The weight of Orion's words lingered long after he disappeared into the shadows, leaving an eerie silence in his wake. The only sounds were the distant rustling of leaves and the shallow breaths of Samantha and her mates, each of them still burning with residual anger.
Kai raked a hand through his hair, his muscles tight with frustration. "I swear, if he pulls something like that again—"
"He will," Callum cut in, his voice steady but firm. "And we need to be ready when he does."
Samantha exhaled sharply. "That's exactly what he wants. To keep us on edge, always questioning him."
Marcus folded his arms across his chest. "And yet, he's not wrong. We did come out of this stronger." He glanced at Samantha. "Especially you."