I straighten my spine, lift my chin, and reach for my phone. The pack needs Archer's mate. The town needs someone to hold the line.
And I need to be worthy of the man who just walked into hell to keep us all safe.
I dial Conrad's number, my voice steady when he answers. "Gather the enforcers. We're securing the perimeter. And Conrad—Archer's going after Damon. We need to be ready to support him."
I hang up and move to the window, staring out at the dark forest where my mate is hunting. The bond hums, warm and alive, connecting us across the distance.
Come back to me, I send through it, hoping he can feel it.Come back, and I'll spend the rest of my life proving I was worth the fight.
The night stretches before me, full of danger and uncertainty, but I stand tall. I'm Archer's mate. And I won't let him down.
—
The bookstore feels different now. Not quieter. Not calmer. Just… held together by tension.
Every sound outside carries farther than it should. Every footstep on the street feels like it belongs to something larger than a town going through an emergency. It feels like themoment before something breaks. And I hate that I can’t see Archer. I force my focus back to the radios.
“North ridge holding,” Delilah reports.
“Eastern access stable for now.”
“Southern line has minor pressure but no engagement.”
I write it down without looking away from the counter. My handwriting is getting sharper. More mechanical. Less like mine. A new update comes through—fast, clipped.
“Archer confirmed movement into northwest forest sector.”
My hand stills for half a second. Then I force it to move again. Of course he did. He didn’t stay behind the lines. He never does.
I key the channel immediately. “Do we have visual confirmation on Archer’s position?”
Static.
Then Conrad’s voice. “Negative. He’s off-grid.”
“Of course he is,” I mutter.
Delilah looks at me from across the room. “You okay?”
“No,” I say honestly. “But I’m functional.”
That earns a short exhale from her that almost sounds like agreement. Another burst of radio chatter cuts in—too fast, too chaotic.
“Multiple rogue contacts shifting north?—”
“Hold position,” I snap into the channel. “Do not pursue beyond perimeter markers.”
My voice is steady. It has to be. Because if I let it slip, everything else does too.
Delilah moves closer to me. “Tessa, you need to slow down for a second.”
“I can’t,” I say immediately.
She studies me for a beat.
“You’re not just coordinating anymore,” she says quietly.
“I know.”
