Page 179 of The Hunter's Empire

"I've barely slept in three days." She mutters. "I'm too tired for your personality."

The smile never leaves her face. Neither does the relief. The commotion quickly draws the others inside.

Keith reaches me first.

For a moment, he simply stands there looking at me as though he's trying to convince himself I'm actually awake. Then some of the tension leaves his shoulders and he exhales slowly.

"I thought we were too late." The quiet admission catches me off guard.

"So did I." I admit.

His hand settles briefly against my shoulder before he nods once, more to himself than to me. "I'm glad I was wrong."

Anton steps forward next. He looks terrible. There are dark circles beneath his eyes, his hair is a mess, and for perhaps the first time in my life, he genuinely looks exhausted.

"You look awful." I tell him.

A short laugh escapes him. "Good. It means I don't have to pretend you look any better." The smile fades quickly. "You scared us, Zora."

Aurelia moves back to my bedside and folds her arms.

"Three days." She says. "Do you know how many times I threatened the doctors?"

Keith raises an eyebrow. "An alarming number."

"They deserved it."

Despite the ache in my chest, I laugh softly. The sound seems to relax everyone at once.

Keith notices it first. "There's the Zora we know."

I look between all of them, suddenly overwhelmed by the realization that they were here through all of it. "I'm sorry."

Aurelia immediately shakes her head. "Don't." Her expression softens. "Just focus on getting better."

For the first time in my life, I do exactly that.

After the conversation settles, the question that has been sitting quietly at the back of my mind finally forces its way forward.

I look down at the blanket gathered in my lap, my fingers tracing absent patterns across the fabric.

"What happened after I lost consciousness?"

The room grows noticeably quieter.

Keith exchanges a brief glance with Aurelia before looking back at me.

"The police took control of the building almost immediately. They collected statements, reviewed the footage, and reconstructed everything that happened inside your office."

He pauses briefly. "Officially, Mikkel attempted to seize control of your office with Tobias and Sebastian acting alongside him. Somewhere in the middle of it, Tobias turned on everyone. Including his own father."

"And Tobias?"

Keith holds my gaze. "Dead."

The answer lands heavily between us.

"And Sebastian?"