Ayla's POV
The feeling didn't go away.
Not after Kael told me about the meeting. Not after the restrictions were laid out and the fathers had nodded and the door had closed behind them with the sound of things being settled. It should have been enough.
It didn't feel finished.
Tala stirred quietly inside me, her presence carrying the same unease I couldn't name—a low, persistent twist that hadn't loosened since yesterday.
The school came into view through the windshield, the parking lot already filling up, snow crunching under tires as we pulled in. I watched the building through the glass for a moment before I got out.
The eyes found me before I'd made it three steps.
Not just watching. Measuring. Deciding.
Ryker took my hand, and we walked in together. The boys didn't slow or hes
