Megan gave her a slow nod, her gaze thoughtful. “Well, today, it was more than enough.”
“I never would have found you if it wasn’t for Emily,” Carter said.
“Thank you,” Megan said, “for everything you did for me.”
Emily smiled weakly, uncomfortable with the gratitude. After all, what had she done, really?
“You saved them,” Carter said to her softly, reading the discomfort on her face. “We couldn’t have done it without you. Don’t ever doubt that. You’re the reason they’re free.”
Epilogue
Emily
The sun was beginning to dip on the horizon as Carter steered the vehicle up the winding road. Emily watched as the trees passed by, their leaves shimmering with the soft touch of dusk. The thought that she would never have to go back to the facility made a heavy weight lift off her shoulders.
Megan, seated in the back, was quiet, her gaze fixed on the horizon, anticipation evident in her eyes.
As they pulled up to Carter’s parents’ home, the front door swung open and his parents rushed outside. The car had barely stopped when Megan jumped out and ran into their waiting arms.
“Mom! Dad!” she exclaimed, her voice filled with relief.
Tears streamed down her mother’s face as she held her daughter close. “We thought we’d lost you,” she murmured, her voice choked up with emotion.
Her father, his eyes glistening, cupped Megan’s face. “You’re safe now,” he whispered, planting a kiss on her forehead.
Carter and Emily exchanged a look, silently agreeing to give the family their moment. With a nod, Carter led Emily away, following a path that wound through a thick cluster of trees and opened up to a clearing. The vast Colorado landscape spread out before them, the mountains in the distance bathed in the fading sunlight.
The world was silent save for the gentle rustle of the treesand the distant calls of the mountain birds. Carter wrapped an arm around Emily’s waist, pulling her close. She nestled into his embrace, feeling the steady beat of his heart against her back.
For a long while, neither spoke. The shared experiences, the trauma, the danger—words seemed inadequate to convey the myriad of emotions they both felt.
Finally, Emily broke the silence. “It’s over,” she whispered, her voice filled with wonder. “These past few months have felt as if I’m living in a nightmare I wasn’t able to wake from.”
Carter tightened his grip on her, leaning down to press a kiss to the crown of her head. “Yes, it’s over now,” he reassured. “And now, we get to start anew. Together.”
Emily turned in his arms, gazing up into his deep blue eyes. “Together,” she repeated.
He leaned down, his gaze intent on her lips and without another word spoken between them, he kissed her, long and hard. The sensation of his mouth against hers, soft yet somehow firm at the same time had never been more welcome, and she kissed him back with every ounce of emotion and passion she possessed.
It was a long while before she pulled back, searching his eyes.
“What?” he asked, a gentle smile playing across his lips. She shook her head.
“I just can’t believe…”
“Believe what?” he asked, propping himself up onto one elbow.
“Forget it,” she felt, feeling her cheeks coloring. “It sounds stupid.”
“Well, now you have to tell me.”
“I can’t believe in all the world, I found you.”
“We found each other,” he said, pulling her against his chest, and she thought she could spend the rest of her life like this, and never grow tired of it.
“Did you mean what you said before? About mates? About…us?”
“With all of my heart.” He crooked one finger under her chin and lifted her eyes to meet his. “I love you more than I have ever loved another person. I want us to be together, forever, and I’m willing to spend my whole life proving it to you, if I have to.”
