They’re testing boundaries again.
My jaw locks. Of course they are. Damon’s not just pushing the forest. He’s stretching us thin. Every direction. Every point of pressure. Simultaneous.
Eli watches my expression. “Town?”
“Yes,” I say.
That’s all I can manage. Because now the war isn’t just theoretical. It’s split. Forest.
Town. Mate. Every part of my life under simultaneous pressure. And that’s exactly what Damon wants.
We break into a run. No discussion. No hesitation. The patrol follows instantly. Because they feel it too. That shift. That tightening. That realization that we’re no longer tracking a threat. We’re reacting to one.
By the time Redwood Crossing comes into view, smoke isn’t visible?—
But tension is. You feel it in the way people move. Faster. Shorter distances. Eyes scanning more than usual. Magnus is waiting at the council line when we arrive.
He doesn’t waste time.
“Forest?” he asks.
“Confirmed movement,” I say immediately. “Multiple rogue groups converging.”
His expression doesn’t change. But something in his posture tightens.
“And Damon?”
“Coordinating it,” I reply.
That gets a reaction. Small. But real. Because even Magnus understands the difference between chaos and orchestration.
Delilah approaches from behind him. “Town perimeter teams reported probing attempts along the north line.”
Brooke adds, “Nothing breached yet, but they’re learning response times.”
Conrad arrives a moment later.
“Tessa is still inside the bookstore,” he says.
I don’t realize I’ve been holding my breath until that moment. Good. She’s still inside.
But that doesn’t mean safe. Not anymore.
Magnus gestures sharply.
“Council room. Now.”
We move. No one argues. The atmosphere shifts immediately once we’re inside. Maps are already laid out. Updated markers. New patrol lines. Emergency contingencies scribbledin margins. This isn’t preparation anymore. It’s staging. Magnus looks at me first.
“You saw Damon’s footprint?”
“Yes.”
“He’s accelerating,” Magnus says.
“I know.”
Delilah folds her arms. “How fast?”
