Just Lyca Lady

Chapter 5 : Tha' Henry?

Should I have felt remorseful? It was a life I had taken, after all. But alas, there was no guilt—no deep sorrow nibbling at my soul. Upon birth, I believed everyone was equal and deserved nothing more than a chance to live. It was how someone decided to live their life that mattered to me. In the dead man's case, he had become a predator, someone whose intentions were dark and twisted. Why should I have felt poorly for shoeing away darkness?

I should have at least felt fearful or shaken up over the assault. I was not; there was no reason to be. Every limb on my body was still attached, my virtue safe and sound, and there was no threat to fret with now because I had conquered it. I felt safe and in control, because I was.

Heavy footfalls broke the quiet as I sat there. Raising my gaze from my lap, I found the source of the steps. Had it been anyone else, perhaps I would have been wary. But despite the blood stains on his tan trousers, smears of red he had failed to rub off on his cheek and arms, and the fact he was, by anyone's standards, a literal beast, my lips lifted at the ends. Gray, however, wore no smile, and creases formed on his forehead.

"I am no longer in need of a champion to save me." Glancing to the corpse, I motioned a hand over it as if it were a painting I was proudly showing to a guest. "Slayed the beast all my own." My sights returned to Gray as he continued his approach, strides casually slow, and his furrowed brow had smoothened. "Perhaps had you given me a moment longer, I would have slayed the other, as well?"

"How rude it was of me," he began, voice as deep as I had expected it to be, "to rush to your aid when you had matters in hand and at will." He was not hesitant in closing the distance between us, rather he walked with as much self-assurance as he spoke with.

It was common in warriors for their battle-ready confidence to transverse to other parts of who they were, which would explain his walk. But his words, I could already tell were formed from intelligence. Well educated? Doubtful.

"Rude indeed."

Pressing a hand into the loose dirt for support, I began to push myself to my feet. A warmth overtook my other arm, looking to see his fingers wrapped around my skin to assist me. I was not sure what I had been expecting the touch of a lycan to feel like, but this was not quite it. Coarse were his palms and feverish was his temperature, but beyond that, he felt no different than a human. Truly beasts in sheep's clothing, they were.

Now stable, I peered up to Gray. With his head tilted down from the dull glow the moon provided, shadows painted the majority of his features. The scar across his cheek still managed to draw attention, my gaze following it to his eyes. Just as soulful and vivid as when he was a beast, his silver eyes. It was near off putting how something believed to be so dreadful could still have such beautiful ones.

Nearly as off putting as it was to be calm around a beast, which begged the question as to why I was. It had to do with the first impression he had left upon me, I was sure. It wasn't an evil beast-creature I thought when I saw Gray, not in the arena nor here. Flawed judgement, possibly, but all the same it was mine.

"You're alright?" Gray asked, the scent of his breath causing my nose to crinkle. Blood had a very distinguishing odor, though I was not used to smelling it coming from someone's mouth; it was a firm reminder of what he had been gnawing on.

"I am."

"Turn for me?" he asked. When my brow furrowed, he continued, "I want to see where he got his claws into you."

When who got his... Lips parting and eyes widening, recollection came forth. How had I forgotten? The monster's nails had cut straight through my dress and corset, tearing into my flesh. Gray let his hand slide along my arm to my wrist, using it to prompt me to twirl.