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Max said, “I guess we won’t be talking to you for a while.”

“No phones unless it’s important,” Darien confirmed.

“If you don’t want to come back, I got it covered here,” Malakai said, a smile tugging at his mouth. Darien sensed that the Reaper’s attempt at lightening the mood was half-hearted. He could see the concern in Malakai’s eyes, subtle as it was, though Darien knew he would never admit to caring about anyone but himself or the sister standing just behind him.

Darien smirked. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

That smile grew, the silver of his canines glinting like chrome under the fluorescents. “Just sayin’.”

Lace snickered. “Say hello to Roman and Kylar for us.” Her attention drifted to the truck. Quietly, she added, “And Loren when she wakes up.” Lace had taken this whole thing just as hard as the others. Darien suspected Loren had started to grow on her, even if she, too, would never admit to her feelings.

They were all a stubborn bunch, but Darien suspected that was what had brought them together in the first place.

Ivy opened the driver’s door of the car. “See you soon, fam.” She blew a kiss over her shoulder and got inside.

“Hey,” Jack complained, “I thought I was driving.”

“We’ll switch at the stronghold,” Ivy said, already buckling up, a triumphant smirk on her face.

“Suuuure we will…”

Darien headed for the truck, Tanner taking the passenger’s side while Joyce took the back with Loren.

As Dallas passed him, she stopped him with a pull of his sleeve.

“This is the first time I’ll be away from her since we were kids,” she said quietly. Her eyes were glassy, the silver rings around her pupils dim. “I know you’ll keep her safe.”

Darien vowed, “If anyone wants her, they’ll have to get through me.” It had been that way since day one, and it would be that way until the very last.

The witch let go. “Safe travels.”

She stepped aside, and Sabrine came forward to take her place.

“Hey,” Sabrine said with a sniffle. She dabbed at her eyes with the sleeve of her sweatshirt—one of Logan’s, by the looks of it. Way too big for her—and way too ripped to not belong to a temperamental werewolf.

“I’ve never seen so many tears in my life,” Darien joked. He glanced around the group to see that a few of the others were tearing up as well, though they tried to hide it—Lace, Dallas, Mortifer. Fuck, this was harder on them all than he’d thought it would be.

“There’s no one I trust her with more than you,” Sabrine whispered. “But please, take care of yourself too. I think it’s pretty obvious that we all need you around.”

“I will.”

She offered him a hand, and he grabbed it and pulled her into an embrace instead. Her arms closed around him, squeezing tight.

“I’m going to bring her home,” Darien promised.

Sabrine nodded against his shoulder, her body shaking with a sob. She stepped back, dabbing her cheeks again with her sleeve.

Darien made for the truck. “Keep that wolf of yours in line,” he called.

Sabrine’s laugh was choked by new tears. “I will.”

Darien got in the truck and shut the door. The others stepped out of the way, and Max hit a couple buttons on the wall.

The garage doors rolled open, the rows of bright fluorescents quarreling with the heavy blackness of a starless night.

Darien started the truck and reversed out of the garage, gravel crunching under the tires. He spun around to face the gates that were already swinging open, the magic sensing his departure.

With one last look at Hell’s Gate in the rear-view mirror, and his family and friends waving at them from inside the garage, he left, not knowing when or if he’d be back.