Page 75 of Mate Night Snack
She nodded, moving to examine the ward stones with the careful attention she'd once given to crime scenes. She paused. "You really think he'll come alone?"
"He's arrogant enough," Maeve said, selecting another blade from her case. "Especially if he thinks you're vulnerable and isolated. His whole thing is psychological warfare, breaking people through fear and manipulation. He'll want to savor the moment."
"And if he brings backup?"
"Then we adapt." Emmett moved to stand beside her, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from her skin. "But the wards will contain anything up to a small pack. And we'll have advance warning from the perimeter sensors."
Katniss leaned into his presence, drawing strength from the contact. He felt her mixture of determination and fear, her absolute commitment to seeing this through despite the risks.
"Any word on the missing seers?" she asked Twyla. "The ones he's been using as power sources?"
"I've been working on tracking spells, but shadow magic makes it difficult. They're there, somewhere in the spaces between worlds, but I can't pinpoint exact locations." Twyla's expression grew troubled. "If we can disrupt his control during the confrontation, they might be able to break free on their own."
As the afternoon wore on, the clearing transformed from a simple forest glade into something that felt like a sacred battleground. The ward stones hummed with protective energy. The concealment points were invisible unless you knew exactly where to look. The communication crystals sparkled like captured starlight in their hidden positions.
Everything was ready.
"Last chance to change your mind," Emmett said quietly.
"Not happening." Katniss's voice was steady, sure. "This ends tonight."
"Promise me something."
"What?"
"Promise me that when this is over, when Ashwin is dealt with and the threat is past, you'll let me take you somewhere peaceful. Just the two of us, no supernatural drama, no ancient mysteries to solve."
She smiled, the expression transforming her face from determined to radiant. "Like a vacation?"
"Like a future." He cupped her face in his hands. "Because after tonight, I want to start building one with you."
"I want that too." She rose up on her toes to kiss him, soft and sweet and full of promises they both intended to keep. "All of it. The quiet moments, the everyday drama, the chance to be normal together."
"Normalcy is overrated," he murmured against her lips.
"Maybe. But boring sounds pretty good right about now."
Around them, the others finished their preparations with the quiet efficiency of people who knew their lives depended on getting every detail right. As darkness began to fall, they took their positions, melting into the shadows like they'd been born to them.
Emmett found his concealment point behind a cluster of ancient oaks, close enough to reach Katniss in seconds buthidden from casual observation. Through the bond, he could feel her steady heartbeat, her calm breathing, her absolute focus on the task ahead.
She was ready.
They were all ready.
Now came the hardest part.
The waiting.
32
KATNISS
The Hollow Stone felt alive beneath Katniss's palms, thrumming with ancient power that resonated through her bones like a second heartbeat. She knelt at its base in the silvered moonlight, surrounded by protective wards and hidden allies, waiting for a monster to emerge from the shadows.
She didn't have to wait long.
The temperature dropped ten degrees in the span of a breath, frost forming on the grass despite the mild autumn night. The forest went silent, not even the whisper of wind through leaves to break the unnatural hush. Through the mate bond, she felt Emmett's sudden alertness, his wolf rising to the surface as predatory instincts recognized a threat.
