CHAPTER FIVE

Lyra’s POV

The thought of what I was becoming lingered in my mind.

So disturbing, I didn't notice that we'd gotten back to the clearing.

Everyone had seen the light show, plus they felt the earth shake during my clash against Malachy.

Kayden and Ronan were already prepared to come find us, they heard Jace’s howl earlier.

Their piercing gaze was what pulled me back to reality, flesh-searing and impossible to ignore.

“What was that?” Kayden asked, his voice firm, trying to conceal any trace of care.

I've known him for what, two minutes? And I can already read him like an open book.

“She's exhausted, she needs to rest, I'll fill you guys in later,” Jace said, helping me sit.

“Alright,” Kayden said. “I'll take her,” he walked towards me and placed a hand on my shoulder, trying to assert dominance.

“Like hell you will,” Ronan drawled. Repulsed by the idea of Kayden taking me with him.

I immediately shrugged off Kayden's hand when I sensed what was about to happen.

“Why do you always have to be the one to challenge me?" Kayden’s gaze turned cold as he faced Ronan.

“Maybe ’cause I’m the only one with some balls around here,” Ronan snapped, right up in his face, eyes locked and daring him to flinch.

“Hey, hey, hey, gentlemen, chill out. Let's not allow our primal instincts control us all the time,” Jace said, trying to deescalate the issue before it got out of hand.

“Stay out of this,” they chorused, one motion, one will. Their arms shot out with little effort, and he was hurled through the air, crashing hard against a tree.

“Holy… That just sent him flying,” I gasped. “Just how strong are these guys?” I basked in the chilling fire of their raw strength.

Jace stood up almost instantly, brushing off the dirt from his frame. He let out a smirk, a feral curve that was impossible to read.

“His eyes instantly turned cold as he lunged towards Kayden and Ronan with unimaginable speed, my heart racing in awe and dread.”

He rammed his shoulder into the both of them, sending them lying even farther than he did.

Jace, who was trying to quell their flames, now burned hotter and brighter than both.

Ronan landed on his feet, and was immediately on his way back for Jace.

He slightly dodged Ronan’s charge, but his face met with Kayden fist, before he could react.

“Oh so it's two against one huh?” he chuckled,  wiping the blood from the edge of his lip with a feral grin, his voice dripping with defiance. “And y'all say you've got balls,” he spat.

Ronan was the most cunning of them all, while Jace was the fastest, and Kayden was known for his brute strength.

Whenever they come together against a foe, it never ends well for the foe.

They were tagged as “THE TRIO OF DOOM,” some others call them “THE MENACING TRINITY,” they were also known as “THE TRIPLE S, (Strength, Speed and Smarts).”

But against each other, the outcome was always unpredictable, and their subjects, or the people around them always suffered the most.

As much as I wanted to stop their rumble over me,  I was too weak and a part of me was kind of enjoying it.

That show down against Malachy drained me almost dry, and I had to catch my breath.

Their destructive force was fascinating, I've heard people talk about it, but seeing it up close, the stories don't do them any justice.

As enthralling as the view was, I had to steer clear or else I’d become collateral damage, and all the fighting would be in vain.

“Okay guys, this is fun!” I let out a deep exhale. “But it has to stop!” I yelled.

They didn't pay attention to me or what I was saying, not one of them even spared me a glance.

“Guys, I'm not kidding… This has gone too far, please stop,” I pleaded with them, but they still didn't listen.

I knew I had to do something, or else the forest was going to turn into something else before they'd wear each other out.

“Enough!” I screamed, rushing between them to stop the fight—because I knew they wouldn’t dare hit me.

But what happened next came as a shock to me just as it did to them.

The white hue I'd unleashed against Malachy surged from me again, a radiant wave hurling them in all directions.

The kind of force I let out, I didn't even let that much out on Malachy, and it wasn't  my fault, it's not like I could control it. Hell I didn't even know about it until that day.

This time, they didn't get back on their feet so easily, it was kind of funny for me and humiliating for them.

A girl who they'd been calling “little wolf,” knocked them all down without even trying.

I stood frozen in awe of what I'd just done.

“What the hell was that?” Kayden roared, he was the first to come back.

“Okay, seems like you guys won't need me to fill you in after all,” Jace said as he raced back to the scene.

Ronan's smile was attractive but unsettling, as he stalked towards us. He had this sort of  villainous vibe about him.

“Wha… What's that about?” I asked.

“Nothing,” he chuckled, that was even more disturbing.

I thought I was fine, after the surge of energy, then suddenly I started feeling dizzy.

I staggered a little, my knees were wobbly but I was fighting to stay on my feet.

“Are you okay?” Kayden asked, noticing my distress.

“Yeah,” I smiled, giving him a thumbs up.

“Sure?” Jace asked.

“Sure,” I replied to Jace, struggling to raise another thumbs-up, but my body wouldn't budge, their gazes blurring as the woods spun into darkness.

Jace rushed to my aid, but Kayden was closest to me so he got to me first.

I fell into his firm hands.

“Lyra, what's wrong? What's going on?!” They were all yelling as I black out completely.