Chapter 36 What The Night Left Behind

• The security guard’s name was Devon. Emily found that out while sitting in the hospital staff lounge at two in the morning, listening to Dr. Amara fight to stabilize him. It was the same trauma bay where, months ago, Emily had watched Kael Thornwood save a stranger's life with a level of focus that had honestly intimidated her.
• He was going to make it, Amara had confirmed an hour ago, but it was going to be a long road. A silver-edged blade had caught him across the ribs, and as Emily was learning, silver wounds didn't play fair; they healed slower and meaner than any normal injury, no matter how good the doctors were. That uncertainty felt like a weight in her chest as she watched Kael pace the small room. He had his phone pressed to his ear, his voice low and urgent—that specific tone he used for pack business that had stopped sounding foreign to her a long time ago.
• "The Council is calling an emergency session at dawn," he said, finally lowering the phone. He looked exhausted, the lines of fatigue deep in his face even though Emily’s healing had completely erased his physical wounds. "It's formal. Every territory Alpha within reach is being summoned. They can't pretend this is just a misunderstanding anymore."