Chapter 429: The Na That Broke the Silence
Jarek’s voice trembled as the truth finally spilled out of him.
"The black market is gone," he said hoarsely.
Ronan stilled.
For a second, the words did not register. They floated between them like sothing unreal.
"Gone?" Ronan repeated quietly, then he chuckled. "Wait... no... hold on... are you telling right now that the black market is gone? Like, gone?"
Jarek nodded, his jaw tightening as though forcing himself to keep standing. "Yes. We managed to survive, but the black market has been destroyed."
The girl clutched the side of his clothes harder.
Ronan’s chest tightened.
"How?"
Jarek’s jaw tightened. "The enclave. They raided the market, killed everyone they could get their hands on."
It was like Jarek could still see everything that had happened before his eyes. "Owl was the one who helped us. He sent us this way and told us to find the pack in the North."
Ronan’s eyes widened.
"Owl?" he breathed.
Jarek nodded once. "Yes. He saved all of us here."
Ronan didn’t wait another second. He turned on his heel imdiately.
---
Orion was still crouched in front of Kairen when Ronan reached him, the low hum of tension between them thick and unbroken. Kairen sat rigidly, his shoulders locked, eyes darting between Orion’s face and Sam’s silent presence beside him.
"Orion," Ronan said under his breath. "I need to report sothing."
Orion did not look away from Kairen imdiately—but his posture changed.
He nodded.
"We’ll continue this conversation later," he told Kairen calmly.
Kairen nodded quickly, relief flickering across his face.
Orion rose and turned to Ronan.
"What is it?"
Ronan drew in a quiet breath.
"The strange group. The man... his na is Jarek, but he and his group... they’re rogues. From the black market."
Orion’s expression sharpened instantly. "The black market? That’s a distance from this place," Orion said.
Ronan nodded in agreent. "And that’s why I asked them why they were here. Jarek told the enclave destroyed the black market and Owl sent them to our pack."
Orion’s eyes widened in shock.
"...Owl?" he said slowly.
Ronan nodded.
They both knew who it was. Owl was the alias Tobias used in the black market.
Orion exhaled sharply.
"Gods damn it," he muttered.
He turned his head slightly toward Sam.
"I’ll be right back. Make sure to keep an eye on him."
She nodded imdiately. "Sure."
Orion was about to move toward Jarek when he paused. His gaze flicked—instinctively—toward Sophia.
She remained where he had left her to rest, her back braced against a fallen stone, her bandaged hands resting loosely in her lap. Her breathing looked steady at first glance.
But sothing was wrong.
Orion felt it before he reached her.
Intense heat rolled off her body, and she looked monts from collapsing.
He dropped into a crouch in front of her.
"Sophia," he called out softly.
Her eyes lifted slowly, but they were glassy and unfocused.
His hand brushed her cheek, and her body burned.
"Goddess’ tits—" he hissed.
"Sophia," he said again, sharper now.
She blinked at him.
"Orion... I don’t feel very well," she told him softly.
Orion cursed under his breath.
Ronan reached them just as Orion’s hand moved to her neck, checking her pulse.
It was racing.
Far too fast.
"She’s burning up," Orion said tightly.
Ronan saw it imdiately.
The flushed skin.
The faint tremor running through her shoulders.
The way her posture sagged despite her stubborn attempt to stay upright.
Orion didn’t hesitate.
"Ronan," he said quickly. "Once everyone gets enough strength, lead them back to the compound."
Ronan nodded. He knew without being told that Orion had to go now.
Orion shifted then, bones restructuring as Noctis once more took over.
Ronan stepped in without hesitation and lifted Sophia carefully onto Noctis’s broad back, positioning her against the thick fur between his shoulders.
Noctis lowered himself just enough to steady her.
The mont she was secure, his body tensed.
Ronan stepped back.
And Noctis was gone.
A blur of dark motion vanishing into the trees.
Ronan turned sharply.
"Jeffrey," he called loudly.
Even if the beasts had retreated, anything could happen.
