Chapter 352: The Quiet Before the Fracture

Chapter 351: The Quiet Before the Fracture

Orion barely paused at the threshold before stepping fully into the house.

The door had barely closed behind him when he crossed the room in three long strides and went straight for Sophia.

He didn’t greet anybody at all, nor did he acknowledge the others in the room. He just went for Sophia first.

He placed his hands on her shoulders, firm and grounding, his gaze scanning her face like he was searching for cracks only he could see.

Brynhild let out a soft chuckle from her chair. "Do I no longer exist now, Alpha?" she asked lightly. "Or have I become furniture?"

Orion didn’t look away from Sophia as he answered, his lips twitching. "You exist," he said. "I’m just not here for you. That’s why I didn’t bother giving you face."

Brynhild laughed under her breath. "Fair enough."

Orion’s attention returned fully to Sophia. His voice dropped, gentle in a way few ever heard. "Are you okay?"

Sophia nodded immediately. "I’m fine."

He didn’t accept that right away, even though he knew she was telling the truth. His eyes searched hers—slow, careful, reading between the spaces of her expression. Whatever he was looking for, he seemed to find enough of it, because he finally nodded.

"That’s good," he murmured.

He thought that perhaps the conversation they had earlier had affected her, making her restless, but she seemed fine.

Sophia scoffed softly. "You’re acting like Brynhild hurt me."

Orion chuckled, the tension easing from his shoulders. "I wouldn’t put it past her."

Brynhild gasped dramatically. "You and I, along with everyone else in this house, know that I wouldn’t hurt a hair on Sophia’s head."

Orion only smirked as he moved past Sophia and toward the cot.

Raina slept peacefully, her tiny chest rising and falling in steady rhythm, completely unaware of the quiet storm of adults orbiting her existence. Orion softened instantly at the sight, his posture loosening as he looked down at her.

Lysander chose that moment to yawn, long and unashamed. "I hate to cut this short," he said, rubbing a hand over his face, "but now that she’s sleeping, Brynhild and I need to get as much rest as we can."

Orion glanced up. "Really?"

Brynhild nodded. "He’s right. You two need to leave before you wake her up."

"And if you don’t," Brynhild added cheerfully, "and she wakes up screaming, I’ll simply hand her to Sophia—the baby whisperer—and then I’ll go find somewhere else to sleep."

Sophia burst out laughing as she stood. "That sounds like a threat."

"It is, but perhaps a sweet one," Brynhild said sweetly.

Sophia leaned over and hugged her carefully. "A sweet one indeed. We’ll see each other tomorrow."

Brynhild smiled. "I can’t wait."

Sophia and Orion exchanged goodnights with both Brynhild and Lysander before stepping back out into the pack compound.

Night had fully settled by then.

The compound was quieter, torches glowing softly along the paths, shadows stretching long and lazy across the ground. Snow crunched faintly beneath their boots as Orion and Sophia walked side by side.

They didn’t speak at first, a peaceful silence lingering between them.

Sophia broke it with a small smile. "You know," she said, "I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away from me."

Orion laughed, low and warm. "True. Completely true."

He glanced at her. "That’s why I worked as fast and as efficiently as possible. I wanted to come back to you." He shook his head. "Imagine my surprise when I find out you’re not even home."

Sophia grinned. "Brynhild is a top contender for my attention."

Orion laughed again. "I can see that."

They reached Orion’s house shortly after. The moment the door closed behind them, Orion shrugged out of his cloak, then his tunic, his movements quick and decisive. Sophia barely had time to react before he scooped her up.

"Hey—!"

"I need you next to me," he said, already carrying her toward the bedroom. "While I sleep."

Sophia squealed, laughing. "You’re needy!"

"Yes," Orion agreed easily, tossing her onto the bed and following her down. "Extremely."

She was still laughing when he pulled her close, tucking her against his chest like she belonged nowhere else. And maybe—just maybe—she did.

---

Eldric stood before his hearth, unmoving.

The fire crackled low, its glow painting his face in shifting gold and shadow. He had been there for a long time—long enough that his legs ached and his back protested—but he didn’t move.

Sophia’s translation echoed in his mind.

He wondered if it would be enough.

Enough to help her. Enough to delay what was coming.

Most of the foretellings he had ever seen came to pass. That was the curse of it. The knowledge didn’t grant control—only awareness. Which was why he had put things in place long ago. Why he had returned when the signs aligned.

When the true Luna emerged.

His hands began to shake.

A sharp pain bloomed behind his eyes, spreading fast. Eldric grimaced, gripping the edge of the mantle as a ringing sound filled his ears.

"No," he whispered. "Not now."

The voice pressed harder this time, pushing against him from somewhere deep and fractured. His knees buckled, and he fell to the floor with a groan, his entire body vibrating with pain.

His vision blurred as the ringing grew louder.

He clutched his head as the pressure mounted, teeth clenched, breath ragged. He knew what this was. He had felt it before.

The real Eldric was trying to surface.

His wolf was pushing through.

"I just need a little more time," he begged silently. "Just a little more."

The pain peaked—then stopped.

The ringing vanished.

Silence crashed down like a held breath finally released.

Eldric lay there for a moment, shaking, then scrambled to his feet. He moved frantically to his desk, knocking over a chair in the process. His hands closed around a quill, grabbing parchment without thought.

He began to draw.

Lines. Symbols. Shapes that didn’t come from memory but from something deeper—older. His hand moved fast, almost violently, as if afraid that if he slowed, the knowledge would slip away.

Whatever was coming...

He needed to leave something behind.