It was barely past midmorning when Thane grabbed the Humvee keys off the hook and jerked his chin toward the door. “Gabriel. Kade. With me.”
Gabriel perked up immediately, guitar still in his hands. “Road trip?”
“Quick check-in,” Thane said. “Eureka.”
Kade tightened his vest straps, tail flicking. “To see if Tarrik’s… adjusting?”
Thane snorted. “That’s the diplomatic way to put it.”
The three wolves left the cabin, claws clicking softly on the porch boards. The Humvee’s engine rumbled as they rolled down the road, tires kicking up little curls of dust in the morning light. The valley was calm, the kind of post-Fall quiet that used to feel eerie but now just felt peaceful.
They crested a bend, and Libby Dam came into view — a big, concrete promise humming against the river. Thane slowed, turning into the service road almost without thinking.
Kade leaned forward in his seat, ears up. “Everything looks undisturbed.”
“Good,” Thane said. “Still wanna check inside.”
Inside the control building, the hum of power felt steady and alive. The control wall glowed green across every panel. No alarms. No flickering lights. No signs of tampering. Thane ran a claw along the console, satisfied.
“All green,” Gabriel said, hands shoved in his pockets. “Music to my ears.”
Kade nodded, sniffing the air. “No one’s been snooping. Dust patterns match last time.”
Thane gave him a sideways look. “Dust patterns?”
Kade shrugged. “I’m a multitool.”
Content, they headed back out and climbed into the Humvee. Onward to Eureka.
The moment they crossed into town, they slowed again — not because they had to, but because the scene before them was somehow unreal. Just like Libby, Eureka was… normal. Almost aggressively normal.
Streets swept clean.
Vehicles coming and going.
Kids with backpacks walking toward the school.
Restaurant signs lit.
A pair of teenagers painting fresh lines in the parking lot.
And in the wide open bay of the firehouse, a firefighter was polishing the side of the engine like it was parade day.
Gabriel leaned forward against his seatbelt. “This is wild, right? Like… déjà vu but in a different town.”
“Libby’s not the only one waking up,” Thane murmured.
They pulled up in front of City Hall and parked in the usual visitor spot, though the sign now had fresh paint. Inside, the building smelled like coffee and paper — real functioning office paper — and the secretary at the front desk was typing something rapidly on an old but working computer.
“Good morning,” she said, bright as sunshine. “Mayor Anderson’s in a meeting with Tarrik, but they’ll be happy to see you.”
Thane exchanged a look with Gabriel and Kade.
“Tarrik?” Kade whispered. “With the mayor?”
“Doing what?” Gabriel whispered back. “Threat assessment? Weather reports?”
The secretary just smiled. “Go on in.”
They stepped into Tom Anderson’s office — and froze.
Tarrik and Tom were hunched over a big laminated map of Eureka and the valley surrounding it. Tarrik tapped specific hilltops and ridgelines with surprising precision, explaining angles and lines of sight. Tom listened intently, nodding, occasionally jotting notes like a student with the world’s most intimidating tutor.
“…and this ridge,” Tarrik said, tapping the map with the back of his claw, careful but still rough around the edges. “See here. High ground. You smell trouble early. Wind carries sound up. Good place to watch from. Hard for anything to sneak past.”
Tom grinned and clapped him on the back like they’d been friends for years. “Perfect. Exactly what we needed.”
All three wolves at the door stared.
Tarrik smiled.
A real one. Bright-eyed. Tail resting comfortably behind him. Healthy fur. No tension in his shoulders. No fear in his posture.
He looked up, saw them, and lit up even more.
“Thane,” he said, voice warm in a way they had never heard from him. “Welcome.”
Tom stepped forward, offering a handshake and a grin. “Didn’t expect you today, but damn, it’s good to see you.”
Thane blinked. “Who are you,” he said dryly, staring at Tarrik, “and what have you done with Tarrik.”
Tarrik actually laughed — a startled, pleased sound he wasn’t used to making. “I am learning things. Useful things.” He tapped the map again. “Mayor Anderson has many blind spots in the valley. I help him fix.”
