The command hub feels too small, too quiet, while war rages outside.
I stand slowly, one hand pressed to my belly where our pup still hums with restless energy. The dull throb in my abdomen has eased into a steady ache, but I can feel him — alert, watchful, feeding power into the bond like a tiny storm contained inside me.
Rowena watches me carefully, her expression guarded. We aren’t friends yet. She tolerates me because I carry her grandchild, but the cool distance in her eyes reminds me I am still the human — now hybrid — who has upended her son’s life.
Kali moves closer, placing a warm hand on my lower back. “Easy, Luna. You don’t have to prove anything tonight.”
“I’m not trying to prove anything,” I say quietly. “I’m trying to help.”
Laura — my grandmother — steps forward from th
