27 - Midnight Departures
Aria POV
The evening sky darkened as Aria trudged up the path toward her home, her bones heavy from another long day in the infirmary. Lyra’s Luna ceremony had passed three nights ago—now she is Luna, with rising confidence and graceful poise—yet the aftermath lingered. That night, rogues howls had shattered the celebration; ever since, Aria had been at the hospital almost nonstop. Now, home alone, with her father absorbed in hospital care and Lyra settled into the pack-house halls, the quiet felt both a blessing and a burden.
Aria cradled a steaming mug of chamomile tea, its warmth grounding her.
Sleepless tendons began to unwind as drowsiness darkened her vision. She stretched out, elbows soft against the couch cushion, eyelids drooping…
Three thunderous BANG BANG BANG jolted her awake.
Her heart jolted into frantic cadence.
Opening the door himself, Finn stumbled in, breath shattered, sweat beading his forehead.
“Aria!” he gasped.
She scrambled off the couch. “Finn? What—What are you—It’s—”
“Three a.m.” He rasped the words, slumping close. “I’m sorry—it’s urgent.”
“What’s wrong?”
He pulled down his collar —Aria recognized the mark. Finn’s mate, Beta Elias, had marked him. Her stomach dropped with joy—then confusion.
“You… are mated?” Her whisper felt small but thrummed with excitement.
Finn exhaled. “We—Elias and I— we‘ve been seeing each other in secret. He had reservations—rank, Nightclaw politics—but we couldn’t ignore the bond.” He hesitated.
Tears pricked Aria’s eyes. “Oh, Finn…” She hugged him.
He pulled back, voice hoarse. “I wanted to tell you first.”
“I’m so happy for you,” she breathed.
He stared at her. “But there’s more...Because of Elias’s rank—Beta of Nightclaw— He refuses to leave... so I’m ...”
Her breath clenched. “you’re leaving?”
He nodded. “I needed you to know. That I… wanted to say goodbye.”
Tears pooled again for Aria. “You’ll be with each other.”
He gave a half-chuckle. “Yes. But… I’ll miss you.”
They hugged again, tightly. “Take care of yourself,” she whispered.
He pulled away, a bright smile through tears. “I will. Tonight I ride past the border. We’ll be enemies in our packs… but never with each other.”
They lingered in final silence before he slipped out into the night. When the door clicked shut, Aria remained frozen, tears trailing down.
Finally, she trekked up the stairs—mind in a spiral of longing and loss. She paused at the window by her bed, watching dawn stretch pale gold over the forest. Around the horizon—moonlight fading—bore the scent of dew and promise. And him. Kael.
Her fingers traced the pane’s cold glass. The world shifted again.
Fatigue wrapped around her again. She drifted into restless dreams spun of longing, mate bonds, of possibility that now felt impossibly distant.
She woke with a jolt, sunlight pushing her from sleep. She paused—She rose and dressed, boots snug.
Approaching the ridge behind the Thorne home, basket in hand, Aria breathed forest air. Fern fronds brushed her ankles. Mossy scents, lingering earth. Her thoughts tumbled through Finn’s departure, Lyra’s promise, the looming war.
The basket filled with healing herbs. With each handful she forced focus, grounding herself. But her mind whirred: Finn gone? Lyra on her ascent? She lifted a sprig and breathed deep.
A distant wail cut through the forest.
Not a howl—but a warning: the patient siren of Moonfang’s alarm.
Her basket slipped from her hands. She spun, heart collapsing.
That siren we’ve been training for.
Adrenaline rippled. She raced down the path, arms swinging, mind clear—crystal with purpose. She had to get to the hospital.
At the hospital entrance, the night guard was sprinting toward her.
She caught them: “What—?”
“They heard it too,” he panted. “Alpha’s orders—everyone to station. A rogue attack.” She nodded, bounded inside with purpose.
Healers and guards scurried into corridors. A doctor appeared giving her orders “Prep the wards. Get supplies ready. They’re coming”
Aria nodded and dove into motion. She raced to the supply room, grabbing kits she had been preparing for weeks.
She moved like wind down the hall, directing, gathering. Her father appeared, weary but steady, mopping his face with a cloth.
He turned towards her. She dropped the kit she was holding at his feet. He bent and grabbed it without word. Aria welcomed his calm movements.
He nodded. “Good. Keep moving. I’m staying with the worst cases.”
She nodded.
The corridors shifted into pulse—sterile beds, pain, uncertainty.
She found herself between rooms swiftly, chest tight as guards hurried patients in.
Moaning, coughing. Dozens wounded. She moved to console, to work.
Blood. Sweat. Tears. She invited them to breathe. To hold faith.
Night fell again and another siren at 2:00 a.m. the next day. Sore all over, she slid to lean against the wall, dizzy. Knowing more would be coming...how many more...
She looked up. Lone figure appeared in the hallway.
Kael.
His clothes stained with dirt and blood, his blue eyes seem to hold a thousand stories. His stride halted as he watched her.
Her heart stilled. Her breath hitched.
He walked slowly. He was armed. But now he stood empty handed.
“Aria,” he said—voice low.
She swallowed. “Kael.”
He closed the distance between them, his steps unhurried but sure. “I had to see for myself if you were okay.”
Her throat tightened. “You shouldn’t have risked coming.”
“I couldn’t stay away.” His voice was low, sincere, edged with something raw. “Not tonight.”
She looked at him, exhaustion warring with emotion. “So many have been injured. We’re barely holding on.”
His hand lifted, resting gently on her arm. The warmth of his skin sparked against hers like static, something ancient and electric threading between them.
“Your pack are the ones holding everyone together. I don’t know what happens next. Between our packs. Between us. But I wanted to see you. Make sure you were safe.” he murmured.
She didn’t move, couldn’t. Her voice came quiet. “I am okay. Tonight, anyway.”
Kael gave a small nod, solemn. “That’s why I’m staying for a while. I’ve arranged a training rotation—Nightclaw medics and warriors will work with yours. Starting tomorrow.”
He looked so foreign here.
Her brows lifted slightly. “You’re serious?”
“We need each other,” he said simply. “More than ever.”
She hesitated. “Thank you.”
“My father ran into battle to save soldiers” she said suddenly, her voice catching. “And your people saved him.”
His expression softened, some of the weight slipping from his shoulders. “I’m glad we were there in time.”
Something shifted then—between breath and silence. Aria took a step toward him, drawn by gravity she didn’t understand but couldn’t ignore.
Kael didn’t move, just watched her with that storm-blue gaze.
He inhaled quietly, as if grounding himself in her scent. “Pine needles and lavender,” he said under his breath, a reverent whisper. " I should go"
She blinked up at him, heart stammering in her chest.
"Will you come back?"
In the distance, another siren.
Turning back with a smirk, "I think we both know I will.”
The ward shifted back into healing hum: rolling carts, whispered prayers, bandage rustle. Aria watched as Kael walked away.
Her heart fluttered. War was here. Bonds tested.