Javier's POV

 I find her in the shower at 6 AM.

 Not intentionally—I was going to make coffee, heard the water running, and every protective instinct told me to check. Make sure she's okay. Safe.

 What I find instead makes my mouth go dry.

 She's pressed against the tile wall, forehead resting on her arm, water cascading down her body. Not crying. Just existing. Trying to find a moment of peace in the chaos.

 I should leave. Give her privacy. But the bond is pulling at me, showing me her exhaustion, her fear, the weight she's carrying alone.

 "Amaya," I say quietly.

 She startles, turning. Water streams down her face,...