Clark POV:
I still couldn't believe it. The world outside the window looked like home—soft sunlight over green hills, the familiar layout of the airport, tiny cars moving like ants far below. It all felt too fragile, too perfect, like one touch might shatter it into the nightmare I'd left behind.
Home. The word rolled through my head like a prayer. Home, where monsters didn't roam in daylight, where vampires were just pale actors in movies, and wolves were just creatures in nature documentaries—not shapeshifters, not killers in expensive suits.
As soon as the plane's wheels screeched against the tarmac, I didn't breathe. Not a real breath, not until I was sure. My fingers gripped the armrests so tightly my knuckles ached. The hum of the engine faded, and the low, familiar murmur of passengers standing up, shoving bags into the aisle, filled my ears. I still didn't believe it.
This was it. I was back.
Back to the safe zone.
