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The stretcher shaking. Movement. The bright lights of the hospital, more unfamiliar faces above me.

Where was Harley?

I made a sound and tried to get up, but found I couldn’t move. Strapped in. Trapped.

Harley. I needed to get to her.

I growled. My fangs dropped. A chorus of voices around me. Something was injected into the IV.

Darkness again.

How much time passed in the darkness? I had no idea. When I opened my eyes, it felt like no time at all.

My body hurt, but now the pain felt different. It wasn’t overwhelming and burning through me. It was a slow, deep ache. It was manageable. That terrible coppery taste was gone from my mouth—small victories. Something was beeping quietly. I was lying in a hospital bed, hooked up with what felt like millions of wires. The bed was slightly propped up, and the lights were dim. A curtain separated the bed from the door, giving me an additional layer of privacy. A thin blanket was spread over me. My chest was wrapped in bandages, and there were more on my arms. Every part of me hurt.

But there, with her cheek resting on her arms on the bed, was Harley.

She was asleep. There was a small crease in her brow, and her lips were downturned. Her hair was tied up into a bun at the top of her head. She looked pale and exhausted, like she’d been through the same hell I had.

And in a way, shehadbeen through it.

I reached out and brushed the hair off her forehead, then tucked a lock of it behind her ear.

Her nose wrinkled cutely, and then her eyes fluttered open.

“Hi,” I said. My voice was rough. My dragon’s roars had shredded my vocal cords, and my healing ability had likely been diverted to the wound in my chest.

Harley’s eyes widened. She shot up like a bolt and scooted closer, then took my hand in her own. She was trembling. I could tell she wanted to climb onto the bed and embrace me, but I was too injured for it.

“Steph,” she gasped. “You’re awake.”

“How long was I out?” I asked.

“Too long,” she said. Her eyes were bloodshot and red-rimmed. “Way too long.”

“I’m sorry.”

Tears spilled down her cheeks. She leaned over the bed, close to me, and pressed her forehead to mine. “Don’t ever do that again,” she whispered through her tears. “Don’t scare me like that.”

“I won’t.” I ran my thumb over her cheek, gently brushing away the tears. “I promise. It’s over now, Harley.”

It really was. It was over.

It didn’t feel real, but it was. Sean was… Sean was dead. The man who had tried to destroy my life, who would have stopped at nothing to do so, was gone.

Forever.

We were free.

“Harley?” The door opened, and Hawk’s voice was barely loud enough to hear over the monitor beeping. “Is he awake yet?”

I pulled away from Harley, albeit a little reluctantly. “I am.”

“Ace!” Hawk shoved the curtain aside. He stood at the foot of the bed, eyes wide with relief.

He looked as awful as Harley did. Dark circles ringed his eyes, and his hair was oily, like he hadn’t even stopped to shower in a few days. He stepped to the other side of the bed and squeezed my shoulder. “Jesus, man, you scared the shit out of me.”

“I’m all right.” I patted Hawk’s hand. “Really.”