The second visit came faster than Alex expected, yet somehow still felt like an eternity arriving.
Storm appeared at the lodge door precisely as the sun began its descent, his expression slightly less hostile than that morning—though that might have been wishful thinking on Alex's part.
"Time," he said simply.
Alex stood, pocketing the Everlight Stone along with his other treasures, and followed the gray wolf down the now-familiar path to the bridge.
His heart picked up speed with each step.
The babies seemed to sense where they were going, their movements becoming more active, almost eager. They knew.
Somehow, these six tiny lives understood they were about to be near their fathers again.
The bridge came into view through the darkening trees.
And there—looking marginally better than this morning but still far from okay—were Naga and Leo.
