Chapter 177 Back to New York

Chapter 177 Back to New York
Ivy POV

The SUVs were already waiting outside the gates when Caden and I stepped into the courtyard.

Blackwood was awake, but no one rushed us. Wolves gathered near the vehicles with easy smiles instead of worried faces. The last few days had been filled with goodbyes, yet it still felt strange knowing we were really leaving.

Maya crossed the courtyard first and wrapped her arms around me.

"You'd better visit."

I smiled into the hug. "I will."

"You'd better."

Lucas shook Caden's hand before pulling him into a quick embrace."Try not to disappear."

"No promises."

"I knew you were going to say that."

Sera stepped over next. She hugged me tightly, then rested her hands on my shoulders."This place will always be here."

I looked past her toward the compound.
"I know."

One by one, Caden said goodbye to the wolves he had fought beside. Nobody saluted him. Nobody called him Alpha King. They shook his hand, pulled him into hugs, or clapped him on the shoulder before wishing us a safe trip.

Watching them made me smile. Respect hadn't disappeared. It had simply become something quieter. When everything was packed, Caden opened the door for me.

"Ready?"

I looked around Blackwood one last time.
The rebuilt homes. The training grounds.
The council hall and the people laughing in the courtyard. So much had changed since the frightened girl who had first arrived here.

"I'm ready."

The gates opened, and the convoy rolled onto the road. I watched Blackwood grow smaller through the window until the trees finally hid it from view.

Beside me, Caden reached for my hand.
He didn't say anything. Neither did I. The silence said enough. Leaving Oregon felt like a dream.

The mountains slowly gave way to highways, and before long the New York skyline stretched across the horizon. Glass towers caught the afternoon sun. Traffic filled every lane.

Horns echoed between buildings while crowds hurried along the sidewalks without slowing down. Caden looked out the window, taking in everything.

"I forgot how loud this city is."

I laughed."You'll remember soon enough."

A giant billboard flashed above the street.
His eyes followed it across the skyline.
"Does every building here compete for attention?"

"Pretty much."

"I miss trees already."

"You've been here less than five minutes."

"I stand by what I said."

I laughed again. Some things never changed. By the time we reached my apartment building, the familiar streets no longer felt as familiar as they once had.

I unlocked the front door and stepped inside. Everything was exactly where I had left it. My books still filled the shelves. A mug sat beside the sink. My jacket still hung over the back of a chair.

Dust covered almost every surface. It felt as though time had stopped the day I left.
I walked slowly through the apartment, running my fingers across the bookshelf before stopping beside the window.

This place had once felt like my whole world. Now it felt… Small. Caden came to stand beside me."What are you thinking?"

I smiled.

"I used to think this apartment held my whole future."

"And now?"

I looked around again."It was only the beginning."

He slipped an arm around my waist."I like it."

"You do?"

"It has you in it."

Heat crept into my cheeks."You always know what to say."

"No." He smiled."I just say what I mean."

We spent the next hour unpacking. Most of my boxes went back where they had always belonged, but this time Caden's things found places beside mine.

His jacket hung next to mine. His books filled the empty space on the shelf. His shoes ended up beside the door. Little by little, the apartment stopped looking like it belonged to just me.

By evening neither of us wanted to cook, so we ordered pizza. The boxes sat open on the coffee table while we ate on the floor, surrounded by half-unpacked bags.

When we finished, Caden picked up one of the empty boxes and frowned."How does this close?"

I watched him fold one side, then another.
The lid popped back open. He tried again.
It refused to cooperate.

"You've fought rogue wolves," I said, trying not to laugh.

"I preferred them."

That was enough. Laughter burst out of me before I could stop it. The harder I tried to catch my breath, the worse it became.
Caden looked at the box like it had personally offended him.

"Who designed this?"

"I don't know."

"They should apologize."

I laughed until tears blurred my vision. For the first time in what felt like forever, nothing about the moment mattered except how happy we were.

Later that night, after the apartment had finally grown quiet, I opened my laptop.
The university website loaded onto the screen.

My student account was still there. My courses. My records. My future. I stared at the enrollment page for a long moment before filling out the registration form.

When I reached the final page, my finger hovered over the button. Months ago, I thought I would never come back. Now I smiled and clicked Submit.

The confirmation appeared almost instantly. I closed the laptop and looked over at Caden. A new chapter of my life had already begun.