SUN （Nolan）
Two hours after dropping Hunter off at the intersection, we’re getting close to my parents’ house.
I spot it from afar; a beautiful estate with a long, white building in a traditional southern style, surrounded by the garden my dad takes care of.
Suddenly, my eyes are drawn to the silhouette of a bird circling high in the sky. I’m almost certain it’s a falcon, and my heart flutters in a strange way.
It feels like a good sign. Another big change is coming in my life?
We pull into my parents’ driveway. A storm of emotions hits me, stress tangled with excitement, shame mixed with longing.
By the front steps, I spot my brother Skye’s car with the trunk open, and Skye himself loading suitcases into it.
When we park, he stops and stares at us, clearly shocked. I can't blame him. We definitely look strange.
I glance at Summer and Ragnar.
"Okay… we’re here. I just know we’ll be safe in my parents’ house because I always felt safe here. It’s like an eye of the storm."
I don’t know why I say it. Maybe I just want to reassure Summer.
Over the past two hours, he’s improved slightly. Whatever drugs Anzo gave him seem to be fading a little, but he still hasn’t spoken a single word.
We stopped to grab water and some snacks, but he barely ate anything. Now he just sits there, wrapped in a blanket, completely still. I can feel the tension rolling off him in waves.
But we can’t stay in the car forever. As I get out, Skye throws, "What’s going on? Aren’t you supposed to be in college, Sun? It’s already September."
I ignore him, because suddenly, I see my parents coming out onto the steps, and right behind them, I spot the tall silhouette of Snow.
I freeze, taking it all in.
It’s such a strange, surreal feeling, coming back here after everything I’ve been through, as a very different person. And I already said goodbye to the idea of ever seeing them again. Yet… they’re here. Looking at me. It’s real. A rush of emotion swells in my chest.
Dad…
I rush toward him and wrap my arms around him. No hesitation anymore. This is the moment I’ve dreamed of. Embracing him while being… free. No more lies.
"Dad, I need your help," I whisper, looking into his eyes.
"What’s going on, honey? What happened?"
"I’ll explain everything. Let’s get inside. I need to talk to you face to face."
Only then do I turn around and introduce the others.
"This is Summer, and that’s Ragnar. If it’s not a problem, I’d like them to stay with us for a while…"
"Of course," Dad says quickly, gesturing widely. "But please, tell me—"
"In a moment. Let’s go inside. It’s quite a long story."
Just before we enter the house, I glance back to check on Summer. He follows us, but his steps are unsteady. He sways slightly on the stairs, and right then, Snow takes a step toward him like he’s ready to catch him.
But Summer quickly pulls away, his face flashing with panic.
He’s maybe 5'7", while Snow towers over him at 6'7". The size difference must be intimidating.
We all head into the house, and I lead the way, still holding my dad’s hand. My emotions are all over the place.
We walk into the living room, which opens into the kitchen. There, I spot Jordan, the older beta who always comes by for a few hours to help my dad with things around the house.
He stares at us, eyes wide, which makes sense. We look like a total mess. Dirty, beat-up, a crew of strays.
"Jordan, please make some tea for everyone," Dad says, probably to snap him out of his gawking.
Instead of sitting on the couches, the three of us, me, Summer, and Ragnar, take seats at the dining table.
We choose the table because we know this conversation won’t be a relaxing one. The couches just feel too comfy for what’s coming.
I sit up straight on the chair, and Dad sits across from me, reaching out to clasp my hands in both of his.
"Sun, I know a lot has happened. Tell me everything," he says gently, his eyes locked onto mine.
So I begin.
First, I apologize for lying. Then I start talking about my reckless encounter with Anzo, how I split up with Martin during the charity event, and how I was kidnapped and taken to the Ferros' estate.
As I speak, Dad closes his eyes for a moment like he’s wrestling with something inside. But he doesn’t interrupt.
My father clenches his jaw and looks away, probably because he’s bracing himself for what I’m about to say next.
I walk them through everything that happened. I leave out the worst details, but I don’t skip over any of the major facts, like how Anzo electrocuted me, forced me into sex, what Summer went through, how we shared the same fate.
A few times, my dad tries to cut in, but I lift my hand and say,
"Please let me finish. We’ll talk after."
So I continue. Even telling them I had sex with Ragnar in the gazebo, risking Anzo’s fury. I expect Ragnar to look at least a little embarrassed, but his face stays calm, almost like he knows this is something we all have to face together.
Then I move on to the biggest reveal: that Anzo threatened me, first demanding I reveal Summer’s secret, then my own.
And finally, I drop the real bombshell:
That Ragnar and I discovered we’re True Mates.
That’s when my parents actually can’t stop themselves from reacting.
Their tense, drawn faces suddenly light up.
They’re still shaken by everything, but hearing that my pain wasn’t meaningless, that something good came of it, makes it easier for them to take it all in.
"Oh my God, Sun," my dad says. "That’s what you’d call a blessing in disguise. But weirdly, I’m not surprised. After all, someone did hint that this might happen."
With that, Dad turns to look at the one person not sitting at the table.
Snow is perched alone on a nearby couch, quietly listening to everything. His eyes shift between the floor, the glass patio door, and Summer. Even from here, I can hear his heart and it beats pretty quickly.
Dad nods.
"Yeah… I’ve gotta say, over the past two weeks, I’ve had so many moments where I wanted to jump in the car and drive straight to your dorm.
My gut was twisted in fear, wondering where you were, what was happening to you.
But every single time, Snow stopped me. He kept saying, ‘ Everything’s on the right path. You can’t interfere now…’ "
I notice Ragnar’s curious gaze as he studies Snow, finally seeing for himself the person he’s heard so much about, as someone with a gift not unlike Moon’s.
