FAYE
I found Cole by the car just as he was finishing up, the hood still lifted, steam curling faintly as the engine warmed. He had one hand braced against the frame, the other adjusting something I didn’t pretend to understand.
He looked comfortable there, in that quiet, capable way he always carried—like the world made sense when things were mechanical and predictable.
“Morning,” I said, my voice cutting gently through the low sound.
He glanced up and smiled. “Morning, Luna.”
I acknowledged it with a nod and stepped closer, folding my arms loosely as I watched him work.
“You’re heading out?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.
“Yeah. Alpha Alexander wanted the car ready early. The meeting’s a bit outside town.”
Of course it was. Lately, everything important seemed to
