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WES

M y eyes drifted open, catching the rainbow colors of the sun filtering through stained-glass. I was still on my side, facing her. And she was still, as if frozen in time. My eyes glanced at the monitor just beyond her, and I saw as it registered her heartbeat, her pulse, her life .

I could have cried.

Mara made it through the night. She fucking made it.

She was alive. I lifted myself onto my elbow and gazed at what I could see of her broken body.

Swelling, bruising, scabbing—it marred her gorgeous skin.

Slowly, I leaned toward her. My lips caressed her forehead, then her cheek, and then one more on her lips.

I touched her softly, stroking her hair, and then leaned in close to her once more.

Knock, knock.

Right on time. “Come in.” I sat up and watched as the door opened, revealing the exact person I requested the night before.

With long, raven black-hair, brown almond-shaped eyes, and creamy smooth skin, Edith Le was exotic in appearance, with a personality that was larger than life.

She was a Northerner, and she was Mara’s best friend.

“Hey,” she cooed, devoid of her usual spunk. “How is she? ”

I let out a heavy breath. “Alive.” It was all I had. Because Mara was leagues away from being okay , but at least she was still breathing.

Edith didn’t press and simply waited by the door.

I leaned back down toward Mara and whispered, “I’ll be back, love.” Placing a final kiss on her temple, I rose from the bed, knowing I needed a shower and a change of clothing before the Council of War.

“I’ll be back as soon as I’m done at the meeting,” I said to Edith as I passed her, heading for the door.

“Do whatcha gotta do, Wes. I got this.”

Hand on the handle, I hesitated. I hated leaving her. I knew Edith would watch her, but it didn’t change the absolute repulsion inside of me at the mere thought of leaving this room. I looked over my shoulder as I spoke. “Message me if her condition changes.”

A half-hearted smile. “You got it.”

I blew out a breath and soldiered on.

***

“We’ve reengaged in the war efforts against Telvia. We caught them by surprise, I think, and were able to recapture Camp Butte. But I don’t know how much longer we’ll be able to hold them off without reinforcements.”

General Michael Krous sat in the chair across from me in the parlor—a room that had been haphazardly transformed into a Situation Room at Calvernon Estate.

We should have been meeting at Fort Warren, but with Mara’s situation being so precarious, I demanded that the meeting be held here.

There was no way in hell I was going to drive anywhere when her condition could turn for the worst at any second.

I hoped the arrangement would be temporary.

Krous kept talking, but I struggled to pay attention.

He was middle-aged with light brown hair that he kept neatly combed and trimmed.

He always dressed the part and truly was a fantastic leader.

Without him, I might have been a dead man not three days before—the day I decided I was done with my father and took control of the North by force. I was grateful to him.

My mother nodded. “What do you suggest, General?” She had taken to her new position as First in Command well.

Following my father’s passing, Gary Fisher swore allegiance to me as his new president, but then disappeared the moment he left the estate that night.

Once we figured out he was gone, Sasha insisted I appoint a new First Commander immediately.

I had no successors, and without a First Commander, the Northern faction would become leaderless if I died.

I didn’t skip a beat. Marissa Calvernon was absolutely the person I wanted to lead the region in my absence. Unlike me, she was good at it.

Krous grimaced. “We’ll need to draft. Without President Laurence’s aid, our numbers are dwindling too fast.”

I inhaled deeply. A draft?

Fuck.

The last thing I wanted was to institute a draft. It was bad enough that our soldiers were dying left and right, being modified and turned into Raúl’s mindless puppets if they were caught. I couldn’t bear the thought of dragging young men and women into this by force.

Mother sat taller. “Absolutely not.”

“Commander, I’m afraid you don’t have much choice. We need bodies.”

“These are civilians, General. They have no training, and if the situation is as dire as you say, then that’s all they’ll be an hour after they set foot on the battlefield. Just a body.”

I swiveled my gaze to Krous. His eyes told me he wasn’t happy with her choice. “We have another concern.”

I leaned back into my chair, legs stretched out as I rested my elbow on the armrest, and pressed my lips into my fist .

Krous cleared his throat. I couldn’t tell if he was nervous or pissed off…maybe both. “We’ve been getting cryptic intel suggesting an attack on the Northern capital.”

Now he had my attention. I sat up straighter, speaking for the first time. “Telvian?”

He shook his head. “No. Northern.”

My system froze in place. “Northern?”

He nodded.

“What do you mean by Northern ?”

“We—” he faltered. Closed his mouth. Swallowed. Looked around the room.

“What the fuck do you mean by Northern, General?”

His eyes darted to me. “Our intelligence suspects the threats are coming from inside the North, leading us to believe we have dissension within the ranks. But it could be Telvian made to look like Northern threats.”

I fell back into my chair, fuming like a volcano ready to erupt. “Why would there be dissension?”

Krous grew serious. “You know why, Mr. President. Your father was highly revered by his people. One day he’s negotiating a peace treaty with Telvia, and the next he’s died of a sudden heart attack. Instead of Fisher assuming control—”

“I’m the First Son,” I shot back.

“Who has blatantly rebelled against his father for years ,” he raised his voice. Ballsy. Very ballsy of him. I respected that.

