Felix inclines his head slightly. “I bring useful information.”
“That remains to be seen.”
Felix doesn’t flinch.
“Archer has claimed his mate,” he says.
That gets Damon’s full attention. His posture shifts, interest sharpening into something far more dangerous.
“Has he now?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
Felix’s smile returns, subtle and calculated.
“She’s human.”
Silence. Then?—
A low, pleased chuckle. Damon leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees as his gaze sharpens.
“Well,” he says. “That changes things.”
Felix says nothing. He doesn’t need to. Damon’s already thinking ahead. Already calculating.
“Tell me,” Damon continues, his voice almost conversational. “This town of his… Redwood Crossing. Worth taking?”
Felix meets his gaze.
“Yes.”
No hesitation. No doubt. And that’s all Damon needs. He stands slowly, stretching like a predator waking from a long rest.
“Then I suppose it’s time we paid Archer a visit.”
His smile is sharp. Hungry.
“Wouldn’t you agree?”
Felix dips his head again, hiding his own expression. Because he already knows what this means. War. And this time?—
There’s no avoiding it.
Back in Redwood Crossing, I feel it before I see it. A shift. A ripple. Something moving at the edges of our territory. My tiger goes still. Alert. Focused. Waiting.
“They’re coming,” I almost whisper.
And this time?—
I’m ready.
19
TESSA
If someone had told me a week ago that I’d be learning the social hierarchy of a hidden shifter town over coffee, I would’ve laughed in their face.
