The four mates moved through the halls of the fortress in tense silence.
It wasn't the kind of silence that spoke of peace—it was the silence that came after battle, when the weight of everything they had endured pressed down on them, still raw, still burning in their veins.
Samantha could feel it in the way Marcus walked beside her, his usual controlled strides now edged with lingering restlessness. She could hear it in the way Callum exhaled, like he was debating whether to crack a joke or brood over what had happened.
And she could see it in Kai.
He led the way, shoulders tense, amber eyes flashing with something dark. Unlike the others, he wasn't just unsettled.
He was angry.
Even now, after everything they had endured in the Sanctuary, he hadn't let it go.
They reached their chambers, the doors already open from the fortress's ever-shifting magic. Kai walked in without a word, his muscles tight, his energy humming with frustration.