And he wasn’t wrong.

“Fisher should have taken command, if only temporarily to follow protocol. Instead, he disappears into the night—the same night your father dies. You took Bynes into custody, broke off the treaty with Telvia, and reengaged in the war. No memorial for your father. No funeral. Nothing to honor his years as Commander in Chief to the North, and no explanation of why the First Commander did not assume his role as interim president.” He shook his head, rapping his fingers on the table.

“What did you think was going to happen? That people wouldn’t assume you killed him? ”

My gaze dropped to the floor. I worked my jaw, feeling the heat pulse in my veins like magma. I wasn’t stupid. I knew I was going to face consequences for my actions. I guess some part of me just thought that this wouldn’t be one of them.

My mother did what she was proving to do best—lead.

“Order increased security at the estate. Ask President De’vor if she would be willing to lend Dissenters to fortify our position here.

Following that, double down efforts on understanding these messages.

We need to know if they’re truly Northerners, or if this is a ploy of Raúl’s to distract us. ”

Krous glanced at me, and I nodded my agreement. “Very well. And what will we do to pacify any accusations from the people?” He directed the question at Mother.

She clasped her hands neatly on the table, shoulders back with perfect posture. “I’ll handle the people.” She turned to me. “With your permission, I’ll begin working on some PR campaigns…something to help bolster morale and the people’s faith in your ability to lead them.”

I nodded again.

“Good,” she said softly, then returned her attention to Krous. “Thank you for your time, General.”

He stood, bowed, and stepped out of the room.

Silence.

My mother shifted in her seat once more. “You need to do better, Wes.”

I grimaced. “I know.”

Her hand rested on my shoulder and then slid to my back where she rubbed it in soothing circles. “You can do this, my darling.” She stood and then placed a kiss on the crown of my head. “I believe in you. ”

I said nothing. Eyes trained on the table in front of me as my mother walked out.

A heavy sigh escaped me as I rested my elbows on the table and buried my head in my hands.

I didn’t want this. I didn’t want to rule a faction.

I wasn’t trained for this, not in the slightest. I was a soldier, not a politician.

I groaned as I stood, trying to shake off the invisible weight I knew I had cast upon myself.

I had something more important to do. I’d been away from Mara for too long.

The day was passing by too quickly, the late afternoon light was leaving me too fast, and I still had one more thing I wanted to accomplish.

After messaging the estate staff for someone to find me a vase, I stepped out into the gardens.

Fall was fading into winter fast, and the air was cold, cutting through my clothes like a knife.

But I was a man on a mission, and I wouldn’t rest until I found what I wanted.

It didn’t take long though, and the moment I saw it, I clipped it and turned quickly back into the house.

Up the main staircase, down the hall, until I was at her door.

I opened it slowly, the light from the nightstand already turned on while Edith warmed herself by the fire.

She had just taken a bite out of a hamburger, cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk.

She must have requested the staff bring her dinner.

She turned to face me, her eyes wide as she swallowed hard with a wince. “Hey,” she began, grabbing her cup and taking a sip. “That took longer than I thought. Did everything go okay?”

No. “It was fine. How is she?”

She glanced at Mara, pointing her burger at the bed. “She hasn’t moved.”

I grimaced, but I knew the doctor said she would sleep for several days. I had to be patient. Of course, patience was never my strong suit.

“The doctor came by and checked her.”

I spun on her. “What? Why didn’t you message me?”

She held her hands up in surrender, still clutching her hamburger. “Whoa, chill. Down boy. ”

I glared, trying to suppress the urge to throttle her. Fucking Edith…

She lowered her arms, bringing the burger to her lips. “He said—and I quote—‘she seems to be healing remarkably.’ Go look for yourself,” she added, pointing at Mara with her burger again. “Some of her bruising’s already fading.”

I did look. And I saw Snow White sleeping, waiting for true love’s first kiss. If only I had that kind of power. “Did they bring—”

“Over there,” she said as she pointed to the dresser in the corner, and then took another bite. An empty, large crystal vase sat on top. With a full mouth, she asked, “Wa som?”

“I ate.” I lied. I wasn’t hungry.

“Good,” she said as she swallowed the last bite of her food. “I wasn’t planning on sharing.” Grabbing her drink, she stood. “Well, if you don’t mind, I think I’m gonna head out.”

“Yeah, sure. Thanks for coming today.”

She stepped up to me and patted my cheek. “You’re welcome, Wessy.” Then walked on to the door. “Get some sleep, dude,” she added over her shoulder. “You look like shit.”

“ Thanks ,” I drawled out, sarcasm dripping from the one word.

As soon as the door closed behind her, I got to work preparing the vase, filling it with water and setting it back on the dresser. Slowly, I placed a single fresh white rose inside it.

Day one.

After that, I showered, put on a clean pair of sweatpants and a white t-shirt, and climbed into bed next to Mara.

Resting once more on my side, facing her, I reached out and took her hand in mine.

It seemed so cruel that she could be here with me, resting soundlessly, only for her soul to remain just out of reach.

I sighed heavily, feeling the weight of my fear, and the angst for her to wake, crushing my heart.