Chapter 71

Chapter 71

Olivia's Point of View

The morning light slips through the blinds, painting soft gold stripes across my bed. For a moment, I just lie there, listening to the faint hum of voices and doors opening and closing down the hall. It is quiet, calm… normal.

I sit up slowly, stretching, my muscles still sore from the lake and from everything that came after. The memory of last night’s call with my father lingers, his steady voice, the worry in his eyes that he tried to hide. I take a deep breath, pushing that thought away for now. It is a new day.

The shower hisses to life, steam filling the small bathroom. The warm water feels like a small blessing as it rolls down my shoulders, washing away the chill that seems to have been clinging to me since last night. I close my eyes and let it run for a long moment, until my skin hums and my mind quiets.

When I finally step out, I wrap a towel around myself and wipe the fog from the mirror. My reflection looks more rested than I feel, my hair is damp and curling slightly at the ends, my cheeks are still flushed from the heat of the shower. I take a second to pull myself together. A light swipe of mascara, a soft pink gloss, but nothing to fancy.

Liana stirs in her bed when I step back into the room. “Morning,” she mumbles, her voice thick with sleep.

“Morning,” I say, smiling faintly as I pull open my drawer for clothes. “Come on, we are meeting the others for breakfast. You’ll want to hurry before Ripley eats all the bacon again.”

That earns a sleepy laugh. “Not possible. The cafeteria never runs out of bacon.”

“Challenge accepted,” I mutter with a grin.

I pull on a pair of jeans and a soft blue sweater, comfortable, and simple. My necklace rests cool against my collarbone, the twin pendants catching the light when I move. I touch them briefly, the gesture almost automatic now, a reminder of home, of my brothers, of Ripley.

By the time Liana is ready, the morning feels lighter. The air outside is crisp as we step into the hallway, and sunlight filters through the windows, catching in the dust motes like sparks.

We walk side by side down the corridor, the voices of other students echoing faintly around us. It feels almost normal again, or at least like we are trying to make it that way.

As we step outside, I spot Ripley and the others already heading towards the cafeteria. He turns, catches my eye, and smiles, that easy, steady smile that makes something in my chest unclench.

Liana bumps my shoulder with hers. “Looks like someone is happy to see you.”

I roll my eyes but cannot help the smile that pulls at my lips. “Come on,” I say, tugging her forward. “Before the bacon is gone.”

The cafeteria hums with morning chatter, clinking plates, the scent of coffee and pancakes filling the air. The noise wraps around me like a familiar blanket, grounding after the strange tension of the past few days.

Ripley, Daxon, Kael, Ian, and Pacey are already in line when Liana and I walk in. Ripley catches sight of me almost immediately, his grin bright and easy. He waves us over with that effortless confidence that always seems to draw people in.

“Hey, sleeping beauty,” he teases as I grab a tray. “I thought we would have to send a search party.”

I raise an eyebrow, fighting a smirk. “You are one to talk. I bet you only beat me here because you are powered by caffeine.”

“Guilty,” he says, holding up his coffee cup in mock salute.

The lightness in his voice warms me more than the sun streaming through the tall windows. It feels good to see him relaxed again, or at least pretending to be.

We fall into easy conversation as we move through the line, stacking our trays with food. Scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, fruit, and, in Ripley’s case, way too many pancakes. Liana rolls her eyes at his plate. “That is enough sugar to put down a full grown bear.”

“That is the plan,” he says, deadpan.

By the time we find a table, the conversation has already devolved into playful bickering between Ian and Pacey about who is the better fighter, something about who landed more hits in their last sparring session.

I laugh, taking a sip of orange juice. “You two are ridiculous,” I say, shaking my head. “It is breakfast, not the training grounds.”

“Breakfast is the fuel of champions,” Pacey replies solemnly, pointing a fork at me before taking a dramatic bite of toast.

Daxon just sighs, but there is amusement in his eyes. “You are all children.”

Kael smirks. “Says the guy who spent last night playing video games until midnight.”

“That was strategy,” Daxon argues. “Hand-eye coordination is key for battle.”

Ripley leans back in his chair, the laughter soft in his voice. “Yeah, sure. That is what we will tell Alpha Darius next time he asks why you are late for drills.”

I cannot help but smile. It feels good, the kind of easy, genuine warmth that has been missing since Stormfang. Even if there is still tension simmering under the surface, for a few moments it is almost like things are normal again.

When the laughter finally dies down, Ripley glances at me, his voice quieter, more genuine. “Did you sleep okay?”

I meet his eyes and nod my head, though I know he can tell I am only half telling the truth. “Better than I thought I would,” I admit. “It just… feels strange being back, that is all.”

His hand brushes against mine under the table, just a light touch, but enough to steady me. “We will figure it out,” he says softly.

Before I can respond, Liana claps her hands together. “Alright, lovebirds,” she says with a grin. “Some of us need to get to class before we are late.”

I roll my eyes, but the corner of my mouth lifts. “Fine, fine. Let’s go before Professor Grayson starts hunting us down again.”

We stand, gather our trays, and head out together, still laughing, still teasing each other like nothing is wrong. But as I walk beside Ripley, that faint unease creeps back in, the feeling from the lake, the sense of being watched. I push it down for now.

Breakfast is over. The day has begun. And whatever is coming next, we will face it together.