"Tessa still hasn't returned. The people are worried… and apparently she shouted at them too."
Julian relayed the information the moment he returned, and Zephyr immediately inhaled sharply in disbelief.
"That's not Tessa," Zephyr said almost instantly. "She doesn't raise her voice no matter how bad the situation gets."
Julian nodded slowly before a grin spread across his face.
"Well, congratulations. You men managed to push her to that point." His tone turned colder. "And now she's gone. If she doesn't come back, I hope all of you are prepared because I'm definitely not forgiving anyone."
Not far away, Zane dragged a hand down his face in frustration.
The image of Tessa trying to calm them down earlier replayed in his head painfully. She had actually tried speaking peacefully to them, yet none of them listened.
Now she was gone.
For the first time since she arrived in the settlement, the place genuinely felt empty.
