Epilogue
THORNE
I dragged the damp rag across the sticky, beer-soaked bartop, tossing it into the plastic bus tub beneath the sink with a sigh.
It’d been two days since the lumber mill, since I tore Wren’s throat out with my own teeth.
My broken ribs had knitted back together in less than twenty-four hours—werewolf genetics were a beautiful thing—but my mind was still processing everything.
Namely, the fact that we’d all, somehow, survived.
We’d all taken a day to rest and recoup, but today, I knew I couldn’t sit around the condo anymore.
I’d taken enough time off work, and poor Izzy needed me.
Lucien had been all too happy to assist, but he had his own business to run.
And bartending lost its charm rather quickly when dealing with drunk paranormals.
Tonight had been my first night back, and I was bone tired. Perhaps even more tired than after the epic showdown. Strange to think how a blue-collar job was more exhausting than battling to the death.
Izzy and I had just shut the doors less than an hour ago, and the emptiness was a stark contrast to the utter chaos that had consumed our business for the last six hours.
It’d seemed like the entire town had come out to drink tonight.
I knew that wasn’t accurate, there were other establishments in town, but our customers had packed every booth.
Even the pixies had caught the vibe. Around ten o’clock, a handful of the glowing menaces had fluttered downstairs, dive-bombed a pitcher of beer, and stolen a pretzel right out of someone’s hand. No shame at all, those little beasties.
Felix had chased them back upstairs with a broom, threatening to ward the entire building against them if they didn’t wise up.
But now, we’d shooed everyone out, flipped the chairs upside down on the tables, and turned off the neon signs. We’d gone from the entire town to just me and Izzy. And boy, that was nice. I could finally hear myself think again.
Or, well, it would have been nice if Izzy weren’t aggressively wiping down the beer taps. And by aggressively, I meant she’d nearly scrubbed the chrome right off the metal.
“A nine-hundred-pound bear,” Izzy snapped. “A nine-hundred-pound bear, Thorne. And a skeletal fae monster that shot shadows out of its back.”
“The shadows didn’t exactly shoot,” I offered weakly. “They just sort of writhed around and—”
Izzy finally stopped scrubbing. She turned to glare at me, her hands planted firmly on her hips. Her eyes flashed with a dangerous mix of anger and sheer panic.
“You almost died,” she said, her voice dropping an octave. “Calder almost died. Cassian literally had his ass lit on fire by a black witch. Why didn’t you call us before you went in? Lucien and I would have gone with you.”
“Izzy—”
“No, do not ‘Izzy’ me,” she interrupted, pointing a soapy finger in my direction.
“Lucien and I were sitting right here. The St. Germains were just down the street.
We have an entire network of highly lethal people who would have dropped everything to come and help you. Why the hell didn't you call us?”
I opened my mouth to defend myself. I wanted to explain how fast it’d all happened, but at the look on her face, the words died in my throat.
Because beneath all that anger, I saw the glassy, unmistakable sheen of tears in her eyes.
I swallowed the excuses. I walked around the bar to stand right in front of her.
“You’re right,” I said softly. “I was stupid. We thought it was just a simple hand-off, and when things went sideways, I panicked and we just handled it. But I’m sorry.
I really am.” I pulled her into a tight hug.
“I swear to you, next time a horrifying fae monster and his rogue witch try to murder my husband and my brothers, you are the very first person I will call.”
A reluctant, watery laugh escaped her lips. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
The bell above the front door jingled, cutting through the quiet hum of the bar.
Both of us turned.
Calder stood in the doorway, framed by the cool, dark night behind him. He wore the leather jacket I so dearly loved, a fresh gray henley, and dark jeans. My favorite look on him—probably because it was the only style he ever wore. But hey, it worked. So, no need to change anything.
His green eyes locked on me, and for a moment, the entire room shrank until it was just the two of us.
The last couple of days had been peaceful in a way I’d never expected.
Just us, together, no drama, no pissed off brothers, no anger.
It made me remember how things used to be between us.
Which terrified me as much as it pleased me.
I wasn’t sure how much longer I had until the next adventure came calling and he disappeared to the other side of the world.
“Ready?” Calder asked.
Since we closed at one in the morning, he insisted on picking me up after closing time and escorting me home. I didn’t argue. I loved our moonlight rendezvous.
