Mara’s POV
They don’t come with guns.
That’s how I know it’s serious.
The message arrives just after noon, delivered by one of Declan’s senior security officers, as if it were a corporate memo rather than a warning.
REQUEST FOR ATTENDANCE
Alpha Council – Pacific Northwest
Observation Hearing
Observation.
Not judgment.
Not summons.
Not an accusation.
Yet.
“They’re testing the water,” I say, rereading it.
Declan stands across from me, jacket already in his hands. “They’re reminding us they exist.”
“And reminding you,” I correct, “that they’re not sure you should.”
His jaw tightens, but he doesn’t argue.
I’m dressed, finally, in my own clothes—dark jeans, boots, a fitted jacket that hides the bandaging beneath my ribs. Every step still pulls, but I refuse to show it. Pain is i
