Chapter 6 Damages

Ryder’s POV

The palace had never felt this crowded.

Voices drifted through the alpha quarters from every direction, blending into one continuous hum that made it almost impossible to focus. Warriors stood along the walls delivering reports while pack leaders gathered around the large table in the center of the room, discussing everything from damaged defenses to patrol rotations. Every conversation seemed to lead to another problem that demanded immediate attention. None of us had the luxury of slowing down.

Before we had stepped inside, I reached for Brianna’s hand. She looked up at me, exhaustion written plainly across her beautiful face. There were faint smudges beneath her eyes from everything we’d endured, but somehow she still managed to smile when our fingers intertwined.

“You alright?” I asked quietly.

She nodded her head, though I wasn’t convinced. “I will be.”

I lifted my free hand and gently brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear before cupping her cheek. For one brief moment, the noise around us disappeared. I leaned over and kissed her lips. I nipped at her bottom lip asking for permission.  She parted her lips and I swept my tongue into her mouth. Our tongues danced and mingled together. For a brief moment it was just us. 

We slowly pulled apart. Both of us breathing hard. I leaned my forehead to hers. “You scared me tonight,” I admitted.

Her eyes softened. “I’m still here.”

“You are.” I leaned down and pressed another gentle kiss against her lips, lingering just long enough to remind both of us that we had survived.

When we finally stepped into the room together, every conversation gradually faded as everyone turned toward us.

Atlas and Cassian stood near the center table looking over several maps while my mother and fathers spoke quietly with Benjamin, Trinity, Elliott, and Brandi.

Across the room, Selene and Alessia sat together on one of the large sofas with little Alina and Zayden asleep in their arms.

My chest tightened. The future of our kingdom rested in those tiny children. They slept peacefully, completely unaware that war had reached our home. I hoped they would never remember a night like this.

Brianna gently squeezed my hand before letting go so she could move beside my mother.

Atlas looked up from the table. “I finally heard back from Abraham.”

Every conversation stopped. My attention shifted immediately toward him. “He found Clarence.”

The room fell silent. Cassian folded his arms. “Not only did they find him, they captured him.”

I stared at both of them. “Alive?”

Atlas nodded his head. “They caught him near the western cave system before he could disappear underground.”

For the first time since the attack began, I felt a small measure of satisfaction. Clarence had spent years staying one step ahead of everyone around him. Hearing he was finally sitting behind bars almost didn’t seem real.

“He’s secured?” Coban asked.

“Silver chains,” Atlas answered. “Abraham also made sure he was dosed with wolfsbane.”

“Good.” The single word came from Caden.

Nobody argued. Clarence wasn’t a man anyone underestimated. “He’ll stay under constant guard,” Atlas continued. “Nobody goes near him alone until we’ve decided what comes next.”

Benjamin slowly nodded. “I’d like to have a conversation with him.”

“So would I,” I admitted.

A faint smile crossed Atlas’s face. “I figured.”

The mood remained tense despite the news. Capturing Clarence was a victory. It just didn’t feel like one. Too much had happened tonight. Too many questions still lingered.

The door opened behind us. Evander walked inside carrying a thick folder beneath one arm. The moment I saw his face, I knew he hadn’t brought good news. He looked exhausted. Not physically. Emotionally. His father was still missing.

He walked directly toward Atlas and handed him the folder. “The reports,” he said quietly.

Atlas accepted it. “And Alaric?”

“He’s leading another search team along the northern border.”

Atlas nodded. “Thank you.”

Evander stepped back, remaining close without saying another word. My eyes followed him for a moment. I couldn’t imagine what he was feeling. Kevan wasn’t only one of our strongest warriors. He was his father.

Atlas opened the folder while Cassian leaned beside him. Neither of them spoke immediately. They simply turned page after page. The silence itself told me enough.

“How bad?” I finally asked.

Atlas looked up. “Worse than we hoped.”

He turned the folder so everyone could see portions of the report. The royal gardens had been nearly destroyed. Several palace buildings were beyond repair. Entire training fields had burned. Sections of the outer wall had cracked beneath the force of the explosions. Storage buildings had collapsed. Every page revealed another reminder of how close we’d come to losing everything.

“They planned this carefully,” Benjamin muttered.

“No,” Elara corrected quietly. “They expected to win.”

Nobody challenged her. Because she was right. The room grew even quieter as Atlas turned another page. His expression changed. Cassian’s did too.

My stomach immediately knotted. “What is it?”

Atlas didn’t answer right away. Instead, he slowly lowered the folder. “We lost three royal guards.” The words landed like a punch. “Two elite warriors also fell defending the palace.”

Those weren’t numbers. Those were people. Friends. Warriors who had sworn to protect this kingdom beside us. I lowered my head briefly. Every loss carried weight. Every family would be mourning before the sun rose.

Atlas continued reading. Then suddenly… He stopped. Cassian reached over, looking at the same page. The atmosphere shifted.

“What?”

Atlas looked toward me. “They’re officially listed as missing.” I already knew the answer before he spoke their names. “Kevan. And Mark.”

The room became painfully still. Brianna quietly found my hand beneath the table. Her fingers slipped between mine, offering silent comfort. I held onto her a little tighter. “We’ll find them,” she whispered. “I have to believe that.”

“So do I.”

Nobody wanted to voice the alternative. Coban folded his arms while Caden stared silently toward the floor.

Atlas closed the folder. “We’re expanding the search.”

“We already have teams covering the borders,” Cassian added. “I want every cave, tunnel, abandoned structure, and forest searched.”

“They’ll be found,” Benjamin said firmly. “They have to be.”

I wanted to believe him. Gods… I wanted to believe every word. Then… Something brushed against my mind. So faint I almost missed it. “… help…”

I froze. Every hair on my arms stood on end. Around me, every conversation died at exactly the same moment. No one moved. No one spoke. Everyone had heard it.

Caden’s head snapped upward. His eyes widened. “That…”

Coban had already gone pale. His voice barely rose above a whisper. “That was Mark.”