Marcus moved behind her, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders. "He's right. We spent so long being defined by power and politics and survival that we forgot how to simply be. This—" his hands squeezed gently, "—this is us learning how."
The moment felt weighted with meaning, and through the bond, Samantha felt their collective understanding.
They'd all been shaped by expectations and roles and carefully maintained images.
Marcus the ancient vampire-turned-Hybrid, cold and controlled. Kai the powerful werewolf, wild and unpredictable. Callum the dragon Overseer, distant and dutiful. And her—Samantha who'd been human, then vampire, then hybrid, always adapting, always surviving.
But here, in this kitchen at dawn, they were just themselves. No masks, no pretenses, just four people who loved each other learning how to build a life together.
