12:03 AM – Tour Bus Lounge – Leaving Dallas

The bus rolled out of the Lone Star Pavilion lot under a quiet Texas sky, headlights sweeping the empty roads. Inside, the world was dim, warm, and full of that aftershow energy buzz—too tired to be chaotic, too wired to sleep.

Cassie was flopped across the main couch like a fallen gladiator, still in full glam, one boot on the floor and the other missing entirely. “Who stole my boot?”

Jonah, curled up upside-down in one of the bench seats, raised a hand. “I did not steal it. I borrowed it for a stage reenactment with Cruncho Two. It was art.”

“I’m going to throw you out the emergency hatch.”

Maya, cross-legged on the floor with a mug of mint tea, didn’t even look up. “We’ve all tried. He sticks like glitter.”

Rico plucked at his unplugged guitar, playing something soft and jazzy. “Ten bucks says we find glitter in the lighting rack next show.”

From the back, Mark’s voice rumbled, dry as desert air: “I already did.”

Gabriel entered barepaw from the bunk hall, his fur slightly fluffed from a half-attempted shower, a can of Red Bull in one hand and a box of leftover cookies in the other.

He passed them out like offerings to a weary tribe.

Thane sat near the front of the lounge, laptop open beside him, reviewing the system logs from the night’s show—but mostly just listening.

Watching.

They were a mess.

And he loved every second of it.

Emily, curled in the corner with her hoodie over her knees, suddenly perked up. “Okay, real talk. Top three weirdest fan requests tonight. Go.”

Cassie raised a finger. “Someone asked me to scream directly into their voicemail. Said they’d ‘save it for emergencies.’”

Jonah: “Guy asked if he could get a tattoo of my name on his dog.”

Gabriel, munching on a cookie: “A kid asked me if my tail was ‘removable for washing.’”

Rico, not looking up: “Did you say yes?”

“I told him only on full moons.”

Mark entered last, set a thermos down, and said without breaking stride: “A woman handed me her baby and said, ‘I just need one photo of him being blessed by the light wolf.’”

Dead silence.

Then the entire bus exploded with laughter.

Eventually the noise died down, and the conversation slipped into that soft, sleepy rhythm only found after a good show and a long drive.

Cassie curled into a corner, eyes closed but smiling.

Jonah finally righted himself and used one of Thane’s coiled cables as a pillow (a fact that will definitely result in violence later).

Emily dozed off mid-scroll, phone still clutched in her hand.

Mark sat in the hallway with a notebook and a pen, sketching stage layout ideas for the next city under the dim blue glow of a wall sconce.

And Gabriel?

He wandered over to where Thane sat, plopped down beside him with a sleepy smile, and leaned his head on Thane’s shoulder.

“Best one yet,” he murmured.

Thane just nodded.

No need to say anything.