They didn’t drag Micah into Rowan’s office right away.
Nightfall fed him first.
It wasn’t hospitality so much as policy. Hungry wolves — and men — made bad decisions. Mara shoved a bowl of stew into his hands, watched to make sure he ate, then pointed him toward the small room off the hall with a jerk of her chin.
“You get one bowl,” she said. “After that, it’s questions.”
Micah managed a faint smile. “Some things never change,” he murmured, and Aria’s chest pulled tight at the familiarity in his tone.
Rowan waited at the table, maps already spread. Aria took a seat to his right; Lena dropped into a chair on her other side, feet up on a crate. Micah sat opposite Aria, the steam from his bowl curling between them.
For a few moments, the only sound was the clink of his spoon.
“Start w
