Chapter One Hundred & Nineteen

Chapter One Hundred & Nineteen
Nora's P.O.V

“Because she is not going where you can follow,” he said.

Nick scoffed. “Try me.”

Rael didn’t react to the challenge.

“It is not a matter of strength,” he said. “Or will. It is a matter of what you are.”

Nick’s jaw tightened.

“And what exactly is that supposed to mean?”

Rael’s gaze returned to me, steady.

“She is not what you are,” he said. “And where she is going is not meant for those who aren't.”

Silence stretched.

Nick looked between us. “So this is just happening whether we like it or not?”

Rael answered without looking at him.

“It is already happening.”

The room felt tighter.

More real.

Leo’s voice dropped slightly. “You don’t take her until we’re done with the Order.”

Rael didn’t argue.

“That was always the condition,” he said.

Killian’s eyes narrowed. “Then you wait.”

Rael’s head tilted just slightly, like he found the idea almost unnecessary.

“I am patient,” he said. “Time is not your ally in this—but it is not your enemy either.”

I stepped closer to him now, ignoring the tension behind me.

“When I’m ready,” I said, holding his gaze, “I’ll call you.”

He nodded once.

“You will not need to.”

That wasn’t comforting.

Nick stepped forward again. “You’re not taking her anywhere unless I understand exactly what you are.”

Rael looked at him then.

Really looked.

“Understanding is not a requirement,” he said. “Acceptance will be.”

Nick’s jaw clenched.

“That’s not how this works.”

Rael’s expression didn’t change.

“It is how this works.”

Silence hit again.

Rael stepped back.

His presence thinning like smoke.

His eyes stayed on me.

“Soon,” he said.

Then — he was gone.

The room exhaled all at once.

Jenna blinked. “Okay,” she said slowly. “That guy is definitely worse than the vampires.”

Amelia let out a breath. “Agreed.”

Nick ran a hand through his hair, staring at the space Rael had been.

“…Yeah,” he muttered. “I don’t like him.”

I didn’t look away from where Rael had stood.

The space still felt… wrong. Like the air hadn’t caught up yet. Like something had been there that didn’t belong to the same rules as the rest of us.

“We’re going to spend some time together,” I said finally, pulling myself back into the room, back into something normal. “Then Jenna heads out. An hour.”

Jenna exhaled, running a hand through her hair. “Cool. Casual. Just getting shipped back to college."

The door opened.

Heavy footsteps.

Four men stepped in—large, built like they’d been carved out of something harder than bone, all dressed in black, moving with the kind of precision that didn’t come from guesswork.

They stopped in formation.

At attention.

“Boss.”

Killian and I turned at the same time.

I spoke first.

“You’re the men escorting Jenna?” I asked, my tone steady but sharp enough to make it clear this wasn’t a formality.

The man at the front stepped forward half a pace. Older than the others, composed, eyes scanning the room once before settling.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Jenna leaned slightly toward me, lowering her voice just enough. “That’s my favorite,” she muttered. “He doesn’t talk much. I like him.”

Of course she did.

I stepped closer, closing the distance just enough to look him over properly.

“You understand the situation?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Then say it.”

His posture didn’t shift.

“Primary objective is Miss Kincaid’s safety,” he said. “No exposure. No unnecessary engagement. We move her, we secure her, we keep her off any radar tied to last night’s events.”

Good.

I nodded once.

“You don’t leave her alone,” I added. “Not for a second.”

“Understood.”

Killian stepped in then, his presence heavier, more final.

“She is not to be followed,” he said. “If anything feels off, you reroute immediately.”

The guard nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Jenna crossed her arms, looking between all of us. “Okay, just to clarify—I’m not being kidnapped, right?”

Amelia grinned. “Depends. You planning on running?”

Jenna smirked. “Not yet.”

Nick leaned back slightly, watching the exchange, but I could see it—he was still thinking about Rael. Still stuck on it.

I stepped back, giving Jenna a small nod.

“You’ll be fine,” I said.

She held my gaze for a second.

Then nodded back.

“I know.”

The room shifted again—not tense, not chaotic.

Just moving.

Forward.

Because in an hour—

She’d be gone.

And everything else would start.

The men cleared out as quickly as they’d come.

The house felt lighter without them—less formal, less like everything was already in motion. For a little while, it almost felt normal again.

We moved into the living room, spreading out without structure—Amelia curled up on one side of the couch, Jenna across from her, already mid-story. Nick leaned back in a chair, arms crossed but relaxed, watching everything with that quiet focus he always had. Leo stayed close to me without making it obvious, and Killian lingered just off to the side, present but giving the space room to breathe.

And for a while—

It did.

Amelia launched straight into updates, filling the silence before it could even think about settling.

“Campus is insane this year. New dorm rules, new professors, and—” she paused dramatically, “—Nick almost got kicked out of a lecture.”

Nick didn’t even look at her. “That was one time.”

“You argued with the professor for twenty minutes,” she shot back.

“He was wrong.”

Amelia laughed. “He wasn’t wrong, you’re just stubborn.”

Jenna leaned forward, grinning. “Okay, I like this already.”

Nick gave her a look. “Don’t encourage her.”

“Too late,” Amelia said.

I smiled, leaning back slightly, letting their voices fill the room. It felt… familiar. Grounding. Like nothing outside these walls existed for a minute.

The room shifted again before the door even opened.

The men were back.

They stepped into the living room with the same precision as before, but this time they weren’t empty-handed. Jenna’s luggage followed behind them—bags lined up, ready, everything already in motion whether we liked it or not.

Jenna exhaled slowly, pushing herself up from the couch.

“Well,” she said. “That was fast.”

Too fast.

Amelia stood too, crossing over to her immediately. “You’re going to be fine,” she said.

Jenna smiled. “I know.”

Nick stood, his attention shifting to her. “Call if anything feels off,” he said.

Jenna raised a brow. “You think I won’t?”

He smirked slightly. “Just making sure.”

I stepped forward, closing the distance.

“You’ve got people watching,” I said. “You won’t even notice half of them.”

She huffed a small laugh. “Good. I like it that way.”

For a second, she didn’t move.

Then she stepped in and hugged me.

Tight.

Unexpected.

“Don’t do anything too insane while I’m gone,” she muttered.

I smiled against her shoulder.

“No promises.”

She pulled back, shaking her head. “Yeah, that tracks.”

Killian stepped forward then, quieter, more controlled—but there was something there. Something only she’d recognize.

“Be smart,” he said.

Jenna rolled her eyes slightly. “Always am.”

But she stepped into him anyway—quick, brief, real.

The guards moved.

The bags followed.

Jenna glanced back once as she reached the doorway.

“Try not to start a war,” she called.

Amelia snorted. “Too late.”

Then she was gone.