Chapter 49: The Aftermath Of Chaos

Chapter 49:

Damian’s POV

The house was too quiet.

That was the first thing I noticed when I stepped inside. The usual low hum of movement, footsteps in the halls, murmured voices, the crackle of fire from the main hearth, was gone. Silence stretched through the air, thick and expectant.

I frowned, shutting the door behind me. My instincts prickled immediately. Silence in a packhouse was never good. It meant something had either gone wrong… or someone was up to something.

“Ivy?” I called, my voice echoing faintly through the entryway.

No answer.

I set down the folder I’d been carrying and started down the corridor, boots clicking against the floorboards. The scent of tea drifted faintly through the air, lavender and some kind of spice. Not hers. Someone else’s. I followed it, brow furrowing deeper with each step.

“Jason?” I called next. Still nothing. Typical. My Beta was probably patrolling the perimeter like I’d told him. Which meant whoever was in the house… wasn’t supposed to be unsupervised.

And there was only one person that fit that description.

I exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Ivy,” I muttered under my breath. “What did you do now?”

The stillness gave me nothing. I started for the stairs, taking them two at a time. Her scent lingered in the air, faint traces of her shampoo, the soft sweetness that clung to her clothes. She’d been moving around. And it smelled recent.

By the time I reached the top landing, I could already feel the tension gathering in my shoulders. I didn’t even know what I expected to find, but when I turned the corner toward my room, the moment I opened the door, I stopped dead.

My closet looked like it had been hit by a hurricane.

Shirts that had been folded and organized with precise order were hanging off their hangers, half on the floor. Boots were scattered across the carpet, jackets flung over the bedposts like some kind of deranged art installation. It looked like a wild animal had broken in and decided to play dress-up.

Except the scent in the air wasn’t that of an animal. It was Ivy’s.

And someone else’s.

I closed my eyes, drew in a long breath through my nose, and exhaled slowly. “You have got to be kidding me.”

For a long moment, I just stood there, staring at the chaos like my brain needed time to register what my eyes were seeing. I didn’t even know where to start.

I crouched, picking up a discarded shirt. It was creased beyond saving. “Unbelievable,” I muttered under my breath, tossing it aside. “She’s been here one day.”

One day.

Straightening, I scanned the room again, noting every sign of intrusion. Two scents, both female. Hers was stronger, cinnamon and soap, but the second was faintly floral, like crushed lilies and wildflowers. I recognized it, though I hadn’t smelled it for at least two months. She wasn’t supposed to be back this early.

My jaw tightened. “Of course.”

I turned, leaving the disaster behind me, and followed the scent trail down the hall. It led straight to my study.

When I pushed the door open, I stopped again.

My desk, my perfectly organized and structured desk, looked like a battlefield. Files had been switched, drawers half-open, papers strewn across the floor like confetti. One of the books on the shelf was upside down. Upside down.

I gritted my teeth. “Ivy.”

Her name came out low, half a growl, half a warning. I could feel the muscle in my jaw twitch as I stepped into the room. I picked up one of the folders. The pages were out of order. My notes, months of work, shuffled like a deck of cards.

“What in the hell…”

And then I heard it. A sound. Soft, faint, from the far end of the hallway. Laughter. Stifled, but unmistakable.

I froze.

For a moment, the sound almost pulled the corner of my mouth upward, the sheer audacity of it. Then reality settled back in. My human half wanted to sigh. My wolf wanted to roar.

Instead, I straightened, rolled my shoulders, and started walking.

Each step echoed down the hall as I followed the laughter. The closer I got, the quieter it became, until all that was left was the faint rustle of movement and the fast thudding of two heartbeats.

When I reached the doorway, I didn’t step in right away. I could hear them inside, two voices. Hers, bright with amusement. The other, smoother, familiar in a way that made my gut twist in apprehension.

I leaned against the frame, just for a second, to confirm what I already knew.

Ivy.

And my sister.

I didn’t even want to know which one of them had started it. The fact that they’d found each other was bad enough. The fact that they were ‘bonding’ over wrecking my house, that was worse.

I rubbed a hand over my face, muttering, “I leave for two hours.”

Then, finally, I let my voice carry through the halls.

“IVY!”

The laughter stopped instantly. Silence fell, sharp and heavy.

I heard a muffled noise, maybe a gasp, maybe a curse, and something that sounded suspiciously like a folder hitting the floor.

I stepped forward, my tone level, though I could feel the pulse of restrained anger beneath it. “I suggest you come out now before I start checking every room.”

Nothing.

My patience thinned by the second. “Ivy,” I said again, lower now, quieter, “If I have to find you myself…” I trailed off, letting the implication sit in.

That did it. The soft shuffle of footsteps reached me from down the corridor.

When I saw her appear, hair a little out of place, trying desperately to look innocent, I almost laughed. Almost.

Behind her, my sister leaned against the wall, sipping from her tea cup like this was the most entertaining thing she’d seen all week.

I crossed my arms, pinning them both with a look that probably could’ve frozen fire. “Do either of you want to explain why my room looks like it was raided by a hurricane?”

Ivy opened her mouth, then closed it, clearly scrambling for an excuse.

My sister smirked behind her cup.

I exhaled, slow and deliberate. “No? Wonderful. Then we’ll start with whoever decided to teach you this level of chaos.”

The woman’s grin widened. “You’ll have to be more specific, brother.”

Ivy’s eyes widened. “Brother…!?”

I closed my eyes briefly. Of course. She didn’t know. Perfect.

When I opened them again, I looked directly at Ivy. “We’re going to have a chat. Just you and me.”

The way her face paled slightly told me she knew she was in big trouble.

And as for my sister, the troublemaker– she only raised her cup in a mock toast.

“Welcome home, Alpha,” she said sweetly.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose again. “Someone remind me why I ever thought peace was possible."