That night, nobody slept.
Not really.
Black Hollow felt different.
Wrong.
The town was still there.
The people were still there.
But a subtle tension hung over everything.
Like reality itself was holding its breath.
Midnight stood on the balcony of the council hall staring out across the sleeping town.
Lights flickered below.
Conversations drifted through the night air.
Normal life.
Ordinary life.
The very thing they were trying to protect.
The mate bond pulsed softly.
Kael approached from behind.
No words.
No announcement.
Just presence.
Reliable.
Steady.
The kind of thing Midnight once took for granted.
Now she understood how precious it was.
Kael stopped beside her.
His hand found hers automatically.
The contact immediately settled something anxious inside her.
