I lay out a suit for Ryker and head toward my office. Maren and Justin are already in reception, and the moment I see them I can tell they barely slept. There is a heaviness in their shoulders, the kind that comes from carrying too much for too long.
They still straighten when they see me.
I stop long enough to thank them both, and I mean it with my whole heart. They have been my anchors since the moment I arrived in this pack. Justin with his steady calm and quiet competence. Maren with her warmth and her ability to hold everything together even when she is breaking inside. They never hesitate. They never complain. They simply show up, again and again, for me and for this pack.
I do not know what I would do without them.
Once I step into my office, I close the door and take a breath.
