Page 21 of Vital Signs (Wayward Sons #7)

"We opened our home because we wanted to," Annie said quietly. "But we can't protect you from choices that might destroy you, family or not."

"I already had a family," I said. "They rejected me, but they were still my family. You didn't replace them. You became something new. But you gave me a cage. A beautiful, loving cage where I'd never have to make hard choices or face real consequences."

"This choice is going to destroy you," River gestured toward Hunter. "He's going to disappoint you the second withdrawal gets bad enough."

"Maybe. But it'll be my choice to make. My mistake to own."

Silence fell between us.

"Fine," River said finally. "Your call. Don't come crying to us when this whole thing blows up in your face."

"Misha, please." Xander's voice broke. "Don't do this. Don't leave us for him."

"I'm not leaving you," I said. "I'm choosing myself. You're the ones making this an ultimatum."

"That's the same thing!" Xander's voice went shrill. "You're choosing him over me. Over us. After everything we've been through together."

Annie caught Xander's arm gently. "He's made his choice. We have to respect it."

"Respect it?" Xander stared at her like she'd lost her mind. "He's destroying his life for a stranger!"

"His choice to make," Annie said quietly, though her jaw was tight.

I climbed back into the van, settling beside Hunter. Xander turned back one last time, staring at me through the passenger window like he was memorizing my face. When Annie finally started the engine, she pulled away slowly, giving me one last disappointed look through her windshield.

River followed without looking back.

Silence filled the space where my family had been. Through the windows, I watched the taillights disappear into the gray January morning.

I'd done it. Chosen myself over their protection. Chosen risk over safety. Chosen Hunter over the people who'd given me a home when I had nothing.

My hands were shaking. Not from cold. From the magnitude of what I'd just done.

"Jesus Christ," Hunter whispered, but his body was restless again, unable to stay still. "You just chose me over your family."

"I chose myself," I said, but my voice wasn't as steady as I wanted.

The weight of it hit me then. No more family dinners. No more backup. No more safety net if this went wrong. Just me and Hunter and the stolen files and Wright coming after us with everything he had.

"Misha." Hunter studied my face. "What do you need?"

You, I almost said. I need you to see me as capable instead of broken. I need someone who doesn't flinch at my darkness. I need to be more than what Roche made me.

But saying it out loud was too raw. Too vulnerable.

"I need to finish this," I said instead. "Whatever it takes."

"I should go," Hunter said quietly, though his hand didn't move from my shoulder. "Before you realize what you just did. What you gave up for me."

"No." The word came out fierce. "Don't you dare. Don't make me regret this."

"Misha—"

"I chose this." I grabbed his face, making him look at me. "I chose you. Us. This. Don't you dare make me a martyr for it. Own it with me or get out, but don't you dare pity me."

His eyes widened, then softened. "Okay. Yeah. We're in this together."

I moved closer, catching his restless movement and pulling him against me. My arms wrapped around his waist. "How bad is it, really?"

"Building. Like pressure behind a dam." He gripped my wrist suddenly, his hold fierce despite the tremor in his fingers. "Fuck, you're incredible. Do you have any idea what you just did?"

I let my hands settle on his chest. "Enlighten me."

"You looked your family in the eye and chose chaos." His grip tightened on my wrist. "You chose me when I'm about to fall apart completely. That's either the stupidest thing you've ever done or the hottest."

Heat shot through me at the raw hunger still visible beneath his increasing discomfort. "Maybe both."

Hunter stared at me for a long moment. Increasing anxiety was written across every line of his body, but underneath it was something that looked like respect.

"You're serious about this. About hunting Wright while I'm going through withdrawal."

"Dead serious."

"It's going to get ugly fast." He wiped his nose again. "Are you sure you want to witness that?"

"I survived Roche's laboratory. I think I can handle your mood swings."

Hunter's teeth caught my fingertip, biting down just hard enough to make me gasp. His eyes went dark despite the withdrawal. "You chose me over safety, pretty boy. That makes you mine now, whatever happens next."

The possessive claim sent electricity straight through me. "Try me." I leaned closer, close enough to witness the way his pupils were dilating and his nose was starting to run more. "I bet you'll be begging me to take care of you before this is over."

"We'll see who's begging whom. Don't think withdrawal makes me harmless, pretty boy."

"I'd be disappointed if it did."

Hunter was quiet for a moment, studying my face. When he spoke, his voice carried something I hadn't heard before. Certainty. "Wright's going to pay for Tyler. For everyone he's killed. Whatever it takes."

"Whatever it takes," I agreed.