The manor was quieter than Tristan remembered it.
After the shouting in court, after Troy's curses and Terry's silence, the house felt hollow, as if the walls themselves were waiting to see who would remain.
Tara sat in the drawing room, her hands folded neatly in her lap. She had changed out of the gown she wore to court. Now she wore a simpler dress of gray wool, plain but dignified. Her hair, usually coiled with care, hung looser around her shoulders.
Therese lingered by the window, arms crossed. She had not spoken since they returned, her copper-colored eyes following the garden path outside.
The door creaked. Tristan stepped inside, Shannon at his shoulder. For once, the Alpha did not speak first. He simply stood by the door, watchful, letting the family speak if they chose.
Tara looked up. Her eyes softened. "You came."
Tristan hesitated, still feeling the weight of the court's seal in his pocket. "I… wasn't sure I should."
