Chapter 77

Ripley's Point of View

The air feels heavier than usual as I step out of my dorm building, my bag slung over my shoulder. The sun is out, bright and sharp, but it does not do a damn thing to ease the tension sitting low in my chest.

By the time I reach the parking lot, everyone is already there, two trucks lined up, the same setup we used for Stormfang. Kael stands beside mine, his arms crossed over his chest, dark circles under his eyes. He looks hollow. Next to him is Ezra, his future beta. He is tall, broad shouldered, and usually full of smart remarks, but even he is quiet today. The weight of what happened at Stonehowl hangs over both of them like a storm cloud.

Liana is pacing near the front bumper, her hair tied back, an energy of anxious restlessness about her. “We are all here,” she says as I approach, her voice unusually soft.

“Yeah,” I nod my head, setting my bag in the truck bed. “We will head out in five.”

Kael glances at me then, his eyes red rimmed but steady. “Ezra and I are riding with you, if that is okay.”

“Of course,” I say immediately. “You are not driving anywhere today.”

He exhales, nodding his head once. “Thank you.”

Olivia walks up beside me, her presence grounding me the way it always does. She looks ready, focused, but her eyes flick towards Kael with concern. “Is everything loaded?” she asks.

“Just about,” I reply, glancing towards Daxon, Ian, and Pacey loading their own truck. “We will take the lead.”

Olivia gives a firm nod of her head. “Let’s get going then.”

We pile in Kael taking the front passenger seat, with Ezra, Olivia and Liana in the back. The engine hums to life, the sound breaking through the heavy quiet like a thin thread of normalcy. Daxon’s truck pulls in behind us as we roll out of the parking lot and onto the long stretch of road leading away from the academy.

For the first half hour, no one talks. The radio stays off. Kael stares out the window, his jaw clenched, his hands fidgeting in his lap. Ezra keeps glancing towards him, as if waiting for a cue to say something, but every time, he just shuts his mouth again. Liana occasionally murmurs something to Olivia, something small, soft, probably just to fill the silence.

I finally clear my throat. “Any word from your family?” I ask, my voice low.

Kael nods his head after a long pause. “Yeah. My Mom and Dad are fine. My brother got hurt, but he is okay. They said it is bad, Ripley. Some of the border buildings are gone.”

Ezra speaks up then, his voice tight. “I talked to my dad too. They are working nonstop, rebuilding, patching up the wounded. The wolves hit fast, harder than anyone expected.”

The words hang heavy in the truck.

Olivia leans forward, resting a hand on the back of my seat. “We will help however we can,” she says firmly. “They are not alone in this.”

Kael gives her a small, tired smile. “Thank you, Liv. That means a lot.”

The road stretches on, winding through thick forests. The deeper we go, the quieter it gets. The scent of pine gives way to faint traces of smoke, still clinging to the air. My grip tightens on the steering wheel as the horizon darkens with what looks like soot and ash.

Olivia breaks the silence again, her voice steady but fierce. “Nightvein did this, didn’t they? It had to be them.”

Ezra nods his head grimly. “That is what everyone is saying. The attack was too organized to be random.”

Kael stares out at the trees passing by, his voice low. “If it was Nightvein… they are getting bolder.”

The rest of the drive passes in tense quiet. I can feel everyone’s unease, the kind that settles deep in your bones.

By the time we reach Stonehowl’s borders, the sun is low in the sky. The air smells of smoke and damp ash. Patrols are doubled, warriors stationed at every post. As we drive in, I spot charred remains of buildings, smoldering heaps of what used to be homes. Wolves are moving through the wreckage, some carrying supplies, others tending to the wounded.

Kael sits up straighter, staring ahead with a look I cannot describe. His home. His people.

I slow the truck as we roll to a stop near what is left of the main pack house. Daxon’s truck pulls in beside us, the others climbing out silently.

No one speaks.

Because now that we are here, it is no longer something we heard about.

It is real.

And this time, it is personal.

The moment I open the truck door, the smell hits me, smoke, ash, and the faint copper sting of blood. It is old now, faint enough that it is not overwhelming, but it still clings to everything. It is the smell of a pack that has been through hell.

Kael gets out slowly, his boots crunching over dirt and debris. He just stands there for a second, staring. I do not say anything. None of us do. The silence says enough.

What used to be Stonehowl’s main street is lined with burned out shells of buildings. The pack house itself still stands, but one side is scorched, charred wood spiderwebbed with cracks. Smoke rises faintly from a pile of collapsed beams near the training yard. People move everywhere, some carrying buckets of water, others hauling scraps of lumber, others just standing there, dazed and hollow eyed.

Ezra steps forward first, his voice rough. “Goddess… it is worse than I imagined.”

Kael does not answer. His fists clench at his sides, his shoulders shaking slightly. I glance at Olivia, who’s come around the truck to stand beside me. Her expression is full of quiet grief, but there is something else too, resolve.

“We should find your parents,” she says softly to Kael. “See what they need.”

Kael nods his head, his voice low and tight. “Yeah. They will be at the medical tents, I think.”

We start walking. Every step feels heavier than the last. The ground is scorched in places, ash puffing up around our boots. Daxon and Ian move behind us, their usual banter gone. Liana walks beside Olivia, her eyes darting around, taking everything in.

As we walk I can see it, the sheer scale of what Nightvein did. This was not just a raid or a border test. They hit the heart of Stonehowl. Fast. Precise. They wanted to break morale.

My jaw tightens. “They knew exactly where to hit,” I mutter.

Daxon hears me. “Yeah. Someone had to tell them where.”

That thought sticks like a thorn in my head as we reach the clearing where the medical tents stand. People are lying on cots, some bandaged, others barely conscious. Healers move quickly between them, their faces set in grim focus. Kael’s parents are there, his mother is giving orders, his father’s arm wrapped in a sling but he is still moving, still helping.

When Kael rushes forward, his mother turns, her expression breaking into relief. “Kael!”

She pulls him into her arms, holding him like she never wants to let go.

I stay a few paces behind with Olivia, watching the reunion. She slips her hand into mine, giving it a gentle squeeze. “They are strong,” she whispers. “They will rebuild.”

“Yeah,” I say quietly. “They will.”

But as I look around, at the burned walls, the wounded pack members, the hollow eyes of those who survived, I cannot shake the feeling that this is not over.

Nightvein is not finished.

And next time… they will not wait long before striking again.