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Silence followed for a beat.

It wasn’t awkward, just full. Like they were all quietly acknowledging they’d stood on the edge of an ugly fate and survived its horrors.

Xander’s head rolled to the side, his body giving up its struggle to stay conscious.

Savvine smoothed a hand down his shoulder as his breath slowed.

Miral’s voice softened. ‘He’s tougher than he looks.’

Savvine nodded, eyes on him. ‘He scares the hell out of me sometimes.’

‘You’re badass too,’ Kaal said. ‘You endured a monster. Don’t sell yourself short.’

Santi leaned back against the wall, folding his arms. ‘You both went through fire.’

Miral placed a light hand on Savvine’s arm. ‘We all did, and we’ll go through it again if we have to. Together.’

Savvine studied her companions.

Miral, with her razor-calm poise, Kaal, with his quiet strength, and Santi, with his smirks and grins that masked a kind, generous soul.

Emotion hit her hard: gratitude, peace, and an acceptance of the pack as her new family.

She nodded once. ‘Santefor everything, and for helping me realize kin is not always blood.’

‘All thanks to you,’ Santi drawled. ‘For saving us from Xander’s eternal brooding. The man was on the edge of imploding without a woman.’

‘Fokkyou and your envious ass,’ came the slurred, drowsy curse from the bed.

They all laughed as Xander’s mouth twitched.

Savvine smiled at her man. He gave her hand a squeeze, his fingers still intertwined around hers.

His breathing slowed, that telltale rhythm of healing sleep settling over him.

Miral tilted her head and gave a small, rare smile.

‘He’s finally shut up,’ she murmured. ‘Now let’s share what we think about him.’

Savvine smoothed her thumb over his knuckles before pulling away. She stood, stretching a little.

Miral gestured with a jerk of her chin. ‘Walk with us.’

Savvine took one more glance at Xander and then left the room with Miral by her side.

Santi and Kaal followed, less battle-worn. Their body language was loose, but their eyes were alert.

They slowed at a hallway alcove overlooking the hospital’s observation deck, out of earshot from the recovery room.

Savvine leaned her arms against the rail, eyes on the trio. ‘Talk to me.’

Miral stopped beside her. ‘We have an update.’

Savvine blinked, breath catching. ‘On theEterna? My family?’

‘Naam.’ Kaal stepped up, his timbred rasp softer than usual. ‘The external security seems to have collapsed along with the crat synth bot’s implosion. So we managed to slip a recon drone into your ark ship this morning.’

Santi flicked on the holo button of his wrist tab and spun it in his palm.