Calla’s POV

The silence after their departure pressed against me like a physical weight. Through the cabin windows, I watched the red taillights disappear into the darkness, swallowed by trees that seemed to close ranks behind them. Kane’s absence left a void that made the walls feel closer, and the shadows deeper.

I wasn’t alone, Wrench and Diesel had positioned themselves on the front porch. Diesel kept making jokes about the cold, his easy laughter drifting through the windows, while ...