Lyra's POV
The atmosphere in Xander's room turned glacial the moment he spoke. Everyone seemed suspended in time, caught red-handed in whatever transgression they had committed. Xander himself radiated fury, his expression thunderous.
His piercing gaze swept from me to Ash, then to Octavia and her companion, before cycling back again. The silence stretched on, heavy and suffocating, with no one daring to break it first.
Finally, Poppy's trembling voice cut through the tension.
"We were just looking for a restroom," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "We wandered in here by accident, but Princess Octavia was already here with him."
"The name's Kyle," Octavia's Alpha companion snarled at Poppy, his tone dripping with disdain. "We share practically every class together."
Poppy dismissed him with a careless wave before turning to offer Xander an apologetic smile. "Sorry about the intrusion?"
