KAEL’S POV
I stepped out of the room, my expression unreadable as the family waited expectantly. The man stood a little too proudly, his chest puffed up as if he were awaiting a formal declaration of gratitude. His wife stood beside him, hands clasped tightly together, and Mae, well, she was trying her best to appear modest, but I didn’t miss the way her fingers trembled slightly, nor the way she stole fleeting glances at me.
I let the silence stretch, watching them carefully, before finally speaking.
“I want to thank you,” I said, my voice steady. “For your bravery. For the help you have rendered to keep Jaxon alive.”
The man straightened even more, his wife exhaled in what I assumed was relief, and Mae dipped her head slightly, her lips curving in a shy smile.
“The pack will be made
