“We already know the territory is unstable,” Kari cuts in, her tone sharp. “We don’t need a magical babysitter telling us what we can feel for ourselves.”
“Kari,” Dane warns.
Nyxiana doesn’t react to the hostility. “The instability is specific. And progressive. If the convergence happens without balance, this place will collapse from the inside out.”
I study her, trying to read past her composed exterior. “And you’re what? The balancing act?”
“I’m the one who can see the fault lines,” she answers. “I have—unique lineage. Let’s just say I can feel when the barriers between worlds start to crack.”
Rafe speaks for the first time, his voice low. “What do you see when you look at Ash Hollow now?”
Nyxiana turns to him, something passing between them. Recognition, maybe. “I see a territory that’s absorbed trauma but hasn’t processed it. Magic doesn’t just dissipate; it transforms. Every wolf in this pack carries echoes of what happened in the Fade.”
“So what’s your solution?” Ben asks.
“I don’t have one yet,” she admits. “I need to trace the resonance patterns, see where the energy is pooling.”
“And we’re supposed to just ... let you wander around while we wait?” I ask.
“I’m not asking for blind trust,” Nyxiana says. “Just pragmatism. I’ve tracked similar convergences before.”
Dane pushes away from the table. “You’ll work with Nova and Lyanna. Map the hot spots, identify vulnerabilities.”
I nod, accepting the assignment without comment. My eyes slide to Dane. His expression is controlled, but I know what he’s thinking. We’ve been through too much to risk another breakdown.
“What about Shadow Peak?” Harper speaks up, breaking her silence. “Caleb should know about this.”
“He will,” Dane confirms. “I’ll speak to him directly.”
“And while we’re mapping?” Callum asks. “What’s everyone else supposed to do?”
“Train. Patrol. Rebuild,” Dane answers. “Nothing changes yet.”
I meet his eyes across the table, reading the unspoken message there. Yet. Because something is going to change. Has to.
“When do we start?” I ask Nyxiana.
“We already have,” she replies.
I hang back as the others file out of the cabin, needing a minute alone with Dane. The second the door closes, I step closer.
“What are you thinking?” I ask.
Dane doesn’t waste words. “I need to know if you trust her.”
“I don’t know her,” I reply. “But I’m not getting deception. That’s something.”
He nods once, jaw tight. “Stay sharp. I’ll handle the pack.”
I touch his arm briefly. “I’m going to talk to her,” I say. “Get more details about what she’s seeing.”
“Good. We need to know what we’re dealing with.”
I head outside to find Nyxiana waiting at the clearing’s edge, staring into the trees. She doesn’t turn when I approach, but Iknow she senses me. The air feels different around her; cooler, charged with something I can’t quite name.
“You didn’t say everything in there,” I say, stopping several feet away.
“Neither did you.” She finally turns, those unsettling violet eyes meeting mine directly.
