“He’s… dead?”
“Yes.” Arya nods, her eyes full of heavy memories. “I’ll tell you the story one day. But whatever he was, part of him made us. And you fixedwhat he broke. That’s more grace than I think I’d have managed.”
“I didn’t do it alone,” I say. “Reid stood with me. Grandma’s magic. The house. Even Fenric—I think, deep down, he wanted to be free.”
Arya nods. “Maybe that’s the real end of it then. The blood-debt is done. We can start with something clean.”
“We can start from here.”
She glances sideways, smiling. “Sunday dinners? Alternating houses?”
I laugh. “Only if you promise to bring Gregor’s stew.”
“Deal.” She squeezes my hand. Her grip is strong, grounding. “I’m so glad we found each other.”
“So am I,” I whisper.
The wards hum in agreement.
Inside, Reid’s laugh rumbles low and steady. Grandma hums an old lullaby as she tidies, and Gregor’s deep voice answers her with a gruff, half-sung line.
For the first time, Ruby Cottage doesn’t feel like the edge of the world.
It feels like the center of it.
Epilogue
Reid
She runs like wildfire. Red-gold fur streaming, paws barely touching the forest floor, the moonlight painting her every motion in silver. The bond between us thrums, alive and bright, tugging at something deep under my ribs.
She glances back once, her eyes catching mine with a challenge that flashes like lightning—and then she’s gone, a streak of scent and sound through the trees.
My pulse spikes. I give chase.
The forest blurs into bark, wind, and her heartbeat. All I know is her. Her scent, her rhythm, the place where her paw prints dig into the earth, a breath before mine. I could catch her easily, but I don’t. I want her to feel the thrill of the hunt. I want her toneedit.
She veers left through a stand of pines. I follow, silent as a shadow. She hears me. Her ears twitch and her stride lengthens. She’s fast and fierce, but the bond gives her away. I can feel every flicker of her pulse through the invisible thread tying us together.
Time to capture my prey.
I bound forward, and the air bursts out of both of us as I hit her flank, rolling her into a bed of moss. She twists under me, snarling, teeth flashing white, but her tail sweeps low, her body arching against mine in submission.
I growl in satisfaction as she yields, tipping her head and baring her throat. I press my muzzle to the hollow there, my breath mixing with hers. The forest hums around us, thick with her scent.
Shift,I tell her through our bond.
She does
It starts as an ember under her skin before spilling outward. Her body trembles as bones shift and fur gives way to skin.
I answer, allowing the change to roll through me, letting it take me. When it’s done, I’m standing on the soft grass, human again, the air cool on my sweat-damp skin.
Scarlett turns toward me, breath quick, moonlight tangled in her wild hair.
For a long moment, we drink each other in.
My mate doesn’t hide. Shelifts her chin, shoulders back, letting me see every inch like she knows I’ll memorize it.
