The fire crackled in the hearth, casting dancing shadows across the rich Persian rug where Caroline—no, Rayla, Joseph had to remind himself to think of her by her new name now—sat cross-legged between the three hunters. Her laughter rang through the study like wind chimes, bright and unburdened, as Pierce carefully worked his fingers through her dark hair, separating the strands into neat sections for braiding. Mark leaned against the liquor cabinet, swirling his drink with one hand while using the other to dramatically act out some story that had her giggling into her palm. Daniel dealt cards across the coffee table with practiced flicks of his wrist, explaining the rules of some complicated game Joseph didn't recognize.
Joseph sipped his bourbon, the warmth spreading through his chest a