“She is,” Izzy said, wiping her cheeks. “Get out of here, Thorne. Lucien is waiting for me, so I’m going to lock up and head out too.”
I smiled at my bestie, then walked toward Calder. Without a word, he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me flush against his side. He dropped a soft kiss on top of my head, breathing in my scent.
“Night, Izzy,” he called out.
“Night. Stay out of trouble, you two!”
“We’ll do our best,” he chuckled.
He pushed the heavy wooden door open, and we stepped out into the crisp night air. The streets of the town were quiet now, the chaotic energy of the busy evening having long since faded into the surrounding forest. The moon was high and bright, casting long, silver shadows across the pavement.
We fell into an easy, comfortable rhythm, walking shoulder-to-shoulder down the sidewalk toward our condo hand in hand.
About three blocks away, Calder’s thumb stopped tracing the palm of my hand, and he said, “I got a phone call today.”
“Mm?” I hummed.
“It was from Chicago. Someone looking to hire me for a new job. An old grimoire went missing from a private collection. They need me to track it down and retrieve it.”
Dread settled in the pit of my stomach. Two days. That was all he’d given me. I knew how important Calder’s job was to him. He lived for the thrill, for the hunt. It was the wolf in him. Whereas I… I loved it here. In my bar. My condo. Eternity Falls had my brothers, my best friend, my whole life.
But as much as I wanted him to stay—and I desperately wanted that—I knew I couldn’t force him to.
“When do you leave?” I asked, my tone flat.
Calder’s hands came up, framing my face, his rough palms hot against my cheeks. Before I could process what he was doing, he wrapped one arm tightly around my waist and dipped me backward beneath the moonlight.
Then he kissed me.
My hands flew up to grip his shoulders, my fingers digging into his shirt to anchor myself. I kissed him back just as fiercely, the lingering fear vanishing in an instant, replaced by the sheer, undeniable heat of our bond.
When he finally pulled back, he didn’t pull me entirely upright. He kept me suspended there in his arms, his face mere inches from mine, both of us breathing hard.
“I turned it down.”
“What?” I breathed.
“I turned it down,” he repeated, a breathtaking smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I told him to lose my number. And then I smashed my phone with a rock and threw out the pieces.”
A breathless laugh escaped my lips. “You did not.”
“I did.” He finally straightened me, though he didn’t let go of my waist. He rested his forehead against mine. “After, I went to the store and bought a new one. No one from my old life has the number. Which means no one can ever call me for a job again.”
I stared at him, my heart swelling so fast and so large it physically ached. “Calder, are you sure? The hunt, the adrenaline, won’t you miss it?”
“The only thing I missed during those five years was you. Don’t you see that yet? You’re the only thing I want.”
He reached up, brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear, his touch infinitely gentle.
A teasing smile came to my lips. “But what will you do for money? Because if you think I’m gonna be your sugar mama, you’re crazy.”
Calder laughed, his eyes bright with happiness. “I already got a job. Sebastian St. Germain asked me to catalogue his family’s private artifact collection. Seems the Ravenspells aren’t the only collectors in town.”
I reached up and cupped his cheek. “I was just kidding. You know what’s mine is yours.”
“I know that. But I want to contribute to our life together.”
Stretching up, I kissed him again. “Are you sure about this?”
“I love you,” he said, the words ringing clear and absolute in the quiet street. “I love you, and this is where I want to stay. Forever. If you’re okay with that.”
Tears prickled the backs of my eyes, blurring his handsome face. I didn't try to hide them. I just smiled, a massive, face-splitting grin that hurt my cheeks.
“I am one thousand percent okay with that,” I whispered. I slid my arms up around his neck, pulling him down until our noses brushed. “I love you too, Calder. So damn much.”
“Gross.”
At the sound of Ricky’s voice, I broke away from Calder, laughing, and turned my head. Ricky stood on the closest sidewalk, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans and his mouth twisted into a look of brotherly disgust.
“I really don’t need to watch someone pawing at my sister in the middle of the street,” he muttered. “Get a room. Preferably one with thick curtains so I never have to see that again.”
Calder snorted beside me. “You could’ve just kept walking.”
“I was,” Ricky shot back. “Then you two turned the street into a damn romance novel.”
I grinned and slipped my hand into Calder’s. “You’re just bitter because no one’s kissing you under the moonlight.”
Ricky made a gagging noise. “Please stop talking.”