28. Wes
Wes
The bar’s cooler than it should be when I step back inside, dust on my boots and adrenaline still buzzing in my veins. Half grinning, half disbelieving she actually sent me— me —to rally half the town.
The others are already here. Jace is sorting through crates near the corner, Theo’s nursing what has to be his fourth coffee, and Zira’s checking the edge of a blade like she’s contemplating which neck it’ll find first.
And Bree’s at the center of it all.
Calm. Focused. In command.
She turns when I walk in, and every smartass comment I had lined up burns off like morning fog.
“Half the damn town,” I say, steadier than I feel. “Every Feeder who’s not half-feral or scared out of their mind wants in. They’re ready to move the second you give the word.”
Her eyes widen slightly in pride and validation.
It lands in my chest like sunlight through rain clouds.
“You did that,” she says softly.
I shrug, fighting the grin that wants to break free. “You asked.”
Jace snorts from across the room. “Look at him. Practically preening.”
“Damn right I am,” I shoot back, but I’m still looking at Bree.
Zira steps forward, all business. “Getting back in won’t be easy, but it’s not impossible. There are old tunnels under the eastern edge of the sanctuary. Feeders have been clearing them for months. We can use those. ”
Theo shifts, his coffee cup still halfway to his mouth. His eyes are unfocused, fixed on something the rest of us can’t see.
“Riley’s slipping,” he says quietly. “She puts on a show in public, but behind the mask… she’s unraveling.”
The room goes still.
“And Ethos is there with her.”
The silence that follows is heavy enough to crush.
Gray breaks it, his voice low and deliberate. “We found her. Nyx. About five miles outside town, camped near the treeline.”
“Camping,” Jace mutters. “Pretty sure her idea of roughing it is a hotel without room service.”
A few snickers ripple through the room—quiet, but enough to cut the edge off the tension.
Rhett crosses his arms, heat flickering faintly at his fingertips. “She’s alone for now.”
Seth finishes quietly, “Means we get to choose how this plays out.”
Bree nods once, absorbing it all. I watch her process each detail, each advantage. Her shoulders straighten. Leadership settles into her like breath.
Jace stands with a grin and a box under one arm. “Good news and better news. We’ve got more food than we can eat, and Mo says payment’s ‘on the house.’” He smirks. “Apparently, Bree’s reputation pays in full.”
Laughter breaks out through the room for a few seconds, before the weight of everything settles back over us.
Thane and Stellan step forward together, their combined presence shifts the air .
“Transport’s ready,” Stellan says. “Enough for us and whoever’s coming. There’s another safehouse near the border Mo told me about last night. We can regroup there after.”
Bree’s jaw tightens, her gaze sweeping over all of us. “Well, let’s go find her. Then we get on the road.”
No hesitation. No question.
Everyone moves at once—grabbing gear, weapons, whatever they need. The bar transforms from a safehouse into a staging ground in seconds.
Bree heads for the door first, and one by one, we follow.
I catch her eye as we step outside into the fading light.
She gives me a quick smile—grateful, warm—and it hits like the first warm day after rain.
For the first time since the crown, I don’t feel hungry.
I feel useful .
Whatever’s waiting for us out there, she’s not walking into it alone.
We’re done waiting.
This time, the Ether moves with us.