Chapter 29: The Calm Before the Storm.

The next morning, Ava awoke nestled next to Eli, the icy remnants of past struggles finally thawing. She affectionately lifted his arm, planting a gentle kiss on his hand. The quietude was tangible, a soft blanket of peace enveloping the room. Eli responded with a tender kiss on her shoulder, whispering, "Morning," in a tone filled with warmth.

Relishing the closeness, Ava snuggled deeper into his embrace. "Morning," she echoed, her voice imbued with a newfound lightness. Eli, his hesitation palpable, cautiously traced the new scar from her last battle—a tender exploration that Ava welcomed with quiet acceptance, her past pain receding into a distant memory.

Their serene moment was abruptly shattered by Talon's boisterous voice from outside the room. "Breakfast and training, Blondie!" he called out. Ava groaned in mock protest, "I don’t want to. Can’t I just stay here all day?" Her voice was playful, belying the comfort of their cocoon.

Eli chuckled, his embrace tightening momentarily. Through the walls, Talon’s laughter echoed back, "No!" Ava retorted with a light-hearted, "Morning, Sarah!" signaling the presence of another day starting in their lively household.

After a few more stolen moments in the warmth of Eli’s arms, Ava finally gave in, rolling out of bed and slipping on her clothes. Twenty minutes later, they convened in the kitchen. Talon stood by the stove, flipping pancakes with a surprising amount of expertise, while Sarah set out plates. Ava glanced out the window and was taken aback by the ferocity of the snowstorm blanketing their world in white.

"Talon, have you seen it out there?" she asked, concern lacing her voice as she pointed toward the window.

Talon turned, his eyes scanning the heavy snowfall. The wind howled against the cabin, rattling the windows. "Yeah, that’s a proper storm," he muttered, flipping the last pancake onto a plate. "Looks like training’s off today. No one’s going out in that."

Ava nodded, relieved. She moved to the table, the warm scent of breakfast easing her morning grogginess. Eli, leaning back in his chair, glanced out at the storm and frowned. "I’m on guard duty tonight," he said casually, though there was a hint of concern in his voice.

Ava shot him a look, her eyebrows raised. "Nobody needs to be out in that, not even you."

Talon, sipping his coffee, chimed in, "Storm like this will probably blow itself out by this evening. But yeah, doesn’t seem smart to send anyone out there right now."

Sarah, ever practical, glanced between them. "You guys are always out in something, storm or no storm. I swear, you’ll all catch your deaths one of these days."

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Ava smiled at the maternal tone in Sarah's voice, but Talon cut in with his usual cheeky grin. "Don't worry about us, Sarah. We're like cockroaches—we survive anything."

Eli raised an eyebrow. "Cockroaches? That’s comforting."

Talon shrugged with a smirk, serving up breakfast. "Hey, at least you know we’re resilient."

As they settled into their meal, Sarah, ever curious, leaned forward, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Ava, do you ever cook?"

Talon nearly choked on his coffee, his laughter spilling out uncontrollably. "Oh, you don’t want that, trust me."

Ava shot him a mock glare, but the corner of her mouth twitched upward. "I’m not that bad."

Talon wiped his mouth, still laughing. "Blondie, the last time you cooked, I think the skillet begged for mercy."

Eli, playing along, chuckled, "And you haven't attempted it since?"

Ava crossed her arms in mock defiance. "I cook sometimes! Just... maybe not in a while."

Sarah laughed, shaking her head. "I’ll stick with Talon, thanks."

Talon puffed out his chest, tapping the spatula on the counter. "See? I’m the cook in this family. If you want edible food, you come to me."

Ava rolled her eyes but couldn’t help smiling as the warm camaraderie filled the room. The storm outside seemed far away as they shared in the simple joy of each other’s company.

As the conversation turned toward old memories, Talon grinned, eyes sparkling with nostalgia. "Remember that time we got stuck in that cave during the last snowstorm?"

Ava’s face lit up, her laughter soft but genuine. "Is that the one with the sleeping bear?"

Talon nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. "Yep, that’s the one."

Sarah’s jaw dropped in disbelief. "The bear was asleep?"

"Not for long," Talon quipped with a grin. "Turned out to be one hell of a wake-up call."

Ava laughed, joining in. "That poor bear. It didn’t know what it was dealing with."

Eli, intrigued, leaned forward. "What happened?"

Ava and Talon exchanged a mischievous look before Talon leaned in, his voice conspiratorial. "We had to take it down. A bear’s no match for two Sentinels."

Eli blinked, surprised. "You killed it?"

Talon raised an eyebrow, his voice playful. "Well, Jess made us tone down the stories for the kids, but yeah. No bear burgers for you today."

Sarah slapped Talon’s arm with a smile. "Trust you to find the humor in everything."

Just as they were about to continue, a loud bang echoed from the front door. Everyone stilled, the warm, easygoing atmosphere evaporating in an instant. Talon’s hand automatically went to his holster, his eyes narrowing. "Who’s mad enough to be out in this?" he muttered, standing up and heading toward the door.

Ava’s senses went on high alert. She exchanged a quick look with Eli before nodding at Talon. "We can’t leave them out there."

Talon opened the door, bracing himself against the cold gust of wind that blasted through the entryway. A figure, shrouded in winter gear and snow, stepped inside, their face obscured by the heavy hood.

"Thanks," the figure said, shaking snow off their shoulders. As they lowered their hood, both Ava and Talon froze, their hands instinctively moving to their sidearms.

"Holts," Talon growled, his voice thick with tension. The name sent a jolt through the room.

Holts stepped forward, his eyes scanning the cabin, the corners of his mouth lifting in a cold smile. "We need to talk," he said, his tone calm but carrying an undercurrent of menace.

Ava’s eyes narrowed as she sized him up, her hand hovering near her sidearm. "What the hell are you doing here?" she asked, her voice low and dangerous.

Holts’ gaze flicked between them, the smile never leaving his face. "Let’s just say… family matters." His eyes lingered on Talon, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his expression before he added, "And we’ve got unfinished business."