I did not expect the packhouse to feel like a ghost town when we walked in. It was the quietest I had ever seen it. No voices. No footsteps. Not even Ember’s constant humming from the hallway. After everything that had just happened, it should have been chaos, but I had a feeling Nathan made sure it was not. He must have told everyone to clear out.
Maybe he wanted silence. Maybe he knew I needed it more.
He guided me to the kitchen, still holding my hand, and we ate something simple without talking. The quiet between us felt strange but soothing. When he tugged me gently toward the stairs, my heart climbed into my throat. He kept holding my hand as we walked toward his bedroom, steady and warm like he was afraid I would slip away if he let go.
I stopped right at the threshold. My pulse
