Chapter 27 — Explanations
Morning came too fast. I woke to the smell of coffee — not the diner's industrial brew, but something richer, darker, the kind that came from actual beans ground in an actual machine. For one disoriented moment, I thought I was at work. Then the events of the night crashed back, and I was on my feet, moving toward Kael's room before my brain caught up with my body. He was fine. Asleep, gray-eyed, curled around his stuffed wolf like always. The only sign of last night's storm was the shredded blanket, which I bundled up and stuffed in the trash before he could see it. The second thing I noticed was the sound from the kitchen. Soft, deliberate sounds — a cabinet closing, a spoon against ceramic, the low hum of the refrigerator. I followed them, barefoot and bristling, and found Kane at my
- Writer
