Page 57 of His Claim

Mariah looked between us, her face pale but fierce.

“And then we bring the Council to their knees,” she whispered.

CHAPTER 13

Mariah

The bunker smelled like coal dust and damp stone, but it was warmer than the tunnels. Varek had built it out carefully: timber beams holding the ceiling, tarps stretched tight across one corner to make some sort of a wall, crates stacked high against the sides. A cot sat crookedly in the back, its canvas patched but clean.

There was even a little fire pit at the center, ringed with blackened stones. Varek crouched over it now, striking sparks from flint until the kindling caught. The orange glow crawled over the walls, pushing back the shadows, turning the cavern into something almost livable.

He dug into one of the crates and pulled out what looked like a few ancient ration packs. He tossed one to me and one to Elsie.

“Dinner,” he said.

I caught mine, wrinkling my nose at the faded packaging. “This looks older than me.”

Elsie snorted, ripping hers open with her teeth. “If it doesn’t crawl away on its own, it’s edible.” She dumped a handful of some kind of jerky into her palm, popped some into her mouth, and began chewing loudly.

I hesitated before peeling mine open. Inside were hard biscuits, some more jerky, and a lump that might have once been dried fruit. I chewed carefully, the salt and smoke filling my mouth. Not bad. Not particularly good either, though.

“Better than starving,” he said, as if reading my mind.

Elsie leaned back on her crate, rifle propped against her knee. “You’ve got a cozy little hideout here, Commander. Food, weapons, supplies. Almost feels like you’ve been planning this for years.”

“I have,” he said flatly.

She whistled low. “Paranoid or prophetic?”

“Prepared,” he answered.

I tore another bite of jerky, watching them both. The fire popped, sparks drifting up into the damp air. “So what happens when all this starts coming together? You both talk about storming the gates like it’s easy, but what happens once we escape these tunnels and come together to attack the city?”

Elsie chuckled, her grin widening. “That’s when the real fun starts. Wolves versus humans, humans versus wolves, wolves versus wolves, and maybe we kill enough bastards on both sides to make a difference.”

Varek shot her a look, silver eyes flashing. “That’s not the plan. Not if we can avoid it. The goal isn’t slaughter. It’s freedom.”

“Spoken like a wolf who’s never been thrown out like trash,” Elsie muttered, bitterness undercutting her words.

“Spoken like someone who doesn’t want to see the world burn just to prove a point,” he countered.

Their eyes locked, heat sparking in the shadows. I cleared my throat. “Can we not argue while I’m trying to choke down a hundred-year-old cracker?”

That broke the tension. Elsie barked a laugh, shaking her head. “Fair point, sweetheart.”

I flushed at the nickname, but didn’t look away. “I’m serious. I don’t want to be caught in the middle while you two measure who’s got the bigger dick.”

Varek smirked faintly. “You’ve got balls, mate, I’ll give you that.”

“Damn right,” Elsie said, raising her ration biscuit like a toast.

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t hide the small smile tugging at my lips. For a moment, the firelight made it feel almost normal, just three people eating together, the night quiet outside.

The flames crackled, shadows dancing across Varek’s scarred face. His eyes softened as they met mine, full of warmth and emotion.

Elsie noticed and snorted into her biscuit. “God, you two. Get a room.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks. “We’re literally in a room.”