**Ryder’s POV **
Preparation for what’s coming doesn’t feel dramatic, not anymore. Now it’s a quiet acceptance.
I call the pack into the clearing just after first light. Not because we need the daylight, but because I want them to see my face. I want them to see certainty, not panic, not doubt, not the kind of grim acceptance that spreads like fire when people are left to fill in the blanks themselves.
Leo is already there when I arrive, standing near the centre with his arms crossed over his chest. He looks calm. Unbothered. Like he’s waiting for a normal morning meeting. That is exactly why he’s the right choice.
Parker and Remy flank me as I step forward, while Callen lingers half a pace behind, eyes scanning the perimeter. Paige is not here, and the pack feels that absence like a m
