For a moment, neither of us spoke. The forest seemed to hold its breath, waiting.
Then Declan’s shoulders sagged, and something like sorrow flickered across his face.
“I wish things were different,” he said softly. “But they’re not.”
“Yeah.” My voice cracked. “Me too.”
He took a step back, fading into the shadows. “Take the warning, Asher. When the time comes, you won’t get another.”
I nodded, my chest heavy. “I know.”
He hesitated, then pulled something from his pack. A burner phone.
“It’s untraceable. Donovan’s number is programmed in. Maybe your brother can talk some sense into you,” Declan said.
I took it. His gaze lingered on me for a moment longer, unreadable and heavy, before he turned and disappeared into the trees.
The silence rushed back, overwhelming and empty, leaving me alone with the weight of his words and the cold device in my hand.
After tucking the phone into the pocket of my jacket, I let out a shaky breath, my body trembling from the effort of holding myself together.
My mind raced, trying to piece everything together. Who was Declan to Donovan?
Declan had mentioned they were friends, but the way he said it hinted at something more. Something deeper.
Unlike Finn, Donovan wasn’t the type to spill his thoughts or confide in anyone, not even his own family.
He kept his secrets locked up tight, his emotions even tighter.
I’d learned long ago not to expect answers from him unless he chose to give them, and he rarely did.
And Finn… Where was he now? Him and his vampire?
Gabriel. The name left a bitter taste in my mouth, but not because Finn had chosen him. I just couldn’t shake the nagging worry about what their future held.
At the very least, with the heat squarely on Gael and me, the hunters wouldn’t have the time or resources to bother with Finn.
That thought brought a small measure of relief, but it was fleeting. Declan’s words gnawed at me.
If Donovan and Declan were close, closer than I could understand, what did that mean for me? Was Declan warning me because of some sense of loyalty to Donovan?
The tremble in my body grew harder to suppress, frustration and fear mingling into an exhausting knot of tension.
My family, my brothers, this entire mess. It felt like it was spinning out of control.
I took another shaky breath, forcing myself to push the thoughts away. I couldn’t afford to break down now.
Not when Gael and I were barely hanging on. Not when the world around us was teetering on the edge of chaos.
Finn and Donovan would have to wait. My focus had to stay here, on surviving, on keeping us both alive.
For now, that was all that mattered.
I turned back toward the cabin, my steps slow and heavy. Declan’s words still echoed in my head. Maybe he was right.
Maybe staying with Gael would get me killed.
But as I limped through the door and saw Gael standing there, his eyes sharp with concern, I knew I couldn’t walk away.
