Because I don’t know when I’ll see them again.
Right now, things are too dangerous.
Right now, I need to stick to Kane and the cabin.
When we make it back to the park bench I found them near, Kane steps forward just enough to grab my attention.It’s time to go.
My chest tightens, but I don’t hesitate to give my mom and dad and Bonnie a hug. “I need to head out.”
“Let me guess,” my mother says, giving me an extra squeeze, “Damien probably has something special planned for you.”
I smile. “Something like that.”
“Call us next time you’re free, sweetheart.”
“I will.”
My dad kisses the top of my head. “Stay safe.”
Bonnie squeezes me one last time. “Love you.”
“Love you too,” I tell her, but when she tries to end the hug, I pull her closer to me. “You were right to be suspicious,” I whisper low and directly into her ear. “But I’m safe, okay? I’m safe. Just don’t ever let them talk you into being chosen.”
I lean back and meet her eyes. She searches my face and then pulls me into another hug. Her breath is hot as she whispers at my ear. “The guy who works for Damien looks an awful lot like your doll.”
I nod, my chin digging into her shoulder. “Yes. He does.”
When I pull back again, she offers a sage nod and reaches out to squeeze my hand one last time before I walk away. She’s smarter than me. She gets it now—without needing to be kidnapped or dragged through the same brutal convincing I was—there’s much more to the vampire world than our parents told us.
There’s more to the vampire world than either of us ever dreamed.
I can’t deny that leaving my family behind is hard, but it doesn’t even come close to what it felt like to be stuck in Damien’s penthouse, thinking I would never see Kane again.
I cross the clearing toward him, and once we’re out of sight, once we’re away from the park, he pauses to wrap his arms around me and hold me tight against his chest.
“You okay?” he whispers into my ear, and I nod.
Because I am.
I’m more than okay.
I’m whole. I’m alive. I’mhis.
Kane
Blair sits curled on the couch beside Kylie, their heads bent together while they talk about something that makes them both laugh. The sound fills the room in a way I didn’t realize this place had been missing before.Peace. Actual fucking peace.
Cal sits at the kitchen table, messing around with brake calipers from an old timer that lives in the shed. And Rook leans against the far wall with his arms crossed, pretending not to listen but smirking anyway. Even my older, usually broody-as-fuck brother looks relaxed.
The day went better than any of us expected.
Blair saw her family without the elites catching wind, and I got her back to the cabin safely.
The bond between us hums softly in my chest now. It’s steady, it’s strong, and I know with certainty she’s mine.
I glance over at her, and when she catches me looking, she playfully rolls her eyes. She also smiles too.
My woman is a stubborn, strong-willed firecracker, and I fucking love her.
