Cole’s POV:
Hours had passed, and Ruth was still upstairs working—silent, efficient, relentless. Mira was still alive, somehow. Which, honestly? I didn’t think she would be.
And I sure as hell didn’t think she deserved to be.
But was I dumb enough to say that out loud?
Fuck no.
Ruth had already torn into me over our private mind-link more times than I could count. She wasn’t just angry—she was furious. About the state Mira was in. About the weight she didn’t have. About how malnourished she was. About the bruises that looked more like evidence than injuries.
Like the girl hadn’t brought it on herself.
Mira was a waste of space. Weak. Annoying. A total liability. Everyone hated her. I hated her.
Still… I’d stopped arguing with Ruth eventually. She had that tone, the kind that made y
