Chapter 27: The Return of a Friend

I closed my eyes tightly and then opened them. He was still standing there with one hand on the doorframe to prop himself up. And then, his arm suddenly gave way and he collapsed onto the ground.

"Erylis!" I shouted.

We all raced to him. Leo tucked his arms underneath his friend's frame and hoisted him up, using himself as leverage. He brought him to the couch and laid him down.

Leo looked to Orene. "Get Sylvie," he demanded.

Orene stared at Erylis, wide-eyed. He was motionless.

"Orene," Leo said, purposefully deepening his voice to capture the former-Beta's attention. It worked. Orene's eyes snapped to him and he slowly nodded. He took one last look at Erylis, then left.

Once the door closed, Leo was focused back on his current Beta. "Tell me what happened," he stated.

Erylis coughed and doubled over in pain. His eyes were red and glassed over, with the makings of a black eye forming underneath one of them, and his clothes were torn to shreds. Almost like he was attacked.