“You’re helping,” Gabriel said, stunned. “Voluntarily helping?”
“I live here now,” Tarrik said simply. “I protect here now. Is good. I eat on time.”
Kade raised a brow. “He eats on time. Truly a changed wolf.”
They chatted warmly for several minutes — about lookout points, night patrols, which neighborhoods needed more attention, how the schools were handling the return of electricity and running water. Tarrik answered every question confidently. Tom backed him like a man who had gained not just a protector, but a partner.
Then the secretary poked her head in. “Tom? There’s someone here asking for you.”
An older man was ushered in — wiry, weathered, wearing Keen work boots that had survived the Fall better than most humans had.
“Sir,” the man said, holding his hat respectfully, “I used to work for Bonneville Power Administration. At the dam, specifically. Oversaw the power systems for thirty years, until the night the world fell, actually.”
The room quieted. The man swallowed, nerves visible.
“I… well, the whole town’s buzzing about the power coming back on. I’d like to know how in the world that happened.”
Tom smiled and pointed directly at Thane. “You’re looking at the reason.”
The man turned, eyes wide. “You got it running? I thought half that equipment would be scrap by now.”
Thane shrugged modestly. “I read the manuals.”
Gabriel coughed. “We did.”
Kade nodded. “Front to back. Twice.”
“But still,” the man said, floored, “that’s… dam power isn’t simple. Not trivial. The alignment alone—”
“It was fun,” Gabriel said, deadpan.
The man stepped closer. “Well… sir, if you’d like, I’d be honored to help run it again. I know two others who worked with me. They’d probably cry from joy at the idea. We could maintain it proper. Monitor demand. Keep the turbines happy.”
Tom looked at Thane. “This is your call. That dam is running because of you and your pack.”
Thane didn’t hesitate. “Yes. Absolutely. Please.”
The man brightened like the sun had turned up a notch. “Excellent! Great! I’ll go get them. We’ll head down there today. No need for keys, I still have my old set.”
And with that, he hurried out, energized, muttering something about generator spin-up and intake cleaning.
Gabriel watched him disappear. “I adore motivated old men.”
Kade nodded. “He’s going to adopt the dam.”
“I hope he does,” Thane said.
They spent a few more minutes with Tom and Tarrik. Finally, Thane stepped toward Tarrik and gestured for a moment alone. Tarrik followed without hesitation.
Up close, Thane took in the changes: fuller face, calmer eyes, lighter posture. Not the beaten, angry, desperate wolf from Iron Ridge. Someone new. Someone rebuilding.
“I’m happy for you,” Thane said softly. “Really happy.”
Tarrik’s throat worked as he swallowed. “You spared me,” he said quietly. “You gave me chance. I would never… I can never repay that.”
“You already have,” Thane said. “Seeing you like this—helping, living, being… happy? That’s more than enough.”
Tarrik’s ears dipped, humbled. “Thank you, Alpha.”
Thane squeezed his arm. “Take care of this town.”
“I will,” Tarrik promised.
After goodbyes and a few more laughs, the wolves headed out. They climbed back into the Humvee, rolling slowly through the streets of Eureka, marveling at the echoes of Libby — another town waking up, coming alive, remembering itself.
Kids on playgrounds.
People sweeping porches.
Engines idling at crosswalks.
A café with a chalkboard sign reading: “Today’s Special — Hot Soup!”
Gabriel chuckled. “It’s happening everywhere.”
Kade smiled faintly. “Feels good.”
“Feels right,” Thane said.
On the way home, they passed the dam again. Two pickup trucks were parked at the entrance, doors open, tools laid out, three figures already walking toward the service building with purpose.
One of them waved as the Humvee rolled by.
Thane slowed just enough to wave back, warmth settling in his chest. “Looks like they’re getting to work.”
Gabriel leaned back in his seat. “Good thing we read those manuals.”
Kade grinned. “Yeah. But they’ll read ’em better.”
The Humvee rumbled down the road toward Libby, toward home, toward the rhythm of a valley that had finally begun to breathe again.
And Thane couldn’t stop smiling.