As sleep began to claim me, I felt the gentle weight of Maison's hand covering mine, his thumb tracing small circles against my skin. On my other side, Jackson hummed something low and melodic—an old pack lullaby I vaguely remembered from childhood.
The last thing I registered before drifting off was the sense of being perfectly, completely safe for the first time in years.
Morning arrived with golden light filtering through curtains I didn't remember closing. I blinked awake, momentarily disoriented to find myself alone in the bed. In Jackson's precise handwriting, a note rested on the nightstand: "Emergency council session at dawn. Didn't want to wake you. We'll be back for the address. Rest. -J & M"
I stretched, surprised to find my body less sore than expected. The bracelets had don
