On the bed.
In the quiet. Or I would have, had we not been interrupted. A knock lands on the bedroom door
I don’t move at first.
Neither does Sera.
I shift slightly, careful not to disturb her too much, and let out a low breath before I answer.
“Yeah?”
The door opens and Mac steps in, leaning just inside the frame like she already knows she’s interrupting something she probably shouldn’t be.
Her gaze flicks between us once, quick and assessing, before she speaks.
“Chace wants to talk to you and the boys. They’re waiting out by the pool.”
I give a small nod, already filing it away, already shifting gears in my head without fully leaving the space I’m in.
Then Mac’s attention settles on Sera, softer now, warmer.
“I was going to make everyone lunch,” she adds, like it’s the most normal thing in the world. “Do you want to help me?”
There’s a beat where Sera just looks at her.
Then she nods.
“Yes.” No hesitation. No overthinking.
I watch as Sera carefully slides off the bed, still wearing my cotton t-shirt, the fabric hanging off her in a way that shouldn’t be distracting yet absolutely is. She disappears into the walk-in closet without another word.
Mac doesn’t linger long after that. Just gives me a look that says she understands more than she’s saying, then slips back out and closes the door behind her.
Silence settles again.
Different this time.
Short-lived.
I push myself up from the bed and follow Sera into the closet.
She’s already moving toward the shelves, clearly looking for something to change into.
I don’t say anything.
I cross the space, opening one of the drawers and pulling out something for myself, my movements slower than they need to be.
My home is filled to capacity, ready to ride out the storm around us…
The doors slide open and the California heat rolls over me—warm, bright, relentless in that way only Los Angeles knows how to be.
The pool stretches out ahead like something ripped from a luxury magazine. Endless blue, the kind of water so clear it almost looks unreal. The marble underfoot gleams, pale andexpensive, reflecting the midday sun. Loungers are set out in perfect symmetry, white cushions untouched, shaded cabanas drifting in the light breeze. Palm trees sway.
I barely get two steps in before I’m hit with a blur of movement.
Klause and Artemis.
They’re on me instantly.
