CHAPTER 397: THE WARD

Evaline:

When I opened my eyes, the world felt quieter... softer somehow... as if the chaos of the night had been nothing more than a bad dream. But then the faint ache in my limbs reminded me it hadn’t been.

My surroundings were dimly lit, the warm glow of a single lamp spreading across a familiar room. Kieran’s scent surrounded me, grounding me instantly. I blinked once, twice, trying to adjust to the faint light, and that’s when I realized...

We weren’t in the living room anymore.

The plush couch, the scattered herbal supplies, Madam Elira’s murmured instructions... all of it was gone. In their place was the large bed in Kieran’s bedroom, sheets soft and smelling faintly of pinewood. And I was still in his arms.

His embrace was as protective as it was gentle, one arm wrapped securely around my waist, the other draped over my hip. His heartbeat thudded steadily against my back - strong and rhythmic - a sound that could lull anyone into calm.

I realized that at some point, I must have fallen asleep.

For a few moments, I just lay there, letting the safety of his warmth wash over me. The events of the night drifted through my mind - the rogues, River’s command to run, the way Draven’s wolf had ripped through the forest to save me.

I swallowed, my throat feeling tight.

Kieran stirred behind me, his body shifting slightly as if sensing I was awake. Then his voice came from just above my ear.

"You are awake?"

"Mm-hmm," I hummed, my voice barely a whisper.

He exhaled a slow breath, the sound tinged with relief. "You scared me tonight, Evaline."

I managed a faint smile, even though my chest still ached from the fear.

Carefully, I pushed myself into a sitting position, untangling my body from his hold. The sheet slipped from my shoulder as I turned to face the wide glass window across the room. Outside, the forest stretched endlessly, cloaked in darkness and mist. The faint outline of mountains rose in the distance, sharp and silent beneath the silver wash of moonlight.

For a while, I just sat there, staring at the view. My reflection in the glass looked pale, hollow-eyed, and tired. The night hadn’t been kind.

I felt the bed shift behind me, and then Kieran’s warmth returned as he sat up too, sliding behind me to pull me gently back against his chest. His arms circled my waist once more, his chin resting lightly on my shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he murmured, his breath ghosting against my skin.

My body was sore, my mind still fogged by fear and exhaustion. But what truly weighed on me was uncertainty.

Finally, I whispered, "Where are River and Draven?"

His hold on me tightened slightly - not possessive, just reassuring.

"They are fine," he said after a pause. "You fell asleep about an hour ago. Oscar told me before he went to patrol that River and Draven took care of the rogues. But they are not back yet because they are sweeping the mountains, making sure there aren’t more hiding nearby. They want to ensure the Academy’s safety before returning."

I nodded slowly, my heart sinking just a little. I trusted their strength, but the image of River’s black wolf form surrounded by red-eyed rogues wouldn’t leave my mind.

At the mention of the Academy, I turned slightly to look at Kieran over my shoulder. "Shouldn’t you be at the Academy?" I asked softly. "You are not just a professor... you are the headmaster. You should be making sure the students are safe, not... not here babysitting me."

His lips curved faintly, though his eyes softened with something deeper. "The Academy is safe, love. Safer than you think."

I frowned, not convinced. "How can you be sure? What if-"

He silenced my worry by pressing a gentle kiss to the side of my head. "Because I made sure it would always be safe. I have a full team stationed there... my most trusted warriors. And there’s something else protecting it too."

Something in his tone made me turn fully toward him. "Something else?"

His gaze dropped briefly to our joined hands before meeting mine again. "A ward," he said simply. "One that prevents anything or anyone foreign from stepping foot inside the Academy grounds. It’s woven into the soil and air itself. Even the most powerful wolf can’t breach it."

I blinked, taken aback. "A ward?" I recalled the tingling sensation I sometimes felt while stepping in or out of the Academy gates.

He nodded, his expression calm.

My mind raced. Werewolves didn’t use wards. We couldn’t. Our kind was of the earth and flesh... we healed, we shifted, we survived... but magic wasn’t part of us. The only werewolves capable of anything remotely close to magic were the oracles, and there hadn’t been one in centuries.

Which left only one possibility.

"You had a witch cast it," I said slowly, watching him closely.

His lips curved, but not in amusement... it was more of a quiet acknowledgment. "You are as sharp as ever."

I stared at him in disbelief. "That’s impossible. The witch clans are nearly extinct. The few who survived went into hiding ages ago. How could you have found one, let alone convinced them to help you?"

He leaned back slightly, his eyes growing distant... like he was remembering something from a long time ago.

"When my parents were alive," he began, "they once helped a witch family. I don’t know all the details, only that it had something to do with saving one of their children. The witches left behind a sealed parchment with an address, along with a promise... if my parents ever needed them, they could find them using that address."

I watched him silently, the sound of his steady heartbeat grounding me even as his words pulled me deeper into his memory.

"When I established Silver Moon six years ago," he continued, "I knew the Academy would draw attention. The idea of teaching young wolves to master their gifts, to build unity among packs - not everyone saw that as a good thing. So I went searching for the witches."

His hand unconsciously brushed over my arm as he spoke, like he needed the touch to stay anchored. "It took months. The location wasn’t easy to find. But when I did, I found the descendants of the same witch family my parents helped. They remembered the promise."

"And they agreed to help you?" I asked, still stunned.

"Yes." He smiled faintly. "Because I wasn’t asking for power or war. I was asking for protection, for peace. They said my parents’ kindness still echoed through their clan, and so, in return, they would ensure Silver Moon’s safety. The ward they cast covers the entire Academy. No dark entity can enter without my permission."

For a long moment, I could only stare at him.

The weight of his words, the quiet strength beneath them, settled deep in my chest. I knew Kieran was powerful, wise, and endlessly patient, but hearing what he had done, the lengths he had gone to protect everyone... it stirred something inside me.

Something fierce. Something tender.

I turned back to face the window, my reflection now framed by the faint glow of moonlight and the silhouette of Kieran sitting behind me. "You have built a safe haven," I whispered. "For the young generation of our kind."

He pressed his forehead to my shoulder, his voice low. "That was the dream."

The silence that followed wasn’t heavy... it was calm, filled with quiet gratitude and the sound of two steady heartbeats.