Tyler’s POV
Debrief is a blur.
We squeeze into Cindy’s war room, gathering around the familiar battered table and the map held down by cups and stones. Someone brings up response times, how fast the trap group moved, and how the surprise squad needs stricter oversight. No one says Ken’s name, but it lingers, making the air heavy.
I speak when needed, nodding and even pointing at the map once. But inside, I’m back at the lake, feet in the wet earth, Cindy’s words echoing and my confession still hanging between us like something electric.
I care about Ruby.
I didn’t mean to say it out loud, not there, not with another woman watching me like I’d just stabbed her pride in front of her own pack. It came out anyway, rough and too honest.
“Captain?” one of the elders says. “Do you agree?”
