Page 21 of Wraith’s Promise

Ranger looks up at me, and there's gratitude in his expression. "Phoenix said you took down all five in under two minutes."

"They threatened my daughter." I say it simply, like that explains everything. Because it does.

"Fair enough." Ranger stands, moves to the table where Mariah is still drawing. "Hey, little dragon rider. What are you making?"

"It's Firecracker again! See?" She holds up her drawing proudly. "And that's Quinn riding with me now because she's part of our adventures."

Ranger glances at the drawing: two figures on a purple dragon, both with enormous smiles, and smirks. He looks at Quinn, then at me, then back at the drawing.

"Quinn's part of your adventures now, huh?" he says slowly.

"Yep! She lives here and reads stories and makes breakfast and she's gonna teach me cool fighting moves when I'm bigger." Mariah says it all in one breath, like it's the most natural progression in the world.

"Fighting moves," Ranger repeats, amused. "That so?"

"When she's older," Quinn clarifies quickly. "Much older."

Ranger straightens, and there's something knowing in his eyes now, something that makes me slightly uncomfortable. "Well. Looks like you're settling in pretty well, Quinnie."

"It's been one day, Ranger."

"Yeah, but it's been a hell of a day." He leans against the counter, arms crossed, and the knowing look intensifies into something almost teasing. "You know, you two would look good together. Just saying."

Quinn's face flushes immediately. "Ranger—"

"I'm just making an observation. As your brother and his club member, I feel qualified to observe these things."

"There's nothing to observe," Quinn says firmly, but her cheeks are still pink, and she won't quite look at me.

"Sure," Ranger says, not buying it for a second. "Nothing at all. Just two people who fit together like they've been doing this for years instead of hours, who just fought off five Vipers as a team, who are currently looking at each other like—"

"Ranger." I cut him off, my own face heating now. "Knock it off."

He grins, unrepentant. "Fine, fine. I'll stop. For now." He pushes off the counter. "Phoenix said you're free for the rest of the day and tonight. No club business, no obligations. He wants you to take the time, be with your daughter, enjoy the fact that everyone's safe."

I blink, surprised. Phoenix doesn't usually give days off in the middle of a war, doesn't usually tell brothers to step back from club business. "He said that?"

"Direct quote: 'Tell Wraith to take the rest of the day and night off and just enjoy this moment with his daughter.'" Ranger's expression softens slightly. "You earned it, man. You kept your family safe. That matters more than patrols or planning sessions. Those can wait until tomorrow."

There's that word again. Family. Ranger using it the same way I did, casually including Quinn like it's already established fact.

"Okay," I say. "Yeah. Thanks."

"No problem." Ranger moves toward the door, pauses, looks back at Quinn. "You good, really? Need anything?"

"I'm good," she says. "Really. Promise."

"Call me if that changes. And Wraith?" He looks at me directly. "Thank you. For protecting her."

"She was protecting Mariah," I point out. "I just backed her up."

"Still." He holds my gaze for a moment longer, brother to brother. Then he's gone, the door closing quietly behind him.

The kitchen feels quieter without him, more intimate somehow. Just the three of us—me and Quinn and Mariah, who's gone back to her drawing like the last ten minutes didn't happen.

"He's not wrong, you know," Quinn says, still not looking at me.

"About what?"