Page 26 of Claimed By the Drakarn Warrior Lord

"And what do you propose we do?" I asked, crossing my arms and tilting my head expectantly.

Vega’s lips curved upward into a faint smile, but there was no humor in it. "We need to be in a less secure location, for one."

"I think I can get you moved to better quarters." No matter what Vega was planning, it was on my list. My team shouldn't be prisoners.

"That's step one," Vega continued. "Then I slip out and find the others. It's all well and good that you've found a boyfriend, but have you forgotten the civilians we're supposed to be protecting?"

"I have not," I said, my tone sharp. "But we need to stop acting hostile. If you let me tell Darrokar?—"

"Absolutely not!"

"No way."

"Are you crazy?"

It was a unanimous no.

"You’re assuming we’re not already considered threats," Vega countered, holding my gaze without flinching. "Do you really think they'll let us move freely?" She tilted her head towards the door where my escort was waiting outside.

Kira finally spoke, her voice cutting through Vega’s as if on cue. "And if the others are dead?"

The bluntness of her words struck the room like a blade, silencing everyone. Even Vega faltered, her mouth closing into a thin line.

"They’re not dead," I said firmly, though the knot in my chest tightened at the thought. "We can’t think like that. If there’s even a chance?—"

"If they’re gone, Terra. What then?" Kira pressed. She still wasn’t looking at me directly, but her words carried an edge I wasn’t used to hearing from her.

"Then we mourn but keep going," I said forcefully. "And we need to remain together to do that."

“Are we together?” Hawk asked quietly but pointedly. Her words weren’t loud, yet theylanded with the weight of an avalanche. The unspoken question hung in the air:Are you with us, or are you withhim?

I drew a breath, my gaze sweeping over each of them before returning to Kira’s still-guarded expression. I didn’t have the answer they wanted—but maybe I could give them something else.

"I am still with you," I said finally, my voice quiet but firm. "And I swear, I will find a way to get us out of this hell. But if we screw this up and Darrokar?—"

"What are his intentions exactly?" Hawk pressed, her tone skeptical. "As far as I can tell, all we’ve earned for two weeks of patience is this room and a lot of unanswered questions."

The truth burned at the back of my throat, but I couldn’t give them that yet. Instead, I kept my voice calm, even. "Give me time."

Vega shook her head but didn’t argue further. She turned toward the table, busying herself with organizing supplies. Hawk followed Vega’s lead, rummaging through the makeshift inventory with ill-concealed frustration.

Only Kira lingered near the narrow window, her distant gaze unreadable.

As my team settled reluctantly into tense silence, I stepped closer to her, my expression softening justenough to pass as nonchalant. "Kira," I said softly. "What’s going on?"

She hesitated before answering, her shoulders stiffening slightly. "Nothing. Just thinking."

"Anything I should know?"

Her eyes flicked toward me briefly, but she didn’t hold my gaze. "No," she replied quickly—too quickly.

I studied her for a moment longer, debating whether to push harder. But something in her posture warned me against it. Kira wasn’t ready to talk, and forcing the issue would only make it worse.

"Alright," I said finally, stepping back and allowing her the space she clearly wanted. But as I turned away, her quiet urgency echoed in my mind, along with Vega’s cold practicality and Hawk’s frustrated skepticism.

They were my team, my people—and I’d never felt more separate from them.

I had walked into this room expecting to reunite with familiar camaraderie, with strength forged in shared struggle. But all I’d found were fault lines, cracks that spiderwebbed deeper than any one conversation could bridge.

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