Atlas doesn’t move, but something tightens in his jaw, something protective and fierce that makes the center of my chest pull tight.
Kael hands me the mug.His fingers brush mine—barely a whisper of touch—and the spark it sends through my entire body shocks me.
“Drink,” he says quietly.“You need it.”
My voice is too soft.“Thanks.”
Finn slides down from the counter, steps into my space without touching me, just close enough for the heat of him to settle against my arm.He scans my face, and his voice drops.“Nightmares?”
“No,” I whisper.“None.”
Atlas exhales, deep and slow, like someone let him come up from underwater.
Kael leans against the counter beside me, crossing his arms.“How do you feel?”
The question is simple.The answer is layered.
“Strange,” I say truthfully.“But...safe.”
Finn’s eyes go warm.Atlas’s jaw shifts.Kael’s shoulders loosen by a fraction.
I sip the coffee, letting the heat soak into my hands.
“So,” I say carefully, “you three have clearly been...planning.”
Finn’s ears turn pink.“We didn’t want to, like, ambush you with a strategy meeting before coffee—”
“We’re not strategizing without you,” Kael cuts in, calm but firm.“We were talking about options.”
“And monitoring risks,” Atlas adds.
I grip the mug tighter.“Risks.”
Finn lifts a hand like he wants to put it on my back but stops himself.“Not you.Him.”
I swallow hard.
Kael’s voice drops, steady and quiet.“You’re not responsible for his behavior.We’re not assigning threat to you.”
“I know,” I whisper.
Atlas studies me with that intense, narrowed gaze, like he’s trying to confirm I believe it.“If he’s stupid enough to try anything—”
“Atlas,” Kael says sharply.
Atlas’s mouth shuts, but his eyes don’t soften.
I clear my throat.“My phone is still off.”
Finn nods in approval.“Good.You can turn it on when you’re ready.”
“I can turn it on now.”
“You don’t have to,” Kael says.“You choose the timing.”
I glance between them.All three watching me.All three waiting for me to decide.
That’s what hits me hardest.
