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Ta Voucher
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I woke up the next morning with sunlight hitting my face. I raked my fingers through my hair and sat up slow. The packhouse sounded quiet. No explosions. No screams. Just birds outside and people talking low downstairs. I got dressed quick and headed down to the kitchen.
Linda stood at the counter stirring coffee. Alice sat at the table eating toast. They looked up when I walked in.
“Morning Sienna,” Linda said. “Sleep okay?”
I nodded and grabbed a mug. “Yeah. Fine. Everything seems… normal today.”
Alice smiled small and took a bite. “That’s a good thing.”
I poured coffee and shifted on my feet. “I guess. But it’s weird. No attack. No nothing. What if they’re planning something big?”
Linda furrowed her eyebrows and leaned against the counter. “Maybe. Or maybe they’ re regrouping.”
Alice shrugged and wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Or maybe they’ve just decided we’ re too powerful for them anyway and they’ve given up. We hit them hard yesterday. They know we’re not messing around.”
I looked at her and crossed my arms. “You think they’d quit that easy?”
Alice laughed a little. “Why not? Rogues talk tough but when you smack them down they scatter. We’re stronger united. They see that now.”
I nodded slow but my stomach twisted. “I hope you’re right.”
Linda sipped her coffee. “We’ll keep scouts out. No surprises.”
Damien walked in then with Elias behind him. He grabbed an apple from the bowl and looked at me. “You up early.”
I shifted on my feet. “Couldn’t sleep much. Worried about another attack.”
He bit into the apple. “No attack yet. That’s good.”
Alice stood up and walked over to him. “Exactly. Like I was saying, they probably backed off. But we should train the new fighters just in case.”
Damien nodded once. “Yeah. Let’s go over the drills now.”
Alice grabbed her jacket from the chair. “I’ll help. I know some moves that’ll work on rogues.”
They walked out together toward the back door. I watched from the window. Damien
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said something low and Alice laughed loud, head thrown back. She slapped his arm playful and he didn’t pull away. They stood close, shoulders almost touching, as they talked to the group of fighters outside.
Elias looked at me. “You okay Sienna?”
I furrowed my eyebrows and raked my fingers through my hair. “Yeah. Fine.”
Jealousy burned hot in my chest. I crossed my arms tight and stared harder. Alice demonstrated a kick and Damien nodded, then grabbed her arm to adjust her stance. His hand lingered on her wrist a second too long. She smiled up at him and said something that made him almost smirk.
Linda came up next to me. “They’re just training.”
I shifted on my feet. “I know. But look at them. She’s all over him.”
Linda squeezed my shoulder. “It’s nothing. Old friends. That’s all.”
I shook my head. “Old mates. Not friends.”
Alice flipped Damien over her shoulder in a quick move. He hit the ground and she offered her hand to pull him up. He took it and she yanked him close, laughing again. They stood face to face, her hand still in his.
My stomach twisted harder. I turned away from the window. “I can’t watch this.”
Linda furrowed her eyebrows. “Sienna…”
I walked out of the kitchen fast. My hands shook. I raked my fingers through my hair again and headed upstairs. Why did it bother me so much? He didn’t even love me. But seeing her touch him like that made me want to scream.
I sat in the kitchen staring at my cold coffee. I raked my fingers through my hair and ignored the footsteps coming down the hall. Damien walked in but I didn’t look up. I shifted on the stool and crossed my arms tight over my chest. He stopped at the
counter across from me.
“Sienna,” he said.
I didn’t answer. I just stirred the coffee with my spoon, watching it swirl.
He leaned on the counter. “Someone posted you’re missing in the human world.”
I jerked my head up and furrowed my eyebrows. “What?”
He pulled his phone out and slid it across the counter. I grabbed it quick. The screen showed a social media post with my old photo from work. “Missing: Sienna Thompson. Last seen months ago. Family worried. Call if you know anything.”
I felt my stomach drop. I raked my fingers through my hair again. “Who posted this? I’
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m an orphan. I only have extended family I never talk to. Like an aunt or cousin I haven’ t seen in years. Why would they care now?”
Damien shrugged once. “Doesn’t matter who. It’s out there. Police might get involved if it blows up.”
I stared at the screen. My hands shook a little. “Police? Oh my goodness. What do I do?”
He took the phone back and pocketed it. “You need to go to the human world briefly. Show up, say you’re fine vefore they make a big case of it.”
I shifted on the stool. “Go back? Like right now?”
He nodded. “Yeah, tomorrow morning. Quick trip in and out.”
I furrowed my eyebrows. “Alone?”
He crossed his arms. “No. I’m coming with you.”
I felt my chest loosen a tiny bit. “You are?”
“Yeah,” he said flat. “Can’t let you go without protection, rogues might still be sniffing
around.”
I raked my fingers through my hair. “Okay. That makes sense but what do I tell people? Where have I been?”
He leaned closer. “Say you were traveling. Family emergency, keep it vague and don’t give details.”
I nodded slow. “I can do that. But what if they ask about the pregnancy?”
I knew it was still too early to tell but I couldn’t take any risks at this point.
He looked at my stomach. “Wear a loose shirt, don’t let them see.”
I crossed my arms again. “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one lying to everyone.”
He shrugged. “You have to, for the pack and the pup.”
I sighed and looked down at my coffee. “Fine. I’ll do it.”
He stood up straight. “Good. Pack light. We leave at dawn.”
He turned and walked out without another word. I sat there staring at the empty doorway. My heart raced. Going back to the human world felt weird and scary but with Damien there maybe it’d be okay.
I raked my fingers through my hair one more time and stood up, time to pack.
“I’ll take her instead,” Linda said.
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