Miles’ POV
Later that evening, I found myself alone with Derek in the living room of the guest house I was spending the night in. The others—my warriors and that ever-loyal beta of mine—had all been dismissed for the night.
Normally, after a day as tough as this one, I’d end it with a briefing, but tonight I dismissed them without a word. I needed the quietness, the space, and a moment alone to think about everything that had unfolded earlier.
The room was dimly lit, with a single lamp buzzing in one corner, throwing long shadows of the objects in its way across the walls and ceiling. One of those shadows splashed across Derek’s face as he sat opposite me quietly; his expression had to tell behind those dark shades he always wore.
His fingers wrapped tightly around the wolf-head carvi
