The day had hardly settled after the chaos of the insect beasts. The salty air still carried a sharp tension, even though the sea was once again calm, the sand washed clean of blood. Everyone's nerves were stretched tight. Mireya clung to Marina's side, Maxen tucked under Kael's protective arm, while I still found myself in Hugo's embrace, my body refusing to loosen from the safety of his hold. His lime-scented pheromone surrounded me like a shield, keeping the last echoes of my mint power contained.
That was the scene when the boat finally docked.
Two figures stepped onto the island—Rika Aria, Hugo's sister-in-law and a leading researcher of pheromone studies, and Hera Redrich, Hugo's eldest sister, a woman who carried herself with the quiet authority of an alpha used to command. Their presence immediately shifted the atmosphere. Relief, curiosity, and for Kael, a renewed suspicion.
