Beckett
The wards are still screaming when the Hollow loses its mind.
Half of them move toward the perimeter. Brent already gone, Cal right behind him, Jonah calling out positions to whoever’s listening. The forest shifters are already changing, shapes pulling and stretching at the tree line. Marcus at the front. It’s fast. Practiced. This town has done this before.
The rest of us are torn between Nova and the town.
“She can’t go down there alone—”
“Someone needs to stay with her—”
“We should all—”
“The perimeter needs—”
Rane and Kyron are both talking at once and Trey’s caught between them. Vaelor’s looking at the tree line and then back at Nova. Nobody’s moving in any particular direction and Nova is.
Walking.
Not toward the perimeter. Away from it.
Toward the bunker access behind the storage building.
I watch her for exactly two seconds.
“I’ve got her,” I say.
Nobody argues. That’s the thing about these guys — when one of us says I’ve got her, everybody believes it. Locke’s already turned back toward the tree line. Rane stops mid-sentence. Kyron nods once.
I go after her.
She hears me coming but she doesn’t stop.
“I swear to God, Beckett, if you try and—”
I catch her hand.
She stops.
I turn her around and she’s already braced for the argument, chin up, eyes hard.
I look at her for a second and then I kiss her.
My hand comes up to her jaw and she makes a small surprised sound against my mouth and then she’s kissing me back.
Her lips soft against mine. It’s warm and certain and I feel it everywhere. Because I’m hers. Always.
When I pull back we’re both breathing differently.
She’s staring at me like she’s trying to remember what she was mad about.
“I would never,” I say.
She gives me a small smile because she knows.
“Okay,” she says.
“Go do what you gotta do.”
She turns. I follow.
The Hollow is loud behind us but they’ll manage. Nova doesn’t hesitate. Doesn’t look back. She knows exactly where she’s going.
This is not the same woman from that first night.
She’s done being afraid.
I don’t know exactly when it happened. But it did.
It looks damn good on her.
We reach the hatch. Heavy steel set into the ground, Kree’s lock and reinforcement still visible at the seams.
I know how to unlock it.
I crouch down and work it. The lock clicks. I pull the hatch open and look up at her.
She’s already looking at me. Completely ready for this. For him.
I hold the door.
She goes first.
I watch her disappear down into the dark. Determined and steady. It’s breathtaking.
I fucking love it.
I follow her down. Pull the hatch closed above us.
Take him down, Nova.