Callum's jaw tightened, the muscle jumping beneath his skin. "Tense doesn't begin to cover it. Ronan's appearance, Luna's warnings, this Architect entity—" He turned to face her fully, violet eyes burning with intensity. "We're being circled by predators, Samantha. And our daughter is the prize."
Through the bond, she felt his dragon's fury, barely leashed, coiled tight like a spring ready to snap. But underneath it was something else—fear. Raw, primal fear for Nova's safety.
"Then we fight," she said simply, moving closer until their bodies were nearly touching. "Like we always do."
His hand came up to cup her face, thumb brushing across her cheekbone with surprising gentleness given the violence thrumming through the bond. "You make it sound simple."
"It is simple," she insisted. "Complicated, dangerous, potentially catastrophic—but simple. They want our daughter. We say no. End of discussion."
A laugh escaped him—short, sharp, unexpected. "You're remarkable, you know that?"
