Chapter 176

Chapter 176
Rhea

The emergency sirens had barely stopped wailing when Dean Ashford's voice crackled through every speaker on campus. "All students report to your designated combat squads immediately. Twenty-four-hour rotating guard shifts begin now. This is not a drill."

I stood in the center of the training yard, watching as the carefully orchestrated chaos unfolded around me. Students who'd been laughing at breakfast an hour ago now moved with military precision, checking weapons and fortifying positions. The transformation was startling—and terrifying. These people, many of whom had looked at me with suspicion or outright hostility just yesterday, were now preparing to fight because Tyrant wanted me back.

"Stop looking like you're about to throw up," Caspian said, appearing at my elbow with a tactical vest slung over one shoulder. His usual playful demeanor had sharpened into something focused and dangerous. "They're not doing this for you. They're doing it because Tyrant violated academy sovereignty. You just happen to be the flashpoint."

"That's supposed to make me feel better?" I watched as a professor directed a group of senior students to the eastern perimeter. "They're still putting themselves in danger because of my choices."

Kael's hand settled on my shoulder, warm and grounding. "Your choices gave them something worth fighting for. The right to be judged on merit rather than gender. The right to refuse a forced marriage. Those aren't small things, Rhea."

I turned to find him already dressed in full tactical gear, the black uniform making him look even more imposing than usual. His gray-green eyes held that familiar intensity, but underneath it I could sense his wolf's protective fury through our bond. He wanted to lock me away somewhere safe, wanted to eliminate every threat before it could reach me. The fact that he was standing here instead, preparing to let me fight alongside everyone else, was its own kind of declaration.

"The perimeter's secure," Alex announced, striding up with Jax at his side. My brother looked every inch the future military commander, his silver-gray wolf practically vibrating beneath his skin. "Elite squads are positioned at all entry points. Ironfang would need to level half the campus to breach our defenses."

"Don't give them ideas," Jax muttered. He'd barely left my side since the assembly, his amber eyes constantly scanning for threats. The protective instinct radiating through our bond was so strong it made my chest ache. "Tyrant's not known for his restraint."

"Which is why we're not taking chances." Ashford appeared with several senior professors in tow, including Commander Hayes from Advanced Tactics. "Princess Rhea, I need you to understand something. The moment Tyrant issued that ultimatum, this stopped being about one student's enrollment status. This became about whether Zenith bows to external pressure, whether we allow our principles to be compromised by threats."

"I understand, sir." My voice came out steadier than I felt. "And I'm prepared to fight. I won't hide while others defend me."

Ashford's expression softened fractionally. "I wouldn't expect anything less. But I also won't have you taking unnecessary risks. You'll be assigned to a defensive position with your squad—" he glanced at Alex, Caspian, Kael, and Jax, "—and you will follow orders. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good." He turned to address the growing crowd of students and faculty. "Listen up. We have confirmation that Ironfang has deployed approximately five thousand soldiers around our perimeter. They're testing our defenses, looking for weak points. Our job is to make sure they don't find any."

---

The first three days passed in tense monotony. Ironfang sent small scouting parties that probed our defenses, testing response times and fortification strength. Each time, Zenith's defenders repelled them easily, almost contemptuously. I spent those days rotating between guard shifts, training sessions, and strategic planning meetings, always with at least one of my mates or Alex nearby.

The waiting was its own kind of torture. Every quiet moment felt like the calm before a storm, every distant sound potentially the beginning of an assault. I couldn't sleep properly, couldn't eat more than a few bites at each meal. My wolf prowled restlessly beneath my skin, torn between the urge to fight and the instinct to flee.

"You need to rest," Kael said on the third night, finding me pacing the length of our assigned barracks. Most of the other students had managed to fall asleep, exhausted from constant vigilance, but I couldn't seem to make my body cooperate.

"I can't." I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to contain the anxious energy thrumming through my veins. "Every time I close my eyes, I see him breaking through our defenses. I see people getting hurt because of me."

Kael pulled me against his chest, one hand coming up to cradle the back of my head. "Then let me help." His voice dropped to that low, commanding tone that always made my wolf settle. "Close your eyes, Rhea. Focus on my heartbeat. On the bond between us."

I did as he asked, letting his steady presence anchor me. Through our connection, I could feel Jax sleeping in the next room, his dreams turbulent but his body finally getting the rest it needed. The bond between the three of us pulsed with warmth, a constant reminder that I wasn't alone in this.

"That's it," Kael murmured. "We're here. We're safe. And we'll face whatever comes together."

The attack came on the fourth day, just after dawn.

I was helping Finn reinforce the eastern barricade when the first explosion shattered the morning quiet. The ground shook beneath our feet, and suddenly the air filled with the howl of wolves and the crack of gunfire.

"Positions!" Commander Hayes roared, and everyone scrambled into formation.