Jeffrey looked up instantly.
"Follow them. Make sure they are safe," Ronan told him.
Jeffrey nodded. He didn’t even hesitate.
He shifted on the spot and tore after Noctis, vanishing into the sa path through the snow and broken branches.
The clearing was no longer quiet.
Everyone had noticed. The trainees especially were worried about Sophia, but it was Micah who approached Ronan.
"Is sothing wrong with Sophia?" he asked worriedly.
Ronan kept his eyes on the direction Orion had taken.
"Hopefully nothing serious," he said honestly. "But Sophia’s burning up. And we don’t have a healer here. He has to get her back to the compound."
"She exerted herself a lot," Joren said as he approached them along with Dren, who was limping. "Even after the test, her hands shook badly. She was even more scared than all of us."
Uther nodded. "That’s true," he said, and then collapsed onto the floor. "I hope she’s okay."
Ronan didn’t even get to ask them the question plaguing him when he felt a small tug.
Ronan looked down and noticed that it was Maya.
Her face was wet with fresh tears.
"M—Mister..." she whispered.
Ronan crouched imdiately.
"What’s wrong?"
Her lower lip trembled.
"I want to find my brother," she said, her voice breaking. "I want to find T... Tarin."
The trainees turned to her imdiately.
"Tarin?" Dren asked in shock.
"Wasn’t that the na of the boy Genevieve and Miles took back to the pack?" Uther asked tiredly.
"Do... you know my brother?" she asked them.
"Did your brother have a pouch with him?" Micah asked carefully.
Maya nodded again, more urgently now.
"Yes. Owl gave him the pouch."
They were right. Tarin was the sa boy Sophia had insisted Genevieve heal.
"Your brother is safe," Micah told Maya, who froze in shock.
Her eyes widened.
"...He is?"
Micah nodded.
"Yes, your brother is alive."
Her eyes brightened imdiately with joy and sothing very akin to hope.
Behind her, Jarek had drawn closer with the rest of his small group, clearly unable to stay back any longer.
"Is that true?" he asked hoarsely.
Micah nodded. "Yes. Sophia helped him."
"Thank the goddess," Jarek said softly.
A sound of joy spread through his small group.
But then they noticed that Jarek’s staggering wasn’t in relief.
His knees buckled and he almost gave out right there, but Ronan caught him by the arm instinctively.
Jarek pressed a hand over his face as he shook his head.
Ronan swore quietly.
"Jarek," he said firmly. "You can’t wait here with all of us."
Jarek looked up, startled.
"You need to go to the pack compound. Now. We’ll talk more there."
Jarek opened his mouth to argue, but Ronan shook his head once.
"No," he said flatly. "We’re not taking any more risks. Not today. Not after everything that’s happened. Rogue or not."
Maya looked up again.
"Can I go too?" she asked quickly. "I want to see Tarin."
Micah crouched in front of her.
"I’ll take you to the pack," he said gently. "But Jarek is hurt. He has to go first."
Her face fell slightly.
"But..." she whispered.
Micah smiled softly.
"You don’t have to worry. I promise you—your brother is safe."
Maya hesitated.
Then nodded.
Ronan turned then and called for Helios, who looked up imdiately.
"Help Jarek back to the compound."
Helios straightened.
"Yes, sir."
"And Sam," Ronan added, turning to her. "Go with them."
Sam was already moving.
Helios shifted, his large form settling into place. Jarek climbed carefully onto his back with help, his injured leg trembling badly as he tried to position himself.
He would never be able to run in his state.
Sam moved alongside them.
"If anything happens," Ronan said quietly, "you take over."
Sam gave a short nod.
"I will," she said as they disappeared in the sa direction Noctis had taken.
Ronan took the others in.
"We stay here for a while," he said firmly. "Get so rest. Stabilize whoever still needs help."
"And once everyone regains their strength," Ronan continued, his voice steady and unmistakably in command, "we begin the journey back to the pack compound."
His gaze swept over them.
"We will be safer there, and all questions will be answered there too."
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