Aaron
Nancy doesn’t announce herself.
She never has, never needed to. The guards outside my office step aside without a word, and by the time I register the subtle shift in the air, she’s already inside, closing the door behind her with quiet finality.
It’s the quiet that tells me everything.
I’m standing at the window, hands braced against the frame, staring out over territory I’ve defended, bled for, buried wolves in. Forest lines fade into shadow, familiar and unmoving. The bond beneath my skin is taut, no pull, no comfort. Just pressure. Like something held in place far too long.
“Say it,” I tell her without turning. “Whatever you came here to say.”
Nancy doesn’t take the bait.
“You’re stretched too thin,” she says calmly. “And you know it.”
I exhale through my nose and turn sl
