Aurora’s trembling body pressed against Maya’s chest, the weight of all her exhaustion buried in that single embrace. She smelled of night rain and salt, like a storm that refused to die down. Maya wrapped her arms around her without hesitation, though her own emotions felt jagged and raw.
“Don’t you dare break down now,” Maya whispered, even as her voice cracked. “We’ve both been through worse s**t than this.”
Aurora chuckled bitterly, her face still pressed into Maya’s shoulder. “You’re still the same...hard as stone, Luna.”
Maya smiled faintly, though her eyes betrayed her turmoil. “Somebody in this f****d-up pack has to be.”
For a brief moment, silence fell between them, soft but fragile, like the world itself was holding its breath. Aurora finally pulled away, wiping her tears wit
