Chapter 185 Elara's POV
The camp was transformed, where there had been death and destruction hours ago, now there was organized chaos of a different kind, rescue, recovery, rebuilding.
Vehicles kept arriving, Pack after pack sending reinforcements and relief support. Alphas who'd heard about the final battle. Who had learned that Erebus was truly dead
Silver Creek Pack, Mountain Ridge Pack. Forest Haven Pack, even some of the smaller packs from the eastern territories.
They brought medical supplies, food, and temporary shelters. Warriors to help secure the perimeter.
I sat on a crate near the medical tent, watching it all happen like I was viewing it through a fog.
Everything hurt, the lunar pulse had kept me alive during the fight with Erebus, and had healed the worst of my injuries.
But now that the adrenaline was fading, now that the immediate danger was past, my body was shutting down.
Medics had tried to get me to lie down, to rest. But I couldn't not while Kaden was still unconscious, not while I didn't know if he would survive.
I could see him through the open tent flap. Lying on a hospital bed, an oxygen mask over his face. Wires and tubes everywhere, monitors beeping steadily.
Dr. Chen was working on him alongside three other healers from the allied packs. Doing everything they could to keep him alive.
His injuries were severe, broken ribs, punctured lung, internal bleeding and whatever dark magic Erebus had done to his mind.
He had been unconscious since I had killed Erebus. Since Helena's warriors had pulled him away from where he had fallen.
"Please," I whispered, though he couldn't hear me.
"Please don't leave me, don't leave Adrian, we need you, I need you."
The monitors kept beeping, steady,consistent, he was alive, that was something.
I looked over to where Kara sat with Adrian. My son was sleeping peacefully in her arms. Normal now, no glowing mark, no lunar pu just a regular baby.
He was safer this way, the pulse in me instead of him. No one would hunt him anymore, no one would try to steal him for his power.
But I missed seeing that crescent mark glow. Missed the visible reminder of his blessing.
"Luna." A medic approached me, young, nervous.
"You really should let us examine you properly, you are covered in wounds-"
"I'm fine."
"You are not fine, you are running on fumes and stubbornness, please let us help."
I wanted to refuse again. But the truth was I felt weak. Shaky, like I might collapse any second.
"Fine. But I stay here, where I can see Kaden."
"Agreed."
She brought over supplies and started working, cleaning wounds I hadn't even noticed. Bandaging cuts,checking my vitals.
Then she pulled out an IV kit. "You are severely dehydrated. And probably low on blood volume from all the wounds. I'm going to give you fluids and some pain medication, don't argue."
I didn't have the energy to argue anyway.
She inserted the IV efficiency. Within minutes,
I could feel the fluids entering my system, feel some clarity returning.
"Better?" the medic asked.
"A little, thank you."
"You should eat something too. When was the last time you had food?"
I couldn't remember, before Adrian was taken? That was over a day ago now.
"I will try, later."
The medic looked like she wanted to push the issue but didn't. She moved on to other wounded warriors needing attention.
Helena appeared, sitting down beside me on the crate. She looked exhausted, her clothes were torn and bloody from the battle.
"How are you holding up?" She asked.
"I have been better, you?"
"Same, but we won. Erebus is dead, that is what matters."
"Is it? Look around, Helena, look at how many people we lost. How many are injured, how many families destroyed. Does this really feel like winning?"
"Victory is rarely clean, rarely feels good but yes, this is winning. Because if we had lost, everyone would be dead or enslaved. This way, at least we have a future."
I knew she was right but it didn't make the pain any less.
"Thank you for coming, for bringing reinforcements. We wouldn't have survived without your help."
"You would have, you are stronger than you know, Elara. You killed Erebus, with your own hands. That is not something many people could do."
"I had help, Sybil, the ritual, the dagger."
"Speaking of Sybil, she left. About an hour ago. Just walked into the forest and disappeared."
"She left? Without saying goodbye?"
"That is what seers do come and go as they please. Appear when they're needed, vanish when their purpose is fulfilled."
Helena smiled slightly. "She said to tell you that your path is just beginning, that killing Erebus was the easy part."
"The easy part? That was the hardest thing I have ever done."
"Maybe, or maybe there are harder things coming. Things you can't see yet."
I thought about Erebus's last words about someone from my past bearing a darker power, someone worse than him.
"Did Sybil say anything else? About what comes next?"
"No. Just that you should trust your instincts. And protect those you love, the usual cryptic seer nonsense."
I wanted to ask more, but suddenly the atmosphere in the camp changed.
Warriors who had been relaxed moments ago tensed. Hands went to weapons, eyes turned toward the forest path.
More people were arriving but these weren't relief workers or allied Alphas.
These were fighters, dozens of them, moving with military precision. All bearing injuries but all still armed and dangerous.
The crowd parted, making it uncertain whether these were friends or enemies then I saw them.
Damian, walking at the front of the group, battered. Bloody but alive and beside him, Kira. Her arm in a makeshift sling, limping but smiling.
Behind them came more people freed prisoners from the Dark Moon cave. Former enemy warriors who had surrendered, all under guard, all disarmed.
My heart leaped. "Damian!"
I tried to stand, but my legs barely supported me. The IV line pulled tight.
"Luna, wait!" the medic called. "You can't just-"
But I was already moving. Pulling the IV from my arm. Ignoring the pain, ignoring my wounds.
I limped toward Damian as fast as my damaged body would allow.
He saw me, his eyes widened, then he was running too. Leaving the group behind, rushing toward me.
We met in the middle of the camp, dozens of people watching. I threw myself at him, he caught me held me tight.
And I burst into tears.
All the fear, all the pain, all the terrible things I had seen and done, all of it came pouring out.
"You're alive," I sobbed into his shoulder.
"You're actually alive."