had a few more days of preparation until they were going to visit the coven, and Lyra wanted to be ready for anything. So she swallowed up her exhaustion and took a large breath, finding her center. A few minutes passed, when suddenly she felt a shiver make its way down her spine, and that scent filled her nose. His scent, and she felt a wave of calmness wash over her. She opened her eyes to find Thyrius staring down at her from a few feet in front of her. "Hello," Lyra flashed him a small, innocent smile, and she could see his adam's apple bob up and down. "Hello, Lyra. I'm sorry to bother you, but can I see you in my office for a moment? I wanna go over the plan for Friday." His voice showed no emotion, and Lyra could feel herself growing more self conscious by the second. "Yeah, of course, I'll be back, Eleni." She spoke, dusting herself off as she stood up. "Uhm, I think We'll be having lunch by the time we're done, so it's best if you and Gus meet us in the kitchen after he's done." Thyrius' voice was tight, yet his face was composed, and calm. Lyra looked at the two, as they seemingly stared at each other silently. Eleni nodded after a few moments, and smiled at Lyra. "I'll see you at lunch!" It wasn't long after she skipped away that Thyrius grabbed her hand and they headed in the direction of his office.
Thyrius held Lyra's wrist throughout the large home and kept his grip tight until he reached the dark oak doors. He fumbled with his key, and he ushered the both of them into the office. Lyra stood awkwardly at the entrance while Thyrius rounded his desk and looked at a stack of papers with a map next to it. "This is the map of the Coven's ground isn't it?" Lyra kept her eyes on the map in front of them, scared to look him in the eyes. His emotions towards her have her head in a whirlwind half the time, and she refused to let herself get hurt while all of this was going on. She vowed to herself last night, very sleepily, that she would confront this mate bond thing once and for all after they got the answers they needed. Lyra could only handle a few stressful things at a time, and she knew she needed to work on that, but she was a procrastinator as well, and well...She would choose the latter for now.
Thyrius placed his right hand on the center of the map, but when Lyra looked up at his face, he was staring at her with an expression that Lyra couldn't pick up on. She flickered her gaze onto the map once again. "Yes, this is the map, there are four main entrances and exits, and three underground tunnels. They all lead out to a pond a few miles outside the grounds. When you go with Gus, There will be guards that will be a few miles outside the territory in case things go awry." She heard footsteps around the desk and she sensed Thyrius next to her. Her heartbeat sped up instantly, and she found his left hand suddenly caressing the back of her neck. "You, Gus, Alec, and Phil will be at the forefront, and actually meeting the high priestess. She will be your access to the Oracle. Gus is going to sniff out if she has any ill will towards you, and you are going to discuss a potential treaty between my pack and their coven." Thyrsus' right hand left the map and began massaging her shoulder. Lyra's breathing hitched in her throat, and her mind was desperately trying to keep focus on what he was saying to her. She felt him move behind her and place his arms at her waist. "Lyra, you are going to be the death of me. I swear." His whisper tickled the back of her neck, and Lyra squirmed in his arms, failing to move when he tightened his hands around her waist. "What, what do you mean?" Lyra's voice came out in a squeak, and she felt a heated blush rush into her cheeks. "I want to keep you safe, and you being there is going to drive me crazy, especially since I won't be with you." Lyra snapped out of her daze, and immediately grew angry. He was trying to use this bond of whatever to convince her to stay here. Hell. No.