Noir

Noir's roar reverberated about the jungle, as Eton, slowly transforming back into his human form, growled, "Easy, Noir... It's the need to be with your mate...the hunger surging through you causing you to act this way. You don't want to do this, remember? I know you can hear me. Fight the beast within you, Noi-"

Before Eton could finish his words, Noir's features began to shift once more, the beast inside him wrestling for control. He let out a roar, and I felt myself tremble as he took a step forward. The massive wings once again unfurled on either side of him as his lips pulled back from his teeth in a snarl, revealing a set of sharp fangs.

Eton's voice grew frantic. "Noir! You can't let it control you! Remember who you are!"

His words seemed to have an effect, as Noir seemed to struggle against the creature that sought to once again take over.

"That's it, Noir," Eton encouraged, his voice steady. "You can do this." The massive wings trembled, the beast inside Noir fighting for control.

I clutched Thorin's arm, my heart pounding in my chest as I watched the battle play out before me. The tension was palpable, the air thick with anticipation.

Noir let out another roar, his massive wings flapping wildly as he struggled against the beast within him. Eton continued to encourage him, his voice steady and reassuring despite the danger they were all in. "You can do this, Noir. You are stronger than this."

As we watched, the battle raged on. The beast within Noir seemed to be losing its grip, as he slowly regained control. His features began to shift back into their human form, his features softening and his eyes focusing on me once more. Eton continued to stand beside him, his expression tense but determined. "Welcome back."

Noir let out a shaky breath, his features returning to their human form as he looked down at me. His eyes were a mixture of relief and regret as he held my gaze. "God, I'm sorry, Lyra," he breathed. JERICHA

"Shouldn't they be back by now?" I asked, my fingers fidgeting with the choker around my neck. Normally, nothing much bothered me, but this? This bothered me. The guys had been gone too long. Or, at least, in my opinion they had. I had come out of my room in the wee hours of the morning to find Thorin and Eton putting on their gear and shoving daggers into their waist bands, their faces hard and determined. But though Thorin had tried shielding it from my observant eyes, I could see the worry in his.

Quickly returning to my room, I had grabbed my cape, assuring myself it was fully loaded with my weapons and the tools of my trade. Then, tucking my favorite dagger into its sheath, I had headed back into the other room. Coming up beside Eton and Thorin, I had begun pulling on my cape, readying myself as I murmured, "What's up, guys?"

Thorin glanced over in my direction, taking in my apparel, then shook his head, "Ah, nah. Hell, nah!"

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Head tucked as I'd slipped into my cape, I jerked it up at Thorin's words. Then blew out an exasperated breath. This wasn't my and Thorin's first go around in this world; we'd had a relationship many, many years ago. It had ended badly. However, when I'd shown up at the agency's doorstep, dragging the figure of a lich behind me, Thorin had blinked twice, then asked, "Want a job?"

I'd taken it, and even though we'd butted heads more times than I could count, I trusted him. Well, with my life at least.

The entire unit had been a team for a while now, and damn, we were good; we'd taken down more creatures, more monsters, more gods and demons than I could remember. And the best part? We'd done it together. But this time, this time felt different.

~~

Moments later, Sterling, lounging in a high-backed chair, his muscles tense beneath his shirt, shifted uncomfortably, before, as voice quiet, asked, "You know how sometimes you just get a bad feeling in your gut? Like something's not right?" I nodded, feeling that very feeling right now. "Yeah, I know what you mean." Thorin and Eton should have been back long ago. Hopefully when they did appear, they'd have Lyra with them.

I drummed my fingers on the table, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling in my gut. Something was definitely off.

"I'm worried, you know?" I muttered out loud aloud. "They've been gone too long."

Sterling's face twisted in a frown. "Yeah, I'm worried too. Maybe we should go look for them."

I hesitated for a moment, considering the suggestion. "Alright," I finally agreed.

After standing we begin making our way to the door when Gran steps in through the doorway, his eyes narrowed in thought. "Something's off, alright. But don't just go running off half-cocked. There might be a reason they haven't come back yet."

I nodded, but couldn't help feeling a sense of urgency building within me. "I know, but..."

Gran stepped forward, laying a hand on my shoulder. "Sometimes the best thing you can do is to just wait and see what happens."

I nodded, trying to calm myself down. "You're right. We should wait a bit longer."

We all stood around in silence, our eyes flicking between each other. The waiting was killing me, but I knew Gran was right. There could be any number of reasons why Thorin, Eton, and Lyra weren't back yet. But none of them were to my liking. As I chewed on my bottom lip, worrying it, Gran stepped forward and laid a hand on my shoulder. "Sometimes the best thing you can do is to just wait and see what happens."