Chapter 26 Chapter 26
Sabrina's POV
The gunshot still echoed.
Kael and I rushed out of the infirmary at the same time.
Abigail was still on the chair. "Mommy?"
"Stay here!" I yelled. "Don't move!"
Kael and I ran toward the wall together. Along the way, all the warriors were gathering.
We reached the wall. Climbed up the watchtower.
Outside the wall stood a group of people. Dozens of them. Men, women, children. Families dragging along.
They wore torn clothes, some ripped sweaters, some jeans covered in dirt. An old man leaned on a tree branch as a crutch, one leg clearly injured. Several kids were barefoot, feet covered in blisters and grime.
The men at the front had guns. Rifles, shotguns, held up but not aimed. The leader was a man in his thirties, red hair, full beard, a deep scar on his face.
I took a deep breath. Smelled... something different.
Not the pine and earth of werewolves. It was... lighter, more cunning.
Shifters. But not wolves. Were they... foxes?
I looked at Kael. He'd already walked to another watchtower. Talking to the guard. That was Hudson, still holding his rifle, smoke coming from the barrel.
I turned to Marcus. He was right beside me, face serious.
"What happened?" I asked.
"They just showed up," Marcus said. "About half an hour ago."
"Where from?"
"Don't know. Said they were fleeing south. Stumbled on this place."
"Want to come in?"
"Yeah." Marcus pointed at the lead man. "That guy's in charge. Says they need shelter."
"And Hudson fired?"
"That guy tried to climb the wall," Marcus said. "Hudson fired a warning shot."
I looked outside the wall. The refugees were crying. Kids crying, voices rising and falling, like an ocean of despair. Women held children, softly soothing them, but their own eyes were red and swollen. An old woman knelt on the ground, hands clasped, muttering something, like praying.
The lead man raised both hands. Slowly bent down, put his gun on the ground. The other armed men did the same.
"We mean no harm!" he shouted in English. Heavy accent, northern. "Please! We just need shelter!"
"We have children!" a woman shouted, voice hoarse. "Please!"
"Sabrina."
Teresa's voice. She climbed up the watchtower. Along with some of the rescued people.
"They need help," Teresa said. "Look at them."
"We should help them," another woman said. One of the rescued mothers, named Anna. "They look like they're starving."
"They're like us," Teresa said. "Refugees, escaped from somewhere."
She walked to the wall edge. Shouted at the refugees: "It's okay! We'll help you!"
"Teresa!" Marcus yelled. "Don't speak out of turn! This isn't your decision!"
"But they need us!"
"We need to survive too!"
More people gathered, some sympathetic. Some wary.
"We should let them in," Lily said. "Look at those kids..."
"Are you crazy?" another warrior said. "They're shifters."
"Foxes can't be trusted."
"That's discrimination," Teresa shot back.
"That's survival common sense."
Arguments grew louder. The crowd split into two camps. One side sympathetic, mostly women and rescued people. The other side wary, mostly veteran warriors.
I looked at Kael. He stood on the main watchtower. Talking with the core members, voices kept low.
My hearing was sharper now. Could barely make out their voices. Bits and pieces.
"...shifters are hard to trust..." Mira said. "But not impossible..."
"...we need more people..." Elena said. "The situation up north is getting worse..."
"...immigrants always bring trouble..." Garrick said. "I've seen it too many times..."
Kael didn't speak. Just listened. His posture relaxed, but I could see his hand gripping the railing tight.
Time passed. The sun started setting.
The refugees outside the wall still waited. Still cried. They sat on the ground, exhausted, huddling together.
Suddenly, a child collapsed. A boy, maybe seven or eight. His mother screamed.
"Someone collapsed!" Teresa shouted.
Rosa immediately grabbed her medical kit.
"I'm going out," she said.
"Rosa, no," Marcus said.
"That child needs help." Rosa's voice was firm. "I'm a doctor. It's my duty."
She walked toward Kael. Everyone watched her.
"Kael," she said. "Let me treat them. At least let me treat the children."
Kael stood there. Silent for a long time. Wind blew his black hair. His facial muscles tight, jawline like carved stone.
Then he slowly nodded.
Rosa immediately went down. Opened the small gate. Walked out. Several warriors followed her.
I watched Rosa kneel beside the collapsed child. Checked his pulse. Lifted his eyelids to check pupils. Gave water. The child slowly woke up, weakly drank a few sips.
The refugees cried gratefully.
"Thank you!"
"God bless you!"
The red-haired leader fell to his knees, forehead to the ground. "Thank you... thank you..."
The sun completely set. The sky turned deep blue.
Patrol on the walls doubled. One every ten meters. All carrying guns. All watching outside the wall. Searchlights turned on, sweeping over the area outside.
The refugees camped outside the wall. Made fires, using wet wood and dead branches, flames weak but enough for warmth. Set up tents, really just some rags and plastic sheets.
I could see them sitting around the fire. Exhausted faces. Desperate eyes. Children curled up in their parents' arms. Old people shivering wrapped in thin blankets.
Just like me once. Running with Abigail. In a strange city. No home. No safety. Only fear.
I finished my shift, returned to the center of camp, put Abigail to sleep, then was summoned to the hall.
The hall was brightly lit. The military council was holding a meeting.
I wasn't an official member. Could only observe.
Official members sat in front, but the meeting room was tense. The air like a pulled string.
"We need to make a decision," Mira began. "Let them in or not?"
"Absolutely not," Hudson said. His face flushed red. "They're foxes."
"So what?" Elena said.
"Foxes are liars," Hudson said. "Everyone knows that."
"That's a stereotype," Mira said.
"Stereotypes exist for a reason."
"We need more people," Mira continued. "The refugee wave from the north is getting worse."
"More refugees every week."
"If we're going to stand against Ashland Pack, Stillwater Pack... we need allies."
"Allies, fine," Marcus said. "But can we trust them?"
"They're desperate," Elena said. "Desperate people are loyal."
"Different situation," Marcus said. "We're werewolves. They're foxes."
"That's exactly the problem," Mira said. "We need diversity. Different skills. Different perspectives."
"Foxes are cunning," Hudson said. "They'll steal. They'll lie."
"That's prejudice," Elena said.
Arguments grew louder. Marcus slammed the table. Hudson stood up. Mira tried to calm everyone down. But everyone glared at each other.
Neither side could overpower the other, voices getting louder. More chaotic. And Kael just sat there. Motionless, expression cold as ice.
Suddenly. Kael raised one hand.
Instantly everyone shut up. The meeting room left with only breathing sounds.
Kael's hand fingers together. Like a blade. Then lowered it.
Everyone looked at Kael. Without question, Kael's opinion was decisive.
The next moment his head turned toward me. He lifted his chin. Pointed at me.
"Sabrina, I want to hear your opinion," Kael suddenly said.