Ruby was still pacing the small confinement room.
Where are you?
Sasha's mental reply came through, shaky and exhausted. Staff changing room. I'm about to leave.
Ruby stopped pacing for a second, relief washing over her. Good. Make it quick. We don't have much time—
The door to her room suddenly swung open.
Derek stepped through it, and Ruby's mind-link cut so fast it left her dizzy.
He stood in the doorway and looked at her, and for a moment, Ruby could not move. His eyes had gone a shade of amber she had never seen on him before, gold burning at the edges, and the air in the room shifted the way it did before a storm broke.
Her heart slammed once against her ribs and then started running, fast and uneven, and for the first time in her life, she could not bring it back under her control.
She did the only thing left to do.
She burst into tears.
"Derek." She crossed the room toward him, hands already wringing at her chest, words tumbling over each other.
