Ellie's heart raced. "Nick, why didn't you say something earlier? We could have—"
"There wasn't time," he cut her off gently. "But you need to know. I may not be at full capacity when we face them."
Ellie nodded, her mind whirling with possibilities. "Okay, so we adjust. Maybe we can use that to our advantage, catch them off guard."
Nick's eyebrows rose slightly. "What are you thinking?"
"Well," Ellie began, her voice gaining strength, "if they underestimate you, we might be able to turn that against them. And my connection to the pack—it's still there, even if it's strained. We could..."
As Ellie outlined her thoughts, Nick listened intently, occasionally offering refinements. The hum of the plane faded into the background as they strategized, their heads close together, united in pu
