I'm surrounded by fur. Well, I am fur, firstly, but Lightning and the cubs envelop me. Lightning pressed against me and the cubs sprawled over both of us.
Safe.
We lie on a pile of pillows in the suite in the champions' housing building. It really is a glorified dormitory crossed with a hotel. But for now, no arena, no fighting, no tension. Just perfect rest. The smell of cubs and fur and contentment. Elsewhere, all our friends snooze too.
Lightning nuzzles me and boops my nose. [You were incredible today. But don't use that amulet again until the final battle.]
I yawn. [Niall has it, so no problem there.]
Unless you have been through a battle for your life, you cannot appreciate how good it feels to finally rest at night, no struggles, nobody coming to knock you out. Just the soft sounds of beasts and people sleeping all around you. In the still of the night, Kasz's buzzsaw snores mingle with Gussie talking in her sleep. Music to my ears.
[I'm sorry, Lightning--]
