Unlike Duskmoon Village, Lunaris Academy was drowning in grief. The atmosphere itself was heavy, weighed down by the gore, exhaustion, and the kind of silence that came only after the loss of lives.

The human students had already been sent back to their dormitories hours ago. Only a few remained behind in the infirmary under Adele’s instructions, helping carry supplies, changing bandages, and trying not to panic at the sight of so much blood. The rest of the academy belonged to the wolves now.

They patrolled every corner of the academy. Some of them watched the barriers anxiously, terrified the magic would weaken and allow the zombie horde outside to pour in. Hence every distant growl from beyond the wards stretched their nerves tightly.

Inside the infirmary, Alpha King Elijah stood near the window of one of the private rooms, staring blankly into the darkness outside.

For the first time in his entire life, he felt utterly useless. His reflection stared back at him through the glass, pale, exhausted and hollow.

He remembered the fight clearly. Though he tried his best, Angus had overpowered him as if he were nothing but a child. He had failed his people, woefully.

Twelve bodies currently lay covered in white sheets inside the storage room downstairs awaiting transportation back to their respective packs.

Three had died immediately after crossing through the portal. Two more while Adele fought desperately to save them. The others had already been dead when their bodies were dragged through.

Elijah’s jaw clenched painfully.

A knock came from the door before Christian stepped inside.

The beta’s arm was wrapped heavily in bandages, blood still somewhat seeping through the white cloth despite the treatment. Yet the man stood straight regardless.

"We’re ready," Christian informed him.

Elijah nodded with no words. What was there left to say?

Together, they stepped out into the hallway escorted by a few wolves.

The moment they entered the infirmary corridors, the smell of antiseptic, blood and

burnt flesh from magical wounds hit him.

Pain.

Moans echoed from nearby rooms. Some wolves groaned in their sleep while others cried out quietly as Adele and the students practically overworked herself trying to reset broken bones that were healing wrongly. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

One of the wolves had his entire chest wrapped in bloodied cloth and was trying his best not to scream out the torment he was currently in.

Elijah looked away, shame churning violently inside him. All of this would have been preventable if only he had gotten rid of Angus from the very start. If he could go back in time, he won’t be making the same mistake again.

By the time they exited the infirmary and reached the school grounds, nearly every wolf in Lunaris Academy had gathered.

The atmosphere was painfully subdued.

No one spoke loudly or dared to smile.

The surviving wolves stood assembled beneath the lights surrounding the academy courtyard, their expressions grief-stricken.

Christian remained beside him as they climbed the wide staircase leading to the academy entrance. From there Elijah stood at the top, looking down at his people.

So many wounded faces stared back. So many grieving ones. Suddenly the Alpha King understood something horrifying.

They were looking at him for hope. Even now.

"Tonight we mourn." Elijah’s deep voice carried across the courtyard. "We mourn our brothers. Our family. Our pack."

Silence swallowed the grounds completely.

"I know your pain because I feel it too."

His gaze swept across them. "Every life lost today weighs on me. Every drop of blood spilled in that battle is something I will carry for the rest of my life."

Several wolves lowered their heads while others looked away entirely, trying to hide the pain.

Elijah continued, "Angus wanted to break us today." Bitterness crept into his tone.

"He wanted us to be afraid. Divided. Hopeless."

His eyes hardened.

"But evil has always mistaken suffering for weakness. Yes, the future ahead of us is dark. Perhaps darker than anything our people have ever faced before. We are trapped behind these walls while monsters roam outside and another monster hunts us from within."

His fists clenched behind his back.

"But we are still standing."

That earned small reactions

"And as long as we still stand, the fight is not over."

Among the crowd stood Irene Hale, her face perfectly blank. She looked in control but inwardly, she was unraveling.

Griffin was unconscious. Roman captured.

And Aeron... Her chest constricted painfully.

No. She refused to believe he was dead.

That stubborn bastard was too difficult to kill. They would bring him back. They had to.

Elijah’s voice rang out again. "The Goddess has not abandoned us. Darkness may rise, but it has never once outlasted the dawn."

Then suddenly, the atmosphere rippled violently and every wolf froze. Energy distorted near the center of the courtyard and reality itself seemed to split open.

A portal appeared and chaos broke out immediately.

"FORMATION!" Ezra barked.

Wolves moved without hesitation, their growls filling the grounds. Several shifted halfway, their claws extended, and eyes glowing brightly in the dark.

Tension exploded across the courtyard.

Everyone thought the same thing: Angus had come back. He was here to finish what he started.

The portal widened further now, crackling with unstable energy until it fully stabilized into a swirling wormhole.

Every wolf waited with bated breath for the first enemy to emerge. Then a boot stepped through, streaks of electricity striking the ground, forcing them to step back. Blue lightning danced through the air like living currents as Alaric Storm stepped out first.

Just like that, shock spread through the courtyard. Alaric looked deadly, power rolling off him, the current snapping around his body like a shield.

For a second no one moved only for another figure to step through. Asher Nightshade emerged next, his dark gaze instantly taking in the courtyard. And behind him was Violet Purple.

The portal snapped shut immediately afterward, disappearing into nothingness.

Silence swallowed the academy whole and for one stunned moment, both sides simply stared at each other.

Then Caspian’s voice shattered the silence.

"Alaric!"

The North Alpha practically sprinted across the courtyard toward his son. Alaric barely had time to brace himself before Caspian grabbed him fiercely, pulling him into a crushing embrace. Relief flooded the older alpha’s face openly.

"You idiot boy," Caspian muttered roughly, gripping the back of his son’s head tightly. "How could you leave me like this?!"

Alaric laughed. "Well, I’m back now."

That seemed to break the spell hanging over the crowd. It was really them.

"Asher!"

"Violet!"

Ezra strode straight toward Asher while Irene moved toward Violet almost desperately. The moment she reached her, Irene pulled Violet tightly into her arms.

"Thank the goddess," Irene whispered shakily.

Tears burned suddenly in her eyes. Right now Violet felt like something solid to hold onto while everything else around them collapsed.

Violet hugged her back immediately, startled by the emotion behind it.

Around them whispers spread rapidly through the wolves.

"Violet Purple...?"

"Isn’t that Angus daughter?"

"She’s back."

"Is that really her?"

For the first time since the battle, the wolves felt actual hope.

Irene finally pulled back enough to hold Violet by the shoulders, scanning her from head to toe as though making sure every part of her was truly intact.

"Are you okay?" she asked immediately.

Violet nodded. "I’m fine."

The older woman let out a shaky breath before smiling at her, relief softening the exhaustion on her face. It looked strange seeing Irene Hale, one of the most terrifying women in the packs, appear so openly emotional.

Before Violet could even ask about Griffin or Roman, Ezra wrapped his arms around her.

"Thank the gods," he muttered roughly. "Do you know how worried everyone was?"

Violet blinked in surprise before awkwardly patting his shoulder. "Uh...you’re welcome?"

That earned the smallest snort from Asher nearby.

But when Violet finally looked around properly, the amusement slowly faded from her face.

The wolves were staring at her. Not with suspicion or fear, but awe and hope. The realization hit Violet almost immediately.

They knew. If not the full truth, then enough to know who she was and what she could do.

Just like that, invisible expectations had suddenly been dropped onto her shoulders.

Violet suddenly became very aware of how many eyes were fixed on her. She didn’t know what to say.

Then the crowd began parting, creating a path through the center of the courtyard.

Alpha King Elijah was walking toward her and Violet instantly went alert.

The last time Elijah suspected the truth about her identity, he had looked anything but pleased. Asher and Alaric stepped in front of her protectively. Around them, tension immediately returned and for several long seconds, nobody said a word.

The wolves watched cautiously, waiting to see what would happen next. Then Elijah stopped in front of them and exhaled slowly, some of the hardness leaving his expression.

"You’re finally here," he said.

Violet arched her brow in surprise.

Elijah continued dryly, "I was beginning to wonder if you planned to wait until your father wiped us all out before coming to save our asses."

Violet relaxed instantly. Okay? It seems

there would be no murdering Elijah tonight after all.