"He'll be back," Ariana said quietly, her eyes scanning the shadows.
"I know," Kaelen replied, his voice heavy. "But we'll be ready."
Daniel limped over, bloodied but unbroken. "Gareth's got the town hall secured. Civilians are safe in the tunnels. We lost a lot, Kaelen, but we held."
Kaelen nodded, his jaw tight. "Get the wounded to the medics. We need to fortify before Lucian tries again."
As the werewolves and militia regrouped, Kaelen looked at Elder, now conscious and leaning on Ariana. The old man's eyes met his, full of unspoken gratitude.
"You did good, boy," Elder rasped. "But this war's just begun."
Kaelen's gaze drifted to the horizon, where the first light of dawn was breaking through the clouds. Lucian was out there, licking his wounds, plotting his next move. Kaelen had saved Oakhaven tonight, but at what cost? And what would he have to sacrifice next?