“And now?” I snapped. “Is this personal?”
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he looked past me, his gaze distant. When he spoke, his voice was quieter, almost reluctant.
“You and your vampire were never our primary target. My team was sent here to take care of an ancient monster. Once that’s dealt with…” He trailed off, his eyes locking back onto mine. “You and Gael are next.”
The words hung between us, a cold blade slicing through my chest.
I swallowed hard. “Why are you telling me this?”
He hesitated, his jaw clenching and unclenching like he was wrestling with his thoughts.
Finally, he said, “Donovan.”
My breath caught. Donovan.Guilt hit me. The last time Donovan and I spoke, he told me to forget Finn and move on.
My stomach twisted.
“After our confrontation, I contacted Donovan. We’ve worked together in a few missions and I consider him a friend,” Declan continued. “He still cares, even if he doesn’t show it. He asked me to give you a chance. A warning.”
I laughed, hollow and bitter. “A chance to do what? Run? Hide? You know that’s not an option.”
“Leave Gael.” Declan’s voice was flat, clinical. “I won’t try to understand your obsession with this monster, but it’s not too late for you to return to Donovan, to the Guild.”
A sharp, painful ache bloomed in my chest. Leave Gael. It was the smart choice. The safe choice.
The choice that ensured I’d survive, ensured I’d avoid the tangled mess of danger and emotion he represented.
But the thought of walking away felt like carving out a piece of myself.
It was unbearable, the idea of turning my back on him, on everything we’d endured together.
I tried to rationalize it, to remind myself that I’d been fine before him. But the lie tasted bitter.
I didn’t know when it had happened. When Gael had gone from being my enemy to something else, something undefinable.
Somewhere along the line, the sharp edges of hatred had dulled, replaced by something far more complicated.
Was it trust? The way I instinctively knew he’d have my back in a fight?
The way I could let my guard down, even just a little, because I knew he wouldn’t let me fall?
Respect? That was there too. The grudging admiration for his strength, his resilience, his unwavering determination, even when the odds were stacked against him.
Maybe it was more. A dangerous thought. A forbidden one.
My breath hitched. The idea felt too big, too impossible, but it clung to me like a shadow, refusing to let go.
The safe choice was clear, but my heart was no longer listening to reason. Gael wasn’t just an ally or even just a complication.
I shook my head. “I can’t.”
Declan’s eyes narrowed. “Can’t or won’t?”
“Does it matter?” My voice was raw, my throat tight. “I’m not leaving him.”
Declan exhaled slowly, disappointment etched into every line of his face. “You’re making a mistake.”
“Maybe.” I met his gaze, forcing strength into my words. “But it’s my mistake to make.”
