Chapter 70 SEVENTY
"What?! You're going home? But why?" Janice blurted out the moment she saw Ravena packed and ready to leave first thing in the morning.
"Dad got into a car accident. He's in a coma and staying at our house for close monitoring," Ravena explained. Janice’s eyes widened in shock, and she gasped.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry to hear that!" she said, then quickly turned to Brienne. "What about you, Brienne? Are you leaving too?" she added.
"I'm not going today," Brienne replied, smiling reassuringly.
"Yeah, Raven will pick her up in two days," Ravena added. "I also called my friend—she’s a local. She’ll be the one showing you around," she added. Janice hesitated.
"Guys, it’s okay to cut our vacation short. We can all just go home," she said. She would definitely understand them cutting the vacation because it involved a family member. Brienne exchanged a glance with Ravena and smiled.
"Oh, it’s alright, Nice," Ravena reassured her. "Enjoy the vacation without me," she added. Before Janice could respond, the doorbell rang.
"That’s probably Megan," Ravena said, hurrying to open the door.
A tall woman stepped inside. She had striking dark skin, bright, expressive eyes, and a confident smile.
"Meg! It’s so nice to see you again," Ravena said, embracing her warmly. Megan returned the hug.
"It’s been a long time, Ven," she said with a grin.
"Yeah, but I have to leave today," Ravena explained. "Only my sister-in-law and our friend Janice will be staying here. Something urgent came up," she added. Megan nodded in understanding.
"Got it," she muttered.
"Come meet Brienne and Janice," Ravena said, leading her toward the kitchen where the two women were waiting.
"Bree, Nice, this is Megan," she introduced. "She’s my friend here and will be your tour guide."
"Hi," Megan greeted warmly. Brienne smiled and greeted her back, while Janice beamed excitedly.
"Nice to meet you!"
"Guys, I'm really sorry, but I have to go. I have a flight to catch. I'll see you all back home—enjoy Bardabos!" Ravena said, pressing a quick kiss to Brienne's cheek before giving Janice a warm hug.
"Safe skies, Ven," Janice said with a small smile.
With that, Ravena stepped out of the villa, where her ride to the airport was already waiting. She waved one last time before the car sped off down the road. Megan turned to the two women with a bright smile.
"So, are you ladies ready to go?" she asked. Janice glanced at Brienne, then gently took her hand.
"Anywhere you suggest, Meg, as long as I can manage it," Brienne said, gesturing to her noticeable baby bump. Megan grinned.
"Got it," she said, nodding before leading them to her car.
Ravena arrived at the Crescent Stone Pack after an eight-hour flight and a one-hour drive home, instantly greeted by her cousin, Natasha.
"Nat, where is everyone?" Ravena asked, setting down her suitcase.
"They're inside the packhouse, Ven," Natasha replied. "Let me carry your bag," she added and was about to take Ravena's suitcase, but she stopped her.
"It's alright, Nat, I can handle it," Ravena said with a small smile. "Where’s our cute little Ciara?" she added. Natasha chuckled.
"She's with Mom and Dad. The pack members who evacuated are slowly returning one by one," she said. As they walked into the packhouse, Ravena glanced around.
"Where's Carter?" she asked, seeing that Carter was nowhere to be found.
"He's in the Red Moon Pack," Natasha said. After everything that had happened, she had finally found the courage to give Carter a chance. "Raven ordered him to help Jao for the time being," she added.
They soon reached the door to Arthur's room. Ravena took a deep breath, her hands trembling as she turned the knob and pushed the door open.
Inside, she immediately saw her mother sitting beside the bed, holding Arthur’s hand. He lay unconscious, his face pale but peaceful.
"Mom," Ravena whispered. Cecil looked up and opened her arms. Without hesitation, Ravena ran into her embrace.
"What did the doctors say?" she asked, forcing back her tears. She needed to be strong—as the eldest of the Wolfgang siblings, she had no choice. Cecil exhaled softly.
"They said they've done everything they can. Now, it's up to your father to wake up," she replied.
"Where's Raven?" Ravena asked as she stood up. She leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her father's forehead.
"He's in his room, I think," Cecil replied. Then, she added, "How's Brienne?"
"She's alright," Ravena answered. "She wanted to come back with me, but I refused and called Raven instead. She’ll be here in two days."
"I see." Cecil nodded.
"I’ll be back, Mom. I need to talk to Raven," Ravena said.
Cecil gave a small nod in response. As Ravena left the room, she offered a quiet "thank you" to Natasha for her help.
Stopping in front of Raven’s door, she knocked. A few seconds later, it opened.
"Ven..." Raven started.
"Let me in," Ravena said.
Raven widened the gap, allowing her to step inside. She glanced around his room—it was dimly lit, as if mirroring the heaviness in his heart.
"Ven, I'm really sorry about what happened to Dad," Raven said, his voice laced with guilt. He bowed his head. "It's my fault he ended up in that situation. I am weak," he added. Ravena folded her arms.
"When did I ever blame you?" she asked. "I was actually about to praise you for doing a good job. You are not weak like you were thinking, little brother," she added. Raven's head snapped up, his brows furrowed in confusion.
"Good job? What do you mean?" he asked.
"You were there for him when I wasn't," she said. "You did your best to handle everything on your own. I know it wasn’t easy seeing Dad like that in the battlefield," she added. Raven swallowed hard.
"But if I had done better, maybe he wouldn’t have gotten hurt," he said.
"Maybe," Ravena admitted. "But dwelling on the past won’t change anything. What matters now is that we learn from it and move forward. Dad needs us both right now," she added. Raven sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"I don’t know if I can face him yet. I am ashamed," Raven whispered.
"You don’t have to do it alone," Ravena said softly. "We’ll face him together," she added.
"Thank you, sis," he said.
"You're welcome, annoying brother," she said and smiled. For the first time in days, Raven managed a small, grateful smile.