They reached the alley together.
Too late to stop what was already there.
Rex and Theo stood frozen at the entrance, clinging to each other—Theo's face buried against Rex's chest, Rex's arms locked tight around him like a shield.
"Don't—" Theo whispered. "Don't look."
They all looked.
At the far end of the alley stood a full ash wolf, massive and wrong against the narrow walls.
Its fur was dark like smoke, streaked with pale gray. Its mouth hung open, breath ragged, saliva stretching between long, sharp teeth.
Its eyes burned—angry, feral, afraid.
It moved badly.
All four legs were wounded, steps uneven but heavy, driven by rage alone.
The growl rolled through the alley, low and bone-deep.
Eliot's breath caught. Leon stepped in front of him instantly.
Cassian went still. "That's… not a half-shift."
Adrian swallowed. "That's a nightmare."
Even Mira—standing back, calculating as always—was silent. Fear flickered across her face, quickly masked by something like awe.
"It's bigger than expected," she murmured.
The wolf's gaze snapped to the group.
It snarled.
Theo whimpered once. Rex tightened his grip.
"I've got you," he muttered. "I've got you."
Then—
Lunara stepped forward.
Elara grabbed her sleeve. "Luna—don't."
"It's fine," Lunara said softly, pulling free. "He won't hurt me."
The wolf lowered itself, muscles coiling despite the pain. It didn't recognize her. The coat. The beanie.
The human scent.
It lunged—
"Enough," Lunara said.
Not loud. Not afraid.
The wolf skidded to a stop.
Their eyes met.
Lunara's gaze was steady. Calm. Her lips twitched just slightly—not a smile, but recognition.
The wolf froze. Sniffed the air again. Confusion rippled through its posture.
"…You," it growled, voice rough but unmistakably human. "You smell… wrong."
"So do you," Lunara replied gently.
Silence stretched.
Then the wolf backed away a step.
"They took my blood," it snarled. "Again. I escaped before the change finished."
Theo whispered, "It talks…"
Leon kept his voice low. "Easy."
Lunara stepped closer. "Can you shift?" she asked. "Partial. Half-form."
The wolf hesitated—then nodded.
The transformation was controlled, painful but restrained. The massive shape folded inward, fur receding, bones realigning.
When it ended, a boy stood there.
Nineteen, tall, striking despite exhaustion. Dark hair matted with sweat. Ash wolf ears still stood atop his head, twitching faintly. A long smoky-gray tail hung low behind him.
His body was marked with injuries—arms, legs, side—but he stayed upright through sheer will.
Everyone stared.
Mira's breath hitched.
Elara's eyes widened.
Theo forgot to hide.
Lunara stopped breathing.
"…No," she whispered.
She rushed forward. "No—"
She said his name.
"Kael."
The boy Or boywolf's eyes widened. "…Luna?"
Her composure shattered. "They did this to you?"
Kael let out a weak laugh. "Guess I wasn't fast enough this time."
Without another word, Lunara moved.
She slipped an arm around him, steady and practiced, lifting part of his weight without hesitation.
Kael swayed—and leaned into her instinctively.
"I've got you," she murmured. "You're safe now."
Elara stepped in immediately, blocking the alley entrance. "We need to move. Now."
Mira finally spoke, voice sharp but controlled. "Take him back to—"
She stopped herself.
Her eyes flicked to the cameras. To the city.
To the reality of what this meant.
"…Back to a secure location," she corrected smoothly. "Off the grid."
Leon nodded. "Quiet Signal will escort."
Rex tightened his hold on Theo. "Yeah. Let's never do this again."
Theo whispered, eyes locked on Kael's ears and tail. "…He looks like you."
Lunara didn't look back. "He is like me."
And together, they moved—out of the alley, out of the shadows—
—carrying the truth Ashfall City tried to bury
They brought him back to the control room quietly.
No sirens. No panic.
Just the low hum of machines and the glow of screens as the doors slid shut behind them.
Leon was the one who knelt first.
"Sit," he said gently.
Kael obeyed without argument, sinking onto the bench as if the tension had finally let him collapse.
Lunara stayed close, one hand steady on his shoulder while Leon worked—clean cloths, quick wraps, careful pressure.
Nothing rushed. Nothing wasted.
Elara handed over a blanket.
Lunara pulled it around Kael herself, tucking it tight like muscle memory.
Rex passed a cup of hot tea into his hands.
"Don't burn yourself," Rex said. "You've had enough bad days."
Kael huffed a weak laugh and nodded.
Mira didn't look up.
Her fingers moved fast across the console, code scrolling, maps reshaping. But every few seconds, her eyes flicked to Kael's ash-gray ears twitching faintly, the tail curled around the blanket.
Around the room, no one spoke.
Cassian watched with guarded awe.
Adrian leaned against the wall, exhaling slowly.
Theo stared openly, like his brain couldn't decide whether to panic or ask questions.
Eliot stood very still.
Then Eliot spoke.
Soft. Certain.
"I'm glad you're okay."
The room seemed to breathe out.
Kael lifted his head slightly, ears angling toward the voice.
"You," he said quietly. "What's your name?"
Eliot hesitated—then stepped forward. "Eliot."
"Kael," he replied, inclining his head.
Theo immediately popped up. "I'm Theo and I hate mornings and almost died today."
Rex raised a hand. "Rex. Professional protector. Occasional idiot."
Leon sighed. "Leon."
Elara folded her arms. "Elara."
Cassian nodded once. "Cassian."
Adrian added, "Adrian."
It was starting to spiral.
"Enough," Mira cut in.
Everyone stopped.
She finally turned her chair, eyes landing on Kael—not cruel, not soft. Assessing. Calculating. Tired.
Her gaze lingered on his ears. His tail.
She exhaled. "We need to get you back."
A beat.
"…I mean," she corrected smoothly, "you'll stay with me. Until we find a way to end this."
Silence.
No one said they trusted her.
No one said they didn't.
Lunara watched Mira carefully. Leon's jaw tightened. Rex's smile faded.
Kael looked at Lunara.
She nodded once.
Kael turned back to Mira. "…Sure."
Mira accepted it with a small nod, like it was expected.
Then she stood. "All of you—go. Sleep. We're returning home tomorrow."
Theo blinked. "Tomorrow??"
Cassian frowned. "That was… fast."
Leon crossed his arms. "Too fast."
Mira's eyes flicked back to the screen, something unreadable passing through her expression. "Exactly. The mission ended suspiciously quickly."
She shut the console down.
"We'll talk in the morning."
They didn't argue.
As they filed out, Eliot looked back once more.
Kael was wrapped in a blanket, steam rising from the tea, ash ears drooping slightly with exhaustion—but alive.
For now.
And that was enough.
Tomorrow, Ashfall would answer for itself.