“Come out here,” Maya said, voice so low it was less than a whisper. But Harper’s silence made it clear she’d heard it anyway.
“Is that possible?” Harper asked.
“If it’s just a visit, then…” Maya shook her head. “Never mind. Forget I asked. It’s way too far to drive, and it’s dangerous, especially for you, so you shouldn’t—”
“Yes,” Harper said. “I can come out there. I want to. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, then… Just tell me where to go, and I’ll make the drive.”
She spoke with no hesitation. With nothing but eagerness. As though she felt the pain of their separation as keenly as Maya did.
This shouldn’t happen. She should shoot this down, retract the offer, sayanythingthat would keep Harper safely away. Maya was present because wolves stalked their border, and if Harper came out there, it would put her too close to their fangs.
But Maya didn’t do any of that. Instead, she just sighed.
“I’ll send you the address.”
Chapter 27
Thinking things through had never been Harper’s strong suit. When faced with a problem, her go-to response was to be swift and snappy, and she’d done it so often that it had become second nature.
Here, the problem was simple. She missed Maya. Maya missed her. Driving out to visit her had seemed like an obvious solution.
But, as it turned out, spending hours alone in a car with nothing but your own thoughts for company was a prime environment for panicked overthinking.
Maya was technically working. Would Harper even be allowed to pull her away from her responsibilities? And if she was, for how long? An evening? An hour? A few minutes?
It didn’t matter. Seconds would be worth it. Even spending the whole day in her car didn’t feel at all wasted if she got to give Maya one single kiss.
Fucking Christ. She was worse than a teenager.
Her nerves dulled somewhat when the Chains outpost finally came into view. Mainly due to surprise. She’d figured the outpost would have a covert military aesthetic going on, given the several narrow roads her poor car had braved getting here. But other than a straight line of parked armored vehicles, the place looked so picturesque it could be mistaken for a Christmas card.
She’d driven up to a collection of buildings framed by dense forest. At the center of the outpost was a large hunting lodge made of dark wood, encircled by a few log cabins. The roofs wereadorned with a sheet of snow, and the late afternoon sun cast diffused light onto the houses. Hell, smoke was even rising from a few of the cabin chimneys.
Steeling herself, Harper got out of the car and started towards the central lodge. A few people gave her curious glances, but no one approached, busy rushing between tasks by the look of it.
Maya might be that, too. Somewhere. But given that Harper had no idea how far ‘somewhere’ reached, she needed a bit of guidance. Of all the nearby buildings, the lodge looked the most official.
The moment she stepped inside, a wall of heat hit her face. The interior was all warm wood and rustic furniture, and the crackle of burning logs combined with rustling pages made for a cozy soundtrack.
Harper stiffened just as the door closed. The lodge had a grand open space with tables arranged akin to a small mess hall. Staircases led both up and down below, likely going to a few bedrooms. Or maybe storage, with the dozens of boxes, cases, and bags placed all around the room. Only one table was cleared, the stacked boxes forming a miniature fortress around the blonde woman seated there.
“Oh.” Harper forced on a smile. “Hey, Angela.”
Angela looked up, her brown and blue eyes locking on Harper’s face.
“Hey.” Angela’s voice wasn’t quite cold, but it got close. She lowered her eyes and turned over a page of the tome she was reading.
Harper cleared her throat. “I came to see Maya. Do you know where she is?”
“Out.” Angela didn’t look up. “She’ll be back soon.”
Angela’s voice was even.Tooeven, almost.
“Right…” Harper said. “Then I guess I’ll just… wait.”
There weren’t really any places towaitin here. Not with every surface being taken up by crates and boxes. The only available seat was a chair immediately across from Angela.
Harper stepped closer, peeking into one of the nearby crates. Several gun magazines were stacked inside, as well as sheathed daggers. She picked up a loose bullet, turning it in her hand.
