The next evening brought a rare quiet moment to the pack house. No alarms. No attacks. Just the sound of normal life.
"Please pass the potatoes," Jeremy said at dinner.
Sofia handed him the bowl, their fingers brushing. She blushed. Jeremy pretended not to notice.
The dining room was full. Kai sat at the head of the table. Tamara sat beside him. Derek sat across from them. Rosa, Marcus, Sofia, Jeremy, and Jess filled the other seats. Even some of the patrol wolves had joined them.
"So," Jess asked nervously, "is it always this intense? The whole supernatural world thing?"
"Pretty much," Jeremy said. "But you get used to it."
"The key is finding normal moments," Rosa added, passing bread around. "Like this. Family dinner. Even when the world's ending, you need to eat."
Jess smiled sl
