Brandon found Elara in the meeting room.
She looked up when he appeared in the doorway. And whatever composure she'd been holding together, whatever threadbare control had kept her functional through days of war and grief and exhaustion—
Dissolved completely.
She was on her feet before she knew she was moving. Crossing the room. Crashing into him with force that would have sent anyone else stumbling backward.
Brandon caught her. Both arms wrapping around her immediately. Pulling her in tight.
She sobbed. Not the quiet controlled tears she'd been managing. Real sobs, the kind that came from somewhere deep and had been building for days and could not be contained one moment longer now that there was somewhere safe to put them.
"He took her." Her voice came out broken against his shoulder. "Brandon he just... she came to help me and I couldn't, I wasn't strong enough and he—"
