CHAPTER 19

The Power Shift

Flora leaned against the wall, the steady hum of the base bustling around her yet it all felt so very distant. She shifted the straps of her gear; her mind was miles away. A knock on the door pulled her back into the present.

"Hey, you decent?"

She grinned but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "For you, always."

Corin stepped inside, his dark hair falling just above his shoulders, his eyes sharp but filled with concern. He was one of the few people she could really count on these days, considering all that had taken place.

"You've been distant lately," Corin said as he came inside, his voice light, yet laced with an underlying seriousness. "You can talk to me, you know."

Flora crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes dropping to the floor for a moment before rising to his. "It's. Adrian. And everything that happened with him."

Corin lifted an eyebrow, leaning against the table across from her. "You've never really talked about him before. What, you miss him?"

She let her breath out slowly, the weight of what was going on inside her threatening to crack her façade. "I don't know. I want to hate him. I should hate him. But there's this part of me."

Her voice trailed off, and Corin was silent, giving her the space to gather her thoughts.

"I was just so damn angry, you know? All this time, I blamed him for everything. But now. seeing him trying, seeing him fight for something. I don't know where that leaves me."

Corin cocked his head, his expression softening. "You are not the same person you were back then, Flora. You have come a long way. You do not need him to prove who you are.

She nodded, but the weight in her chest remained. "Maybe. But sometimes, I wonder if I can ever really let go of the past."

Corin stepped closer, lowering his voice. "You've got new people in your life now. People who trust you. People who see you for who you really are."

Flora almost smiled at that, but somehow it didn't quite make it. She wished she could believe that. "I don't know, Corin. I feel like everything is going to go right back to blowing up again."

"Maybe," he said, his voice a little more serious. "But whatever happens, you've got us. You're not alone."

That sounded like the first fresh breath of air that she'd had in days. For a moment, she said nothing; she just let it settle.

"Thanks," she said finally, feeling the tension in her shoulders ease just a little.

"Anytime," he said, then turned toward the door. "Just. think about it. You don't have to make decisions today."

Flora watched him go, the door clicking shut behind him. Her fingers drummed against her leg, her head spinning. What if Corin was right? What if she was holding onto something that was no longer there?

But the sound of footsteps brought her back to reality, and she froze when she saw Adrian standing in the doorway.

"Flora," he said, voice calm but with a trace of something she couldn't quite place.

"What is it that you want, Adrian?" she asked, not even trying to mask the coldness of her tone.

He stepped inside, looking toward the space between them; it was an invisible battleground. "I'm not here to fight."

"Good," she replied shortly, wrapping her arms tighter across her chest. "Then what are you here for?"

He hesitated, looking at her as if trying to find the words. "I need to say something. Something I should've said long ago."

Flora raised an eyebrow but didn't interrupt him.

"I've made so many mistakes," he said low. "And I know I hurt you. More than I ever should have." After a deep breath, he added, "I don't expect you to forgive me. Hell, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't. But I need you to know I'm trying. I'm trying to make things right."

Flora swallowed as her heart ran wildly. In fact, all of her wanted to shut him out-to scream for him to get out and never come back. But there was something in his eyes now-something different from before-that didn't let her walk away.

"Why now?" she asked in a low, quiet voice. "Why try now, all of a sudden?

Adrian seemed to fumble for the words, his eyes darting down before he faced her. "Because for so long, Flora, I have been living a lie. I have allowed people to manipulate me, let them control me. I was blind, and I've lost more than I ever thought I would."

She couldn't help herself. "You can't expect everything to be forgotten just like that.

"I know that," he said, his voice steady but full of regret. "But I need you to know, this is me trying. I'll do whatever it takes to prove that I'm not the man I was."

There was such a long pause; they both just stood there in the silence. Then, just when Flora thought she couldn't take the weight of it anymore, she spoke.

"Maybe I'm tired of fighting."

Adrian's face gentled, and for a moment, she saw the man he used to be, the only one she felt she knew. But in an instant, that gave way to the stranger who hurt her.

Before he could say anything more, Flora raised her hand. "But I can't trust you again. Not yet."

He nodded, his face a near acceptance, though it wasn't quite relief. "I understand."

As he turned to leave, a thought struck her. "Adrian."

He paused.

"Be careful. You’re making enemies, and not just with me."

He gave a small nod before disappearing down the hallway.

Later that day, as Flora sat in the command room, a soldier slid a dossier across the table to her.

"This just came in from Intel," the soldier said, looking both nervous and urgent.

Flora opened it and flipped through the documents. Her heart sank as she registered the information. Alice had been working for an enemy faction, one that had been seeping slowly into their ranks. She couldn't fathom this, but here was the evidence right in front of her.

"What's the next step?

The soldier swallowed, looking very ill at ease with the gravity of it all. "We need to move fast. If Alice is a traitor, we can't let her stay in the pack. But. we'll need proof before we do anything."

Flora nodded, her mind racing. If Alice was behind all this, then everything she'd trusted-the foundation of everything-had been a lie. The stakes had just gotten higher, and the risk was greater than ever.

She closed the dossier, a new resolve building inside her. "Get this to Adrian. I need to talk to him."

She found him pacing in his office, running his hands through his hair in frustration. He stopped when she came in, his gaze sharp. "What's going on?"

Flora held up the file, her voice low. "You were right. Alice has been working with the enemy. We need to stop her before it's too late."

Adrian's face went hard; his jaw clamped. "Then let's do it."

But Flora could see the change in him. This wasn't about her anymore. It was about the pack-the people he'd fought for-and now his entire leadership was in jeopardy.

"Careful," she warned, barely above a whisper. "This may be a power shift we cannot take back."

Adrian didn't say a word. He didn't need to. The tension in the room spoke volumes.

They stood on the cusp of something far greater than either one of them.