Page 60 of Donovan

“That’s my number. I’ll be in town for one more day. After that, I report back to the Guild.” His gaze was hard. “You have until then to rethink your decision.”

I stared at the paper, then at him. “And if I don’t?”

Kit’s eyes darkened, the boy I’d once called my friend buried beneath years of training, of loyalty to something bigger than either of us.

“Then I’ll do what I have to,” he said.

A cold weight settled in my chest. Kit turned without another word, disappearing into the night.

I stood there for a long time, the paper crumpling in my fist, the night pressing in around me.

One day.

And then?

I wasn’t sure I wanted to find out.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

DONOVAN

The momentI stepped into the cabin, I knew.

Declan was leaving. His bag was already half-packed, clothes hastily shoved inside, his movements quick and practiced.

He didn’t even look up at first, but I saw the tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw clenched as I shut the door behind me.

"You're running," I said, my voice sharp with disbelief and something more, something raw.

Declan said nothing for a few moments.

"It's not running," he finally muttered, still not looking at me. "It's survival."

"Survival?" I stalked closer, fury bubbling beneath my skin. "And what the hell do you think I'm doing?"

He finally met my gaze, eyes dark and stormy.

"You're making a mistake," he said, voice rough. "Kit won’t stop at a warning, Donovan. The Guild won’t stop. They’ll come for you. For me.”

"You don’t get to make this decision for me," I shot back, stepping into his space. "You don’t get to just leave and think that’s somehow for my own good."

His throat worked, the muscles in his jaw flexing. "You have a chance to go back. If you walk away from me now, you can still?—"

"Still what?" I cut him off, shoving at his chest. "Go back to a life that was never really mine? Pretend I don’t feel this, us, like a fire in my veins?"

Declan looked at me for a long time, not speaking.

I could see the war raging inside him. He wanted to fight me on this. Wanted to push me away, to make it easier.

His gaze flickered to my throat, where his mark lay just beneath the skin. His fingers curled into fists. "Donovan..."

"No," I growled, reaching up, gripping the back of his neck. "You're not walking away from me."

His breath was hot against my lips. His body tense against mine.

"Tell me you don’t want this," I said, voice barely more than a whisper. "Tell me and I'll let you go."

Silence. I could feel him trembling, the war between reason and want. But I already knew. He couldn’t lie to me.