His mouth opens and sputters–some protest or denial likely forming in his rattled brain–as I find Dante’s gaze across the room.
I pull Lyra and Kael into my hands after dropping the chain. I’m giving him the chance to tell me not to kill his only remaining parent. If he shakes his head no, I will hand Terrance to the agents and let him rot in a cell. But if Dante nods, then this ends here and now.
A decisive, small nod answers me.
I lean down and position the point of Kael at the hollow of Terrance’s throat.
He tries to push away, to roll, to leverage himself free, but I drive the tip of my dagger slowly, measured, inch by inch. I want him to look into my eyes and understand for the last remaining moments in this life who is ending him.
That there is no hope.
He gurgles as the blade slides in further, slicing through the muscles of his throat. His eyes widen as blood pours from his neck to the floor, soaking him in the proof of his life ending.
I push the blade further until the point is buried enough that his body tenses and jerks in the way people do when they are finally made to meet their end. He gurgles again and reaches up with shaking fingers as if to beg, to plead, to bargain with anything left in him, but there is no bargaining left between us.
I close my eyes for the smallest moment and let go of all of my rage as I hear his hand fall to the floor, lifeless.
It’s over.
The moment washes over me and the knowledge of his death makes it feel like the force of gravity itself is suddenly lifted from my shoulders. I pull the dagger free as my eyes open and I step back. Tears fall freely down my cheeks and I’m helpless to the surge of emotions rushing over me.
He’s really dead.
Dante steps close and presses his palm against my shoulder, an anchor that says what his nod already promised–that I did not stand alone for one second. Elias and Callum quickly spread to my back and free side, their touch light as they trace paths over my body in quiet support.
“He’s gone,” I whisper and look around the room where all of my most haunted memories occurred, daring myself to soak these new ones in instead.
My parents look at me with more pride than I’ve ever seen as my mom wipes her own tears away with a shaky hand and offers me a small nod.
“It’s over, Briar patch,” she croaks out before sweeping her gaze over the three humans who made true to their vows to me. “Let’s go home. All of us.”
Salty tears find their way into my mouth before I bite down on my bottom lip and nod in return. A deep, shuddering breath fills me as I turn to glance at the three men who turned my entire life upside down.
“There’s no reason for you to hide away in Sanguis now,” I begin on a shaky breath, looking between them, “but I was hoping you’d return with me anyways.”
Callum is the first to reach for me once more, threading his hand through mine. “You’re the only reason I need.”
Dante’s towering height looms over me as he leans down to press a kiss to my forehead before murmuring against my skin. “I’m beginning to realize that home can be wherever you are.”
The rush of my tears only increases with their proclamations and I can hardly see through the blur of them filling my eyes as I turn to look at Elias.
The warmth of his hand presses against my cheek before he wipes the tears away. “You can’t get rid of me now. But are you sure you want to have us all? We’re quite the handful.”
A true laugh bursts from my chest as I nod furiously, looking into each of their tender gaze.
“You all are the silver lining in this, and I’ll be damned if I let you all walk away now.”
EPILOGUE ONE
BRIAR
Six years later
Phones ring in a chorus that never seems to stop, threads of chatter and laughter weaving between them like background music. The air smells faintly of roasted coffee beans and fresh printer ink. I step through the glass doors into the main floor and the hum of motion hits me like a wave.
A young shifter breezes past me with a stack of mail balanced precariously in one arm. A coffee mug tips off the counter as she accidentally hits it with her elbow, but her fluffy silver tail flicks out quick as lightning, curling around the handle before it can shatter against the tile and pushing it back onto the counter. She doesn’t even pause her stride, just smiles and greets me with a quick, “Good morning, boss! Busy day ahead.”
She’s gone before I can even respond. A smile quirks my lips up.
