11 - Quiet Before the Storm

ARIA POV

The scent of antiseptic and crushed herbs lingered in the air, clinging to every surface of the pack hospital like a second skin. Aria sat on a stool beside Ryker’s cot, grinding fresh valerian root into a paste. The rhythmic scrape of the pestle against stone was soothing, almost meditative, but her eyes kept drifting to the Beta’s sleeping face.

He looked better today.

Still pale, still bruised, but the deep gash along his ribs had closed significantly overnight. Werewolves healed quickly, even from grave injuries—but Ryker’s wounds had been brutal. Too deep. Too much blood lost. And even for someone as strong as him, healing would take time.

Aria dipped a cloth into a bowl of warm water and carefully wiped the dried sweat from his brow. His breath came evenly now, not ragged like before, and his chest rose with more strength.

“You’re a stubborn bastard,” she muttered, though a fond smile touched her lips. “Of course you’d fight your way back.”

The door creaked open behind her.

“Still talking to unconscious men?” came a familiar voice.

She turned, already grinning. “Finn.”

Finn Calder stood in the doorway, dressed in his training uniform, black fabric streaked with dirt and sweat. His dark curls were damp, stuck to his forehead, and there was a playful gleam in his hazel eyes.

“Well, someone has to keep him company,” she said, rising to her feet and crossing the room.

He opened his arms dramatically. “Don’t I get a hug, or are you too covered in healer gunk to love me anymore?”

Aria laughed and wrapped her arms around him. “I missed you.”

Finn squeezed her tightly before pulling back. “Same. You’ve been holed up in here for days.”

“I haven’t had much of a choice,” she said, glancing at Ryker. “Dad and I have been rotating shifts. He barely lets me sleep as it is.”

Finn’s eyes softened. “You’re doing good work, Aria. Everyone’s saying it.”

She waved off the praise and returned to her table of herbs. “I’m just doing my part. Ryker’s the one doing the hard part—staying alive.”

Finn stepped closer to the cot, his usual banter fading into something more serious as he studied the Beta’s injuries.

“Never thought I’d see him like this,” he said quietly. “He’s like—untouchable. Or, was.”

“Yeah,” Aria agreed. “It scared me. Still does, a little.”

Finn ran a hand through his curls. “The whole pack’s on edge. Patrols are doubling. Drills every morning. No one wants to get caught off guard again.”

Aria chewed the inside of her cheek. “Do they think it was a targeted attack?”

Finn glanced toward the door before answering. “There’s whispers. Some think the rogue was testing our border strength. Maybe a diversion.”

She frowned. “You think it was Nightclaw?”

“I don’t know,” he said, tone tight. “But tensions are climbing fast. If Moonfang looks weak, the other packs start circling. Theron’s not going to let that happen.”

Aria looked at Ryker again. “Is the Alpha planning something?”

Finn hesitated, then gave her a half-shrug. “No official word. But soldiers are gearing up like we’re going to war. They’re getting new weapons. Reinforcing the borders. It feels… bad, Aria. Like the calm before something worse.”

She turned back to her mixture, kneading the paste between her fingers. “I hate this. The fear. The waiting.”

Finn sat on the edge of a nearby table, legs swinging. “You’re not the only one. But at least we’re not being naive. If another rogue tries to break through, we’ll be ready.”

Aria moved to Ryker’s side again and gently lifted the bandages around his ribs. The wounds were scabbing now, healing from the inside out. She applied the valerian salve carefully, smoothing it over the torn skin with the same tenderness one might use for a loved one.

Finn watched her in silence for a while before speaking again. “How’s your dad holding up?”

“Tired,” she admitted. “He hides it well, but I see it in the way he moves. He blames himself for not reaching Ryker faster.”

Finn shook his head. “That’s not on him. He saved Ryker’s life. Everyone knows that.”

“He’s a perfectionist,” Aria said. “He always has been. But when it’s someone he cares about…” Her voice trailed off, and she focused on tucking the bandage neatly into place.

Ryker shifted slightly in his sleep, a soft growl escaping his throat. His fingers twitched, then relaxed.

“Is he dreaming?” Finn asked.

“I think so,” she said, brushing a lock of hair from Ryker’s face. “He’s been doing that more often lately. I think it means he’s getting stronger.”

They sat in companionable silence for a while, the sounds of the hospital soft around them. Distant footsteps. The creak of wood beams. The occasional cough from another patient.

Finally, Finn stood. “I should get back. Patrol briefing starts in fifteen.”

Aria walked him to the door. “Be careful.”

He winked. “Always am.”

Just before stepping out, he paused. “If you need anything—someone to drag you away for fresh air, or, I don’t know, bring you real food that doesn’t taste like boiled moss—you know where to find me.”

She smiled. “I’ll hold you to that.”

And then he was gone.

Aria stood in the doorway for a moment, watching the twilight settle across the village beyond the trees. The hospital stood at the edge of Moonfang’s territory, perched on a slope where forest met stone. It was peaceful out there—too peaceful.

She returned to Ryker’s side, folding a blanket up to his chest.

“Finn says the soldiers are ready,” she murmured. “I hope it’s enough.”

Ryker didn’t respond, of course. But she saw his fingers flex again, the barest hint of a growl in his throat. Maybe he heard her. Maybe he understood.

She sat down beside him, pulling her notes into her lap and writing in her father’s ledger. Salve applied. Bandages refreshed. Temperature steady. Healing consistent.

But beneath the clinical details, she scribbled a single line to herself:

We’re not ready for what’s coming.

Not yet.

Not if it’s more than rogues.

Not if war truly loomed on the horizon.

Aria leaned back, eyes heavy, but mind still racing. The storm was coming. She could feel it in her bones.

And this time, she wasn’t sure even the strongest healers could fix what it might break.