Chapter 110 Carter
Carter
The peace of morning didn’t last long. It never did.
I kept Harper close, her breathing soft against my chest, but my eyes were open, fixed on the ceiling. Every scar in me knew what came next. Redwood wouldn’t back off. They’d regroup. They’d come harder.
And we had Sable. Which made us both target and weapon.
I brushed a hand gently down Harper’s back, careful not to wake her. She deserved these minutes of rest. She’d carried more weight than most soldiers ever would. Stronger than she knew.
But my mind was already moving, laying out angles, contingencies, plans.
The ridge had cost us too much. Cyclone’s arm was still bleeding under that bandage. Gideon looked like he’d been awake for days. River was steady, but even he couldn’t carry the whole fight. And me—I was running on grit and love, and both had their limits.
I looked down at Harper, at the way she tucked herself tighter against me even in sleep. She trusted me. Completely. And that terrified me more than Redwood ever could.
Because what if I failed her?
I clenched my jaw, shutting the thought down before it could root. Failure wasn’t an option. Not with her.
Redwood thought they had leverage. They thought Harper was weakness.
They were wrong.
She was the reason I’d keep going, no matter how deep this fight ran.
I bent my head, pressing my lips to her temple, whispering words I hadn’t said to anyone before. “You’re my strength, Harper. And I’ll burn Redwood to the ground before they ever touch you again.”
Her lashes fluttered, her breath catching as if part of her had heard me even in sleep.
I tightened my arm around her and let the vow settle deeper in my chest.
This wasn’t just survival anymore.
It was war.