Though… maybe not exactly the same.
Snow’s ability is hard to categorize. He’d probably have to explain it himself, but he’s not exactly the talkative type.
The entire time I’m speaking, Summer keeps his head down, eyes on his hands.
Only now, when Dad mentions Snow’s role, does something shift.
He lifts his head slightly and sends Snow a quick, almost shy glance, then looks right back down.
"You could say the message reached me from both ends," I add. "Ragnar’s twin brother, Moon, said the same thing. That all these weird paths would lead to happiness. I tried to believe him. But there were moments when it felt impossible."
I keep going, finally reaching the part where we were all captured and put into cages.
I explain how Summer was hooked up to an IV, given an unknown dose of psychotropics, and that’s when I see Dad’s eyes settle on Summer.
He leans in a bit, across the table, and reaches for Summer’s hand.
I’m sure Summer will flinch or pull away, but then something incredible happens.
He doesn’t.
Dad gently squeezes his fingers.
"Sweetheart," he says softly. "I want you to stay here with us. I had a rough start too, ironically, at exactly your age, twenty. But I found a way out of my hell. You’ll be safe in this house. You’re family now, Sun’s brother-in-law.
We’ll do everything we can to help you feel at home, and to make sure nothing disrupts your healing. "
And then comes another miracle. Summer gives the tiniest, and I mean tiniest, nod, just enough to show he’s not completely gone. He still understands us, somehow. And my dad responds with a warm smile.
I feel tempted to say that with his power, Summer is safe everywhere, but maybe it’s Summer's decision to tell when he’s ready.
So I go back to my story. I talk about the games Anzo used to play with us.
I mention how he demanded I show him my gift.
My father seems unsure how to react, but my dad has this strange look on his face.
I can tell both of them are about to start asking questions, but I lift a hand to stop them once again, and keep going.
Eventually, I get to the part where Anzo shot me in the stomach.
Dad brings both hands to his mouth, horrified. But I don’t want to drag out his panic. I get up right away, pull up my T-shirt, and show him the smooth skin of my stomach. Not even a scar.
I immediately catch my father glancing over at Ragnar, maybe wondering if it was the joining with my True Mate that healed me. But then I drop the bombshell. I tell them I healed myself.
I glance over at Snow and notice him looking straight at me. He rarely looks at me, barely interacts with me at all. But this time, there’s a hint of a smirk at the corner of his mouth.
So I direct my words to him.
"I think I might be a late bloomer. You once told Storm that it took you years to get a handle on your talents. I have a feeling it’s gonna be the same for me. I’ve got years of work ahead of me… because for the life of me, I have no idea how to use it consciously." I shrug helplessly.
Snow gives me a more obvious smile and nods slightly. He surely understands. He still works on his own abilities, from what I can gather.
My parents are staring at me in shock.
Dad’s brows draw together, like something’s clicking in his head.
Then, suddenly, he says, "You know… when you were two, this big butterfly landed on our patio. You were so excited, like any little kid would be. But your hands weren’t quite coordinated yet.
You tried to touch it gently, but you squeezed too hard and broke its wings.
Then you cried and cried. Because you didn’t mean to hurt it.
We tried to take you inside so you didn’t have to watch it suffer, but you insisted on staying with the butterfly.
Said you wanted to take care of it now that it couldn’t fly.
So we left you out there and went back to the living room.
About an hour later, you were still with it.
When dinner time came, I stepped outside, and the butterfly was walking along your little hand.
Then suddenly, it took off. Its wings were whole.
I had no idea what to make of it. I even thought maybe Snow had done something, since he always loved all the flying creatures, and they seemed to trust him. "
Dad glances at Snow, who shakes his head a little, as if to say he didn't do it.
"Yep, we asked, but Snow assured us it wasn’t him. So the mystery stayed unsolved. When we pressed you, you said, ‘I really wanted to fix it… and I think it worked.’ "
There’s a long pause. "I don’t remember that," I say. "But maybe… maybe it started even earlier than I thought. I just never tried again because the world kept telling me it was impossible."
Everyone falls quiet, overwhelmed. All this news has hit my family hard. I can see they’re still trying to piece everything together.
Then I move on to the next part of the story, how Ragnar and Luca fought. I talk about Ragnar shifting and describe how unusual he looked. Ragnar doesn’t interrupt, and my parents listen closely, their eyes full of attention… and a little awe.
"You should’ve seen Ragnar in full shift," I say, feeling a spark of pride. "He’s beautiful. Silvery. Not all bony like most purple alphas. He’s different. Special."
"So are you, Sun," Ragnar says, and our eyes meet. There’s this moment, like a literal spark jumps between us. I feel my face flush.
Oh, Fate, there’s still so much I want to discover between us.
So much left to explore, to understand, to fall into.
Our whole future’s stretched out in front of us, just waiting.
And I think… I’m finally starting to believe in it.
I got out of Anzo’s fortress. My freedom feels tangible now. My future is mine to shape.
My parents exchange a look too, small smiles passing between them. I can tell they’re happy for us. Even for the quiet little burst of connection that just passed between me and Ragnar.
"You’re both special," my dad says solemnly. Then he reaches out and shakes Ragnar’s hand.
I tell them about the FBI raid next. That we all decided to run.
I glance over at Summer and add, "Summer disarmed Anzo and knocked him out cold. But I won’t go into details about his gift now.
If Summer ever wants to talk about it, that’ll be his choice, in his own time.
" I look over at him again. He’s still got his head bowed, still silent.
Then I mention how Hunter came to get us and gave us his husband’s