(Dominic’s POV)
The sunrise was slow, pale, and tentative—like it couldn’t quite summon the courage to drape light over a war-torn land. I watched it from the battlements as the day began, my mind moving in circles around what came next.
Ava had won the last strike—but that victory only sharpened what loomed on the horizon. Caleb wasn’t content to wait. We’d hurt his network; he’d hurt back. And this time, I’d let emotions edge too close to decisions. That couldn’t happen again.
I finished my coffee alone in the war room—strong, black, but already lukewarm—and reviewed yesterday’s after-action reports. No more trace of enemy rogues beyond the captured files. For now, the border was secure. But I could feel the tension coiling tighter in every eye I met.
Logan burst in then—voice low wi
