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Bingwen chuckled. “Stories? Wow, nice one, Orson. No, look. As I said about the aberrations, they’ve been popping up so much, and I went looking. Somehow, they’re back, and it’s causing a lot of trouble in the paranormal world. Creatures have been acting up, and I’ve been going around trying to take care of business.”
Lyra shook her head. “Wait, the ugly flesh-eating demons are real, and they’re here or something? Isn’t that like the end of the world?”
“Not quite,” Orson said, taking a seat, grunting. “They’ve been here a few times, and each time they’re usually just as vicious.”
“Whoever it is, or whatever gave them the freedom they’ve been clamoring for, you’re the ones they’ve chosen as targets, and they’ll kill you,” said Bingwen. “My suggestion is that you guys find a way to put them down before they put you down”
Lyra looked at him, and then back at her father, confused. Demons from another plane of existence had come to earth, and they had chosen her pack as their target. Even worse, her son was the only one who could actually see these demons. “Woah, we have to find a way to do better than that. There’s gotta be something else we can do.”
Orson shook his head. “No, that’s the way it’s been. Our best bet is to hole up until everyone is back, and then go after them. We stay together, and we hunt them down, whether it’s one by one, or all at once. We take them on, and we’ll win. I’ve fought them before, and they’re cowards. While they’re merciless, they like to fight from the shadows. But once you’ve got them, you can win.”
Lyra swallowed heavily, looking upstairs. “And what about Adam? What does he have to do with all of this?”
“Your boy is half dragon, right?” Bingwen asked from the door, putting out his cigar.
“Yeah, how do you—?” Lyra asked.
“When you’re like me, and you’ve been around, you see things. Keep your hybrid safe, Lyra.”
With that, Bingwen left Orson and Lyra alone. Lyra felt her heart racing in her chest as she tried to figure out what she would have to do next. There was no way she was going to let anything happen to Adam. If there were demons out there looking to hurt her pack, she was going to protect her son to her last breath.
“The dragons know more about the demons than we do,” Orson began. “They used to be allies in the past, but the demons have no true allegiances, they just want chaos and power and sometimes, I have no idea. But if there’s anyone who stands a chance of taking down the demons, it’s Levi and his dragons.”
“Should we tell them?” Lyra asked. “Maybe they can help.”
“No, there’s nothing they can do that we can’t as a pack,” Orson replied, getting to his feet. Lyra could see that he was not willing to even consider the chance of a truce with the dragons. “But, maybe you can get some information out of him, something that could give us an edge.”
“I told him that I never wanted to see him again, so that will be hard,” Lyra replied.
“Maybe, but he won’t be able to say no to his son,” Orson replied, taking a heavy breath. “Your son is special. He’s a hybrid of both our worlds, and right now he needs someone to train him. Levi is the best possible option. You can learn what we need to know while he trains him. You both can take the old house.”
Lyra raised an eyebrow. “Like, our old house?”
“Yeah, I bought it back a few years ago, couldn’t bear to think of someone else living in it, so…I think it would be a better place for you and Adam. You can have your privacy, but you’re never too far from the pack.”
Lyra sat at the table, watching as Orson wobbled back to bed. Just a few hours ago, he’d been unable to stand up straight, now he walked with a limp. Protecting Adam was what mattered the most to Lyra, and she was going to do that, no matter what.
But knowing that protecting Adam meant she had to talk to Levi again made her feel weary inside. Things were so different, so much time had passed, and she didn’t want to have anything to do with the man. But if he was going to help them somehow, if he would maybe teach Adam to have better control of his powers and understand himself, then that would be a win on one side.
Levi Strauss was the man who had won her heart seven years ago, and no one else could do the same since then. Now, Lyra was going to walk right back into his life, what could go wrong?
Chapter 8 - Lyra
Lyra watched Levi and Adam, a strange feeling fluttering inside of her. Until Levi had returned to their lives, she had never realized how much of a spitting image Adam was. It was funny. She’d always thought Adam looked a lot like her. Maybe he did. But there was a strong resemblance between the both of them that grew thicker the more she stared.
Levi stood behind Adam and whispered something in his ear that made him laugh. She watched from her spot by the door. They were in the old library, where Orson had stored most of his favorite books before moving to the mansion. It was also where she had received some of her earliest training.
Orson had insisted that training was one hundred percent about control, serenity with oneself, and keenness to one’s surroundings. He thought that a library was a perfect place as any to hone those skills before they started hunting in the woods. Now, Adam was being taught by his own father. Much as she still resented him, pride swelled in her chest. Her son had grown up so fast and was on his journey to being a full member of the pack.
Levi whispered something to Adam again and he broke form, running for the door for a few minutes of freedom. Levi let him have short breaks.
Lyra ruffled his head as he ran past, but he seemed too eager to be away from there.
Lyra chuckled. “He’s such a character.”
“Don’t I know it,” Levi agreed. “Reminds me of someone I know. Or rather, used to know.”
Lyra said nothing. She kept her eyes on the remaining old books on the shelves, camouflaged in the dust. And on the window that stole as much of a glimpse of the sunset as it could. She knew Levi was looking at her, so she stared at everywhere else but him.
