Chapter 0388

The moment we stepped onto pack grounds, excited howls erupted from every direction. Sanctuary was alive with energy, but beneath the cheerful greetings, I sensed new scents.

Seraphina met us at the gates. "Three new groups arrived while you were gone." Her medical coat was stained with blood. "One family needs urgent care—rogues attacked them during their escape from a tyrannical Alpha."

Victor and I exchanged glances. "Where are they?"

"The temporary hospital wing." She wiped her hands on a towel. "It's not ideal, but we've sectioned off a clean area. The parents are in critical condition."

We found the other newcomers first—two sisters huddled together near the dining hall, and a pair of orphans clutching each other's hands. Rosalind and Aurora had already settled them with food and fresh clothes.

Lillian pulled me aside. "We need a proper orphanage. These children won't be the last." Her gaze drifted to the trembling siblings. "The boy hasn't spoken since they arrived."

She was right. Werewolf society discarded parentless pups like broken tools. I made a mental note to discuss converting the east wing with Victor later.

The hospital smelled of antiseptic and fear. Through the glass partition, I saw the injured parents—the father unconscious with a mangled leg, the mother barely awake with deep gashes across her face. Their children sat between them, the little girl clutching her brother's arm.

Seraphina lowered her voice. "The father might lose that leg if his wolf doesn't start healing by dawn. The mother's right eye is beyond saving." She nodded toward two medical students sterilizing instruments. "We're rotating shifts, but..."

I didn't need her to finish. The odds were grim.

Victor pushed the door open. The children startled like frightened rabbits. Seraphina knelt before them. "Remember what I told you about our Alpha and Luna?"

The boy swallowed hard. "Nathaniel and Genevieve," he whispered, pulling his sister closer.

I crouched beside Seraphina. "How old are you?"

"Seven." His chin trembled. "Genevieve's four."

Victor moved to the parents' bedside. The mother's single visible eye widened in terror. "W-we didn't mean to trespass—"

"You're safe here." I pressed my palm to her uninjured shoulder. "Sanctuary exists for wolves like you."

Victor's voice carried Alpha command. "My word as your Alpha—no harm will come to your family here. Rest. Heal."

The little girl burst into tears.

Seraphina immediately gathered both children against her. Over their heads, she mouthed two words to me: They're starving.

Victor's jaw tightened. He pulled the thin blanket higher over the mother's battered body.

Outside, the first stars appeared. Somewhere beyond our borders, more desperate souls were running toward our lights.

Sanctuary would need to grow faster.