Noah approached the girls.
Rina knew who Noah was. She worked in the main pack house and also when Lyra was unconscious they were given an introduction about the pack house and its rules.
"Beta Noah," they bowed and stepped aside.
Lyra was still lying down on the ground. She felt pain everywhere in her body. Her neck wound was open too. It was bleeding.
"I asked a question."
From Noah's demeanor he looked serious, too serious. Yes bullying was not allowed.
"B-Beta Noah, We were helping her," Rina tried to sweet talk her way out of the problem. "She fell down."
Noah's eyes surveyed the room, How stupid did these girl think he was?
His height towered over Lyra, "Was she the one who locked you?"
Rina's eyes widened, she wondered what was going on. From her point of view, she though the Beta wasn't minding his business as this didn't concern him.
"I'm not the one who locked you up in the laundry room!" She shouted defensively.
All eyes were on Rina, her minions distanced themselves from her, whatever was going on she didn't even know all they wanted was to just bully someone and not get into trouble. They were following Rina as she had some connections and was even together with one of the warriors. They were to benefit from being followers of Rina.
"The laundry room?" Noah raised his eyebrows, "I don't remember mentioning that."
She was busted.
Rina was too nervous, she gave something away, "S... She told us, she was locked in there!" Words tumbled out quickly from her mouth.
The tension Rina felt was high.
Noah didn't talk to her again. He squated down to check on Lyra who hadn't moved since he stopped the girls. Lyra hadn't even acknowledged his presence. For a low born, they had to show maximum respect to the gamma of the pack.
He stretched his hand to check on her pulse. Lyra didn't move. She didn't even flinch. She just remained there.
"Lyra," He called out. "Are you okay?"
Rina and the other girls huddled together wondering why Beta Noah cared too much about the girl. How close were they that he even knew her name?
'How dare this girl pretend to be unconscious! Just wait, I'll teach her a lesson!' Rina thought so. They didn't even hit her that much and now she's playing dead.
Noah tried to pick Lyra up to take her to the healer's. On picking her up, Lyra's eyes turned to him quickly, she was in defense. The look in her eyes seemed distant.
Something vibrated in Noah's body. All the hairs in his body stood, he felt goosebumps all over. He froze. There was something wrong with Lyra. She wasn't a witch, that's what he knew but what was happening to him.
Suddenly his memories, everything in him flashed in front of him. His trauma when he was young to when his mate was killed. He remembered how useless he felt for not protecting her from the craigstalkers. Those animals that tore Abby, his mate's body limb by limb and then ate her as he watched.
'What was happening?' He tried to stop them but he couldn't. Like he was forced to relive his worst memories again and again.
The pain he felt that time was back. He couldn't breathe. He withdrew his hands from Lyra where e wanted to carry her and stepped back. Kross and Ryan knew the worse way one could torture Noah was with the death of his loved one that he beat himself daily for failing to protect his siblings and mate.
When Noah stepped back, the memories stopped flowing, but he still felt despair. The despair he once felt was back again. Why? He asked himself. The answer was Lyra.
Rina and the girls kept watching everything unfold but they couldn't understand anything as Noah just froze and also Lyra didn't wake up but from how Noah looked and the sweat on his forehead they wondered what was happening to him.
"Beta Noah?" Rina took courage and approached him.
Noah felt her footsteps and turned to glare at her. He didn't want unnecessary physical touch with anyone.
"Step back!"
Rina was eager to make a connection with the Beta. For all she knew no man had ever refused her advances, she was pretty, had a nice body. If she could get together with the beta and be Noah's woman, she could be exempted from working as a maid.
"Are you okay?" Rina walked towards Noah putting on her best act.
Noah obviously didn't waste his time answering her. He was indecisive whether to pick Lyra up or not. He knew whatever he experienced was not normal and also he would maybe experience it again if he carries Lyra.
Also leaving Lyra there with those bullies didn't seem like a good idea.
He didn't want to go through his memory lane again.