Calder POV
When Rafe’s footsteps faded up the stairs, the silence in the packhouse changed.
He always carried warmth with him - that steady, grounding kind of energy. When he left, the quiet felt sharper. Colder.
I poured myself another glass. The whiskey was half gone by now, but it wasn’t about the drink. It was about the burn. The focus it gave me.
One more, I told myself. Then deal with it.
The bond hummed faintly in the back of my skull - Evelynn’s presence soft and steady, like a heartbeat in the dark.
I brushed it gently, careful not to wake her.
“You asleep?” I sent through the link, my tone low, tentative.
A flicker of warmth answered me. Drowsy amusement. “Mostly. You’re noisy in there.”
I huffed a quiet laugh. “Go back to sleep, little wolf.”
Her presence curled deeper
