They reached the ridge house just after noon.
It wasn't really a house anymore. It was a fallback point. Too many vehicles outside. Too many people moving in and out with phones pressed to their ears, radios crackling, medicine boxes stacked by the door. A place that smelled like coffee, wet boots, and decisions made too fast.
The wolves on guard straightened when Aria stepped out of the SUV.
Some lowered their heads.
Some didn't.
No one spoke.
Aria noticed all of it.
Kai came around the front of the vehicle and slammed the door harder than he meant to. The sound cracked through the yard. A few heads turned. He didn't care.
Marcus was already on the porch waiting for them.
"You took your time," he said.
Kai gave him a flat look. "Lovely to see you too."
Marcus ignored that. His eyes went straight to Aria's face, searching for something—damage, maybe. Or distance.
"What happened?" he asked.
