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CHAPTER FOURTEEN

BLAKE

The next morning, despite the persistent ache in my body, I insisted on seeing Finn off.

Samuel had given me a look, one that said he was not at all pleased with the idea.

After some back and forth—and after I pulled the I’m not sure when I’ll see him again card—he finally relented.

There was no way I was going to let Finn leave without saying goodbye properly.

With Samuel’s help, and Finn’s for that matter, I managed to get into the backseat of the truck.

Every movement sent little flares of discomfort through me, but I bit down on the pain, determined not to let it show.

Finn gave me a sidelong glance, his eyes filled with concern, but he kept quiet.

He knew better than to argue when I had my mind set on something.

As Samuel climbed into the driver’s seat, he shot a glance in the rearview mirror.

“Finn, you sure you don’t want the front seat?” he offered.

Finn shook his head, settling in next to me.

“I’ll keep Blake company back here, if you don’t mind,” Finn said.

Samuel shrugged, and the truck roared to life.

We made the drive to town in relative silence, the only sounds coming from the hum of the engine and the occasional bird call from outside.

I rested my head against the window, the cool glass soothing against my forehead.

I must’ve dozed off a few times during the drive, my body still wrung out from everything we’d been through.

Before I knew it, Samuel was pulling up to the bus station.

It was early enough that the streets were still quiet, with only a handful of people milling around the station.

Finn turned to me, his expression soft, a bit sad.

“Well, I guess this is it,” he said quietly.

I nodded, my throat tightening.

“Don’t be a stranger,” I told him, my voice rougher than I intended.

He smiled, that familiar, crooked grin that I’d missed more than I realized.

“You take good care of yourself, Blake,” Finn replied, then leaned in for a careful hug, mindful of my injuries.

His embrace was warm and steady, a reminder of all the years we’d spent together, watching each other’s backs.

When he pulled away, Finn turned to Samuel, giving him a nod.

“Make sure to keep him out of trouble,” Finn said.

“Of course,” Samuel said, his voice warm but firm.

They shared a look, one that I couldn’t quite decipher, but it made me feel…safe. Like everything was going to be okay.

With one last wave, Finn stepped out of the truck and headed toward the bus.

I watched him go, a strange mix of emotions swirling inside me.

Relief, sadness, and something like hope. As much as it hurt to say goodbye, I knew it wasn’t forever.

The ride back to the cabin was a blur.

I must’ve drifted off again because the next thing I knew, I was waking up in our bed, the familiar scent of the cabin wrapping around me like a blanket.

I blinked slowly, trying to shake off the grogginess, and then I noticed Samuel, sitting in an armchair nearby, watching me.

“Hey,” he said softly, a small smile playing on his lips as he leaned forward.

I yawned, stretching carefully. “How long did I sleep?” I asked.

“Just a couple of hours,” Samuel replied with a grin.

He stood up and made his way over to the bed.

I scooted over, making room for him as he sat on the edge, his weight causing the mattress to dip slightly.

Samuel reached for my hand, his thumb tracing small circles over my knuckles.

I exhaled slowly, sensing the shift in the air.

We’d been so caught up in the chaos of fighting the rogues, of trying to survive, that we hadn’t really talked about the future.

Now, with everything behind us, the question lingered between us.

“What’s next for us?” I asked, breaking the silence.

Samuel looked down for a moment, as if considering his words carefully.

“I’ve always been a nomad,” he began. “Never really stayed in one place too long. But now… after meeting you, I think it’d be nice to put down roots for once.”

He hesitated, then added, “Zane’s always said there’s a place for me in Sky Stead. And of course, that includes you.”

I bit my lip, nerves flaring up at the thought of joining his pack.

“Do you really think they’d welcome a former hunter like me?” I asked, my voice soft, uncertain.

Without a word, Samuel reached up and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

His touch was so tender, so full of reassurance, that it made my chest tighten.

He leaned in and kissed me, slow and sweet, his lips warm and familiar against mine.

When he pulled back, he looked me straight in the eye.

“It won’t be a problem,” he promised. “You’ve retired from the monster hunting business, after all.”

I laughed softly, though it was tinged with a bit of self-doubt.

“I don’t know what I’ll do,” I admitted. “Hunting was all I knew. That used to scare me.”

Samuel tilted his head, his gaze searching mine.

“But not anymore?” he asked quietly.

I smiled, the answer coming more easily than I expected.

“No, not anymore. I have time to figure out what I want to be, what I want to do next. But I do know one thing,” I told him.

He raised an eyebrow, waiting. “What’s that?”

“I can’t wait to find out what’s in store for us,” I said, feeling the truth of it settle deep in my bones.

Then, with a deep breath, I added, “I… I think I love you, Samuel.”

His eyes widened slightly, and then a teasing smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“You think?” he teased gently, his voice full of warmth.

I laughed again, my heart feeling lighter than it had in days. “Okay, I know I love you.”

Samuel kissed me again, this time with more certainty, more passion. When he pulled back, his forehead rested against mine.

“I love you too, Blake.”

And in that moment, everything felt right.

THE END