Griff
The sky was low and gray, threatening rain, but it was holding off for the time being.
Sera stood near the end of the dock with her pack gathered around her, all of them dressed in clothes that would survive salt water and bad weather. Logan had a coil of rope looped over one shoulder. Aidan and Declan were checking the fastenings on the nearest boat with matching frowns. Jamie and Edward guarded the pier and gangplank like they were just waiting for someone to give them an excuse to flip it up and go.
Tamsin walked toward Sera, coat flapping around her legs, hair tied back against the wind. I kept a few paces behindwith Elias. Nox, Eamon, and Bishop spread out around us without needing to be told.
The two women met in the middle.
They didn’t say much at first. They just wrapped each other in a hug that was hard and solid and short.
“You sure about this?” Tamsin asked when they stepped back.
Sera blew out a breath that edged close to a laugh. “I’m going back to a bunch of ex-anti-wolf fanatics to help them hunt a bunch of crazy lycans. Of course I’m not sure.”
“But you’re going anyway,” Tamsin said.
“Yeah,” Sera replied. Her mouth quirked. “Somebody has to make sure they don’t kill anyone else.”
Her wolves shifted slightly around her. Logan stood near her shoulder, Declan and Aidan flanked her, Jamie paced restless at the back, and Edward was already looking at the water like he was impatient to get moving.
“You’ll have what remains of the Watch waiting for you on the Isle of Man,” Elias said. “The ones who chose not to follow Dane. They’ll listen to you.”
“They’d better,” Sera said matter-of-factly. “Or I’ll make them.”
“You do realize you’re going to be in charge of them,” Nox said. “That’s terrifying.”
“For them,” Sera shot back with a smirk.
Zara snorted from further down the quay. She was already halfway aboard one of the other boats, leaning on the railing with Magnus and Killian behind her like the two halves of a very large, very capable wall. Tobias and Callum wereloading the last of their supply crates. Thorne did a final check of knots and tarps.
Zara’s energy practically hummed. She kept looking out toward the open water, then back at the city, like both were calling and she was just deciding which to answer first.
“Try not to pick too many fights on the way,” Tamsin told Sera.
“No promises,” Sera said. Then she sobered. “Send word if things start to go sideways here.”
“Same to you,” Tamsin said. “If you run into more lycans than you can handle?—”
“We’ll handle them,” Sera said. “And if we can’t, I know where you live now.”
There was a beat of quiet humor at that.
Tamsin’s gaze slid past Sera to Zara. “Ready?” she called.
Zara straightened, grin flashing. “Have been since we left,” she said. “Ireland still has too many ferals that need to be helped. These idiots—” she jerked her thumb at her wolves, “—are itching to get back to work.”
Magnus rolled his eyes fondly. Killian just smirked.
“You’ve got enough serum?” Eamon asked, ever the doctor.
“Enough to start,” Zara said. “And I know how to get more now that London’s stopped pretending that they don’t make it.”
I watched them all, feeling that familiar mix of pride and worry in my chest. I was protective of Tamsin by default, but I had to admit I was impressed as hell by Zara and Sera too.They’d walked through their own fires and come out the other side not just breathing but thriving.
Tamsin stood at the center of it without trying to claim center stage. She never did. She just… anchored everything. People turned to her without thinking when decisions needed making. Packs from three different places had fallen into orbit around her, and she hadn’t asked for it, but she hadn’t backed away from it either.
“Don’t get killed doing something noble but stupid,” Tamsin said, looking between Zara and Sera.
