Chapter 425: After the Howl, After the Blood

Chapter 424: After the Howl, After the Blood

"Who is it?" Sophia asked quietly.

Her voice came out thin, scraped raw by everything she had just witnessed.

Orion’s head tilted slightly toward the cave entrance, his posture easing for the first time since the blade had come down.

"...It’s Ronan," he said.

Sophia let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding.

She nodded once.

Before she could say anything else, Orion stepped closer and pulled her into his chest.

"It’s okay now," he murmured into her hair. "You’re safe."

The word safe felt fragile, but she clung to it anyway.

Her fingers fisted into the front of his tunic.

Just for a second.

Only then did hurried footsteps echo loudly against the stone floor.

Ronan showed up a moment later.

He stopped short the instant he took in the scene.

The corpses on the floor.

The severed heads. He counted three—two belonging to Victoria’s people and the last one... he wasn’t even sure he could call that thing human; it looked more like a beast to him.

But Orion and Sophia stood amidst it all.

Ronan’s brows lifted slowly.

A low whistle slipped from his lips.

"Well," he said lightly, eyes flicking between Orion and Sophia. "I think I just found my new favorite couple."

Sophia huffed out a breath that was half laughter, half a sound of relief.

She pulled free of Orion’s hold and went straight to Ronan, throwing her arms around him without thinking.

"I’m so glad you’re okay."

Ronan froze for a fraction of a second—clearly startled—then laughed and hugged her back just as easily.

"Yeah," he said warmly. "I was about to say the same thing."

He pulled back and looked her over quickly, checking for blood that might belong to her.

"I heard the howl," he added more quietly. "Right when things were getting ugly outside."

Sophia’s breath caught faintly.

Ronan glanced toward the cave mouth.

"Beasts started pouring in all at once. Too many. I thought something had gone wrong in here."

His eyes shifted back to the corpses.

"...Turns out something definitely did."

He shook his head faintly.

"But I ran in anyway. Didn’t even think twice."

Sophia smiled weakly.

"I’m glad you did."

Ronan looked back at the cave, then at the shattered chains.

"...Looks like you two handled it."

Orion snorted softly.

"Something like that."

Sophia turned back to Ronan.

"Are the others okay?"

Ronan hesitated.

Just for a breath.

"I think so," he said honestly. "I’m not one hundred percent sure yet."

Sophia’s heart dropped.

"I left Gregory in charge when I heard the howl," he continued. "When the beasts started moving strangely, Noctis" he paused and smirked slightly, "warning got everyone ready."

Ronan grinned wider as he spoke.

"It helped us fight back, but I was worried about you guys, so... here I am, your humble savior."

Sophia chuckled at that. "I’m really glad you’re okay." she told him.

Ronan stepped closer and pressed a quick, affectionate kiss to the top of her head.

"I’m really glad you’re okay too," he told her.

Orion’s gaze darkened instantly.

Ronan caught it.

And laughed.

He released Sophia before Orion could say anything.

"Relax," he said cheerfully. "I still value my life."

He tilted his head toward Sophia.

"Besides, I’m just happy my sister-in-law is still breathing."

Sophia froze.

"...Your what?"

Ronan blinked.

Then burst out laughing.

"Oh, come on," he said lightly. "Don’t tell me you didn’t see that one coming."

Sophia stared at him.

"Sister-in-law?"

Ronan nodded easily.

"You’re already family," he said. "So that makes you my sister-in-law. Congratulations."

Sophia’s mouth twisted.

"I want to say I’m not going to be your sister-in-law," she muttered.

Ronan lifted a brow.

"But...?" he prompted.

She sighed.

"But I clearly have terrible taste in men, and I’m already far gone with Orion after all."

Orion let out a low chuckle at her words.

He stepped closer and brushed his thumb lightly against her knuckles.

"I don’t think your taste is as bad as you’re trying to make it sound."

Sophia glanced up at him.

Her lips curved despite herself.

Orion bent down and picked his sword from where he had set it aside earlier.

The moment was over.

Reality settled back into place.

"We need to check the others," he said.

Ronan nodded immediately.

"Yeah."

Orion turned to Sophia.

"Can you run?"

"I can try. I don’t really feel the pain, just a little sting," she told him.

"Yeah... that’s not going to work," Orion told her.

Without another word, he slipped one arm beneath her knees and the other around her back.

Sophia startled softly.

"Orion—"

"Shorty, I still need your legs to work well so you can wrap them around me next time," he whispered in her ear, making her blush.

"Just so you know, I can hear you," Ronan said with an eye roll.

"I don’t care," Orion told him.

And then he moved.

He took off toward the cave entrance at a fast, controlled run.

Ronan laughed and chased after them.

They ran the length of the cave until they reached the entrance.

When they emerged into the open clearing outside the cave, the sight that greeted them made Sophia’s breath catch.

The battlefield was silent.

There were people scattered across the snow and broken ground—collapsed where they stood, chests rising and falling heavily.

Some were sitting.

Some were lying flat on their backs.

All of them looked utterly exhausted.

And—

The beasts were gone.

No bodies moving.

Dead bodies were scattered across the ground that belonged to the beasts, but that was all.

Orion slowed and carefully set Sophia back on her feet.

Before she could fully steady herself, footsteps approached quickly.

Gregory appeared from between two fallen boulders, blood smeared along one side of his face and sleeve.

"Alpha Orion!" he greeted enthusiastically.

Orion turned immediately.

"Update me," Orion told him.

Gregory took a breath.

"All the beasts retreated," he reported.

His tone still carried disbelief.

"A few minutes after they arrived, they dispersed. Some even fought against each other before leaving."

Orion and Sophia exchanged a look.

A heavy one.

They both knew exactly when it had happened.

Gregory continued.

"We managed to secure one of the enclave’s men too. The others are dead."

Orion nodded.

"He’s tied up," Gregory added. "The only one we could capture alive."

Orion nodded slowly.

"Any casualties on our side?" he asked.

Gregory shook his head.

"We have one," Ronan told Orion.

Orion turned in shock.

"Who?"

"Kingston," Ronan told him.

Sophia released a breath.

She thought she could save all of them—but she had failed at that.