Chapter 61
+25 BONUS
Chapter 61
I walked him back myself, keeping a steady pace, alert for anything in the shadows.
The whole time, I felt Richard nearby–not close enough to touch, but always in reach. Once, when the scout veered off course, we both moved to redirect him at the same time. His hand grazed the small of my back as he passed, steadying me. I didn’t react, not outwardly. But the spot burned. It wasn’t accidental. Or if it was, it still lingered.
When we regrouped at the checkpoint, I handed off the delegate to medical, and Richard stepped closer than necessary as he looked over my shoulder at my notes. “You okay?” he murmured, voice low enough that it felt like a touch.
I turned toward him. “You mean physically or professionally?”
His gaze didn’t move from mine. “I meant personally.”
I swallowed, suddenly aware of the dirt on my hands and the rapid beat in my chest. “I’m managing”
His hand lingered near mine, not quite brushing. “You always do.”
And just like that, the silence between us felt heavier than it had in the archive. Not strained. Just full.
If Red Fang was alive, he wasn’t just a relic. He was active. Still influencing.
I drew a thread from his name to the disbanded units–several of which now backed David. And just like that, a new possibility formed: Red Fang was alive and working behind the scenes.
Maybe even helping someone win.
It was nearly midnight when I made my way to the medical wing.
The elder healer, Saul, met me in the quiet hallway outside the exam rooms. He was older than most, with hands like bark and a gaze that had seen too much.
“There’s someone I need to ask about,” I said carefully. “He served during the war–went by the codename Red Fang.”
Saul didn’t flinch. “Feral,” he said. “But loyal. Wouldn’t talk. Just took pain like it owed him something.”
“Do you remember treating him?”
He nodded. “Long time ago. Broken rib cage. Punctured lung. Should’ve kept him two weeks, but he vanished after two days. Gone. No transport record.”
I jotted it down.
“He had eyes like a cornered wolf,” Saul added. “Didn’t look at you. Looked through you.”
When I left the wing, Richard was waiting.
“Walk you back?” he asked.
I hesitated for a second. I knew someone could see us–staff in the hall, aides on late rounds. The optics weren’t great. But then I nodded anyway.
We walked in silence most of the way. Our shoulders brushed twice.
“We’re getting close,” I said.
He didn’t hesitate. “Close to something dangerous.”
We stopped at my door..
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Chapter 61
+25 BONUS
I turned the key slowly but didn’t open it.
His hand was at his side, clenched.
“Do you ever wonder,” I said, not looking at him, “what this would feel like if none of this “I gestured vaguely happening?”
“All the time,” he said.
I finally looked at him.
He stepped forward. Not too close. But closer than he should.
“If it weren’t for this summit,” I said, voice low, “would you still be walking me to my door?”
“Yes.”
“And would you still leave?”
He didn’t answer.
But he didn’t step back either.
He opened his mouth like he might say something, but nothing came out.
So I did it for him.
“Good night,” I said softly, even though I didn’t want it to be.
His jaw flexed. “Good night.”
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were
I turned the handle and stepped inside, closing the door slowly. Not slamming. Not abrupt. Just enough to say: I’m letting you go -this time.
My heart didn’t settle, even as I walked to the board. I stood there for a long moment, holding the last pin in my fingers like it weighed something real.
Then I pressed it into the wall. Not into Red Fang. Not into the summit. Into me.
This wasn’t just about strategy or legacy or ghosts.
It was about what I was becoming.
