Dangerous Liaisons
The academy’s cold, relentless structure mirrored the sharp hierarchies of vampire society, and Misery thrived in it. To her, everyone was a pawn—something to manipulate, use, or crush. Lyra was no exception.
Misery made her dislike for Lyra known with subtle, calculated strikes. A spilled chalice here, a misplaced insult there—never enough to draw outright suspicion, but enough to humiliate. Lyra endured it in silence, her wolf clawing beneath her skin in protest. She couldn’t afford to lose control, not with so much at stake.
Eryon, meanwhile, found himself drawn into Misery’s orbit despite his instincts telling him to stay far away. She approached him under the guise of friendship, her charm disarming and her words laced with an almost predatory curiosity.
“You’re different,” she said one afternoon, her tone soft but probing. They sat in the academy’s courtyard, the dying sunlight casting a faint red glow over the stones. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”
Eryon remained guarded, his gaze flicking to her cautiously. “Maybe you’re not looking hard enough.”
Misery smiled, a slow curve of her lips that held more danger than warmth. “Oh, I’m looking,” she said, leaning closer. “And I always find what I’m looking for.”
Her attention was flattering, but it also felt like a trap. Eryon knew Misery’s reputation—her games, her schemes—but her interest in him seemed genuine, and that unnerved him even more.
Meanwhile, Adrian’s focus on Lyra deepened. He found himself drawn to her in a way he couldn’t explain, her presence both unsettling and magnetic. During a quiet moment in the library, he cornered her, his expression unreadable.
“Why do you avoid me?” he asked, his voice low.
Lyra glanced at him sharply, her heart pounding. “I don’t.”
“You do,” Adrian countered, stepping closer. His crimson eyes searched hers, intense and piercing. “There’s something about you I can’t figure out. Something… different.”
Lyra swallowed hard, her wolf stirring uneasily beneath her skin. “You’re imagining things.”
Before Adrian could respond, a sharp voice cut through the tension. “Lyra!”
Misery’s presence shattered the moment, her arrival deliberate and commanding. Lyra turned to face her, the faint growl in her throat barely suppressed.
Misery’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “Careful,” she said softly, her gaze flicking to Adrian before returning to Lyra. “You might want to watch your tone.”
The growl rose despite Lyra’s efforts, her wolf clawing for release. Her nails dug into her palms, but the feral yellow of her wolf’s eyes flickered for just a moment.
Adrian stepped between them, his voice low and urgent. “Control yourself,” he murmured to Lyra, his words meant only for her. “Or you’ll reveal more than you want.”
