“Fine.”
He moved towards the door, pausing beside her chair for a moment. His hand brushed her shoulder—barely a touch, there and gone—but the warmth of it lingered on her skin.
“I won’t be long.”
Then he was gone, Korrin following, and the cabin fell quiet except for the crackle of the fire and the soft breathing of the two adyani by the door.
Tessa stayed where she was, watching her with an expression that was difficult to read. Not hostile, or even particularly curious anymore. More like… recognition.
“They’ll be a while,” Tessa said. “Korrin will want to assess him. It’s what he does.”
“Assess him for what?”
“Strength. Stability. Whether he’s a threat or an asset.” Tessa smiled slightly. “Korrin pretends he’s just following Soren’s orders, but the truth is he cares. He knows what it’s like to be alone, to feel like you don’t belong anywhere. He can’t pass an exile without at least making the offer.”
She looked down at her tea, the liquid gone lukewarm in her hands. “Rykan won’t accept. He’s…” She searched for the rightword. “He’s been hurt. By his pack, by someone he trusted. He doesn’t believe in belonging anymore.”
“But you’re here.”
“I’m temporary,” she said defensively, pain washing over her at the thought. “The pass will clear eventually. I have responsibilities waiting for me. A company that needs me, a situation that requires my attention.”
“And Rykan?”
Her chest tightened. “He wouldn’t be happy in the city. He belongs here, in the mountains. The freedom, the solitude—it’s what he needs. I couldn’t ask him to give that up.”
Tessa was quiet for a long moment. Then she rose, moving to sit in the chair across from her.
“Can I tell you something?” she asked softly.
She nodded.
“When I met Korrin, I was a baker and he was a bounty hunter. The bounty was on my head, and our relationship started when he kidnapped me.” Ember knew her eyes had gone wide, and Tessa laughed. “It turned out to be the best thing that ever happened, to both of us.”
Tessa reached out, putting a gentle hand over hers. “Loving a Vultor is challenging. They’re proud and stubborn and absolutely infuriating sometimes. And they have this habit of deciding they know what’s best for you without ever asking what you actually want.”
“That sounds familiar.”
“I imagine it does.” Tessa’s smile turned wry. “But here’s the thing, Ember. I could have assumed he’d never want to settle down. He could have assumed I’d never want to be with him. But if we’d walked away, chosen safety over uncertainty—that would have been the real tragedy.”
Her throat felt tight. “It’s not that simple. I have to return to Port Cantor, and Rykan wouldn’t be happy there. I wish I didn’t have to leave but I have a legacy that?—”
“And have you asked Rykan if he would go with you?”
The question landed like a stone in still water, sending ripples through everything she thought she knew.
“What?”
“You said he wouldn’t be happy in the city.” Tessa’s eyes were gentle but relentless. “But have you actually asked him? Have you told him what you want and given him the choice?”
She opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again. Because the answer was obvious, and it wasn’t the one she wanted to give.
“No. He told me that after he left his pack he hated being around people,” she said finally. “He’s been through so much. His pack, his birthright, the female who betrayed him. He came to the mountains to heal. How could I ask him to leave all that behind for me?”
“How could you not?” Tessa squeezed her hand. “Ember, I’ve spent less than an hour in this cabin, and even I can see how that male looks at you. And how you look at him. When he thought you were in danger, he nearly killed Korrin—and Korrin is not an easy man to threaten. Whatever you think Rykan wants,whatever you’ve decided he needs, I promise you it’s not as simple as solitude and freedom.”
The fire popped and crackled, sending sparks spiraling up the chimney. Outside, the wind had picked up, rattling the shutters with irregular gusts.
“What if I ask and he says no?” Her voice was barely a whisper. “What if I offer him everything and he still chooses to stay?”
