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Delilah melted into him, into the warmth of his mouth, the rough steadiness of his hands cupping her cheeks like she was something precious. His kiss wasn’t desperate. It wasn’t rushed.

It washome.

And it shattered every wall she’d spent days building.

When she finally pulled back, her breath came in soft little gasps, forehead pressed to his.

“You stubborn, wonderful idiot,” she whispered.

His smile was crooked. “Takes one to love one.”

They stayed like that for a beat. The wind weaving through the trees in gentle sighs. The moon hung high above them now, casting silver across his lashes, catching in her hair like stardust. The clearing was quiet. The vines hummed but didn’t reach. The spirits, for once, were still.

She lifted her fingers to his face, traced the edge of his jaw.

“I thought I had to do this alone,” she said, her voice a little cracked around the edges.

“You don’t,” he murmured. “You never did.”

Delilah swallowed the knot in her throat. “You were right. About the bond. About what itis.It doesn’t make us weak.”

He kissed the back of her hand. “No.”

She stepped back and turned slowly, taking in the grove—once wild, now pulsing with calm. Her magic felt... different. Like the roots ran deeper, richer, more balanced.

Likehim.

She turned back. “When I tied myself to the forest, I thought I was sacrificing love for duty. But now I think... I think the forest didn’t just accept me because I was strong.”

He raised a brow.

“I think it accepted me becausewe’restrong. Together.”

Rollo stepped forward, hands settling at her waist.

“Well, damn. That’s almost poetic.”

She rolled her eyes, laughing softly. “Shut up.”

He grinned. “Can’t help it. I just got my girl back.”

She leaned into his chest, letting the rhythm of his heartbeat anchor her. It was steady, sure—like the rhythm of the forest when it was healthy. And for the first time in what felt like ages, it didn’t feel like something was slipping out from under her feet.

It felt grounded.

Rooted.

Like maybe, they were ready.

To fight andwin.

“We have to end it,” she said softly, the words laced with quiet resolve.

“Garrick?” Rollo asked, even though they both knew the answer.

She nodded, her cheek brushing his collarbone. “No more hiding. No more second-guessing. We take it to him. We make the town safe again. For Wren. For the forest. Forus.”

Rollo exhaled against her temple, the weight of everything they had been carrying softening, if only slightly. “Then we do it together.”