Page 92 of Reckless Consequences

“How’s the social experiment?” Mona appears in the doorway, glancing around at our impromptu gathering.

“Your sister has remarkable socialization capabilities,” Finn tells her with a hint of teasing. “She managed an entire evening without hacking anyone’s personal devices.”

“Personal growth,” Mona agrees solemnly. “Very impressive development.”

“Did you have fun tonight?” Theo asks her directly.

Mona blinks, clearly startled by the question. “Social interaction produced... favorable neural responses,” she says after a moment’s thought. “Marshmallow experimentation was particularly engaging.”

“That’s Mona for ‘I had a good time,’“ I translate, and Finn’s quiet laugh warms something in my chest.

“Your friends display unusual acceptance parameters,” Mona continues. “Very efficient social integration.”

“They liked you,” Theo says simply.

“Statistical anomaly,” she responds, but the tiny smile gives her away.

After Mona leaves with promises to return in the morning to discuss California preparations, we immediately rearrange furniture to create our makeshift nest, despite having perfectly adequate separate rooms.

“You know we have actual beds now,” I remind them halfheartedly.

“Much inefficient sleeping methodology,” Jinx mimics Mona’s clinical tone. “Very counterproductive isolation.”

Finn laughs, the sound healthy and whole again. “Pack proximity creates optimal recovery environment,” he adds in his own version of Mona-speak.

“Seriously,” I try again, “we have entire rooms to ourselves now.”

“We’re pack,” Ryker interrupts, his tone making it clear the discussion is over. “We sleep better together.”

As we settle into our familiar configuration—Theo at the center, Finn beside him, Ryker and Jinx positioned for maximum protection, me finding my place among them—I feel something shift into place.

My body responds to the pack arrangement before my mind fully accepts it, breathing naturally falling into rhythm with theirs, skin warming to the right temperature, muscles releasing tension I’ve carried for years.

For the first time since my mother died, I’m not just running from something. I’m running toward something instead.

Toward this pack that breaks all the designation rules. Toward a sister who fought Sterling in her own way. Toward a future we’re building together from the broken pieces we’ve been given.

I’ve spent my life as a hacker, finding back doors into systems designed to keep me out. But this—this unlikely family we’re building—might be the most complex system I’ve ever had to navigate.

And unlike code, there’s no manual. No predictable patterns. Just five broken people finding strength in their fracture lines, plus one chaos-omega with candy addiction who might just become part of our constellation.

For once, I’m okay with not knowing exactly what comes next.

Chapter22

Cayenne

“Sensor array at ninety-six percent efficiency,”I call to Finn, fingers flying across my tablet as the security systems respond to our test protocols. “But we’ve still got that three-second lag on the north perimeter.”

Two months after Aurora’s collapse and four weeks into settling at Mona’s California property, the mountain home feels more like a real base than anywhere I’ve lived since my mother died. Morning sunlight streams through the massive windows, catching dust motes from our ongoing renovations.

Finn looks up from the main control panel, a small smile playing at his lips. “The delay is intentional. It creates a pattern disruption that’ll confuse any intrusion algorithms.”

I snort, pushing a strand of hair from my face. “You built in a glitch? On purpose? That’s like intentionally adding a backdoor to your own firewall. Very un-Finn-like behavior.”

“Let’s call it controlled irregularity,” he says, the warmth in his eyes belying his technical terminology. “Most intrusion systems rely on predictable response patterns. The irregularity gives us an edge.”

“Look at you,” I say, leaning against the desk. “A year ago you were all about perfect mathematical precision, and now you’re deliberately adding chaos to the system. I’ve corrupted you.”

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