We returned to Crescent Ridge exhausted but victorious. The pack greeted us with howls of celebration. Word had spread about Martin’s capture. About the evidence we’d gathered. About justice served.
But I didn’t feel victorious. I felt hollow. Drained. Like I’d given everything and had nothing left.
“You need rest,” Sarah said, taking one look at me. “Real rest. Not just a night’s sleep.”
“I need to review the pack business. Check reports. Make sure everything ran smoothly while I was gone.”
“Everything ran perfectly. Ghost and I handled it.” She physically steered me toward my quarters. “You’re taking three days off. Minimum. No arguments.”
I was too tired to argue. For three days, I did nothing. Slept. Ate. Sat in the sun. Let my body and mind heal from months of constant stress.
K
