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Callum’s timing had been irritating, but maybe it was for the best. I didn’t trust myself to keep the conversation light. Not when every moment with her felt like sand slipping through an hourglass I had no power to stop.

I followed her out, finding Callum leaning against the hallway wall, arms crossed, his usual smirk plastered on his face.

“Did I ruin a moment?” he teased, his eyes darting between us.

“Not the time, Callum,” I said, my tone clipped as I moved past him.

Annika shot him a half-smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “What’s going on?” she asked, her voice steady despite the tension still lingering between us.

Callum straightened up, the teasing edge in his demeanor fading. “We’ve got a lead. A big one. But it’s risky.”

My attention snapped to him fully. “What kind of lead?”

“Information on a shifter stronghold,” he said, lowering his voice as if the walls themselves might have ears. “It’s where they’re holding more prisoners. We’re talking dozens, maybe more.”

Annika sucked in a sharp breath beside me. “How reliable is this information?” she asked, surprising everyone.

Callum tilted his head. “Reliable enough to act. But it’s heavily guarded. If we’re going to make a move, it has to be soon and precise. We won’t get another chance.”

I could feel Annika’s tension, the way her breath hitched slightly at the prospect. I knew what she was thinking before she said it.

“We have to help them,” she said, her voice resolute.

Callum nodded, glancing at me. “Figured you’d say that. But it’s not going to be easy. This isn’t like the last raid. They’ll be expecting something like this.”

“Then we’ll make them regret expecting us,” I said firmly, already calculating the risks in my head. “Gather everyone. We’ll plan this down to the second.”

Callum gave a quick nod and disappeared down the hall, leaving us alone again. Annika lingered, her fingers brushing the wall as if grounding herself. I stepped closer, the space between us charged but quiet.

“You don’t have to come,” I said softly, though the thought of her not being there sent a sharp pang through me.

She turned to me, her eyes fierce. “Yes, I do.”

There was no arguing with her when she looked like that, like nothing in the world could shake her. And damn if it didn’t make me want to shield her from every danger we were about to face.

“Then we’ll do this together,” I said, my voice low but steady.

For a brief moment, I thought about what it would mean to lose her… not to the fight, but to the pull of her life back home. And I hated how selfish I felt, wishing she could just stay, even if it wasn’t fair to ask.

But for now, she was here. And I’d do whatever it took to make sure that didn’t change.

Chapter Twenty-One

Annika

Nighttime here felt heavier than usual. We gathered everything we needed for the mission. I stood by the small table in Lucas’s quarters, my hands fumbling as I strapped on a belt with a knife sheath. It felt foreign… violent… but I couldn’t afford to think about that now. Not when lives were at stake. Not when I had agreed to fight.

Lucas entered quietly, moving with that effortless grace I’d come to associate with him. His presence filled the room, but he didn’t speak at first, his sharp eyes scanning me. For a moment, I wondered if he could sense how out of place I felt, like an imposter among warriors.

“You’re fastening that wrong,” he said softly, stepping closer. Without waiting for permission, his hands replaced mine, deftly adjusting the straps. His touch was precise, but not unkind.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, trying not to notice how close he was or how his fingers brushed against mine.

“You’re sure about this?” he asked, his voice quieter than usual.

I glanced up at him, surprised by the question. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

His jaw tightened slightly, and for a moment, he looked as though he might say something more, something personal. But instead, he stepped back and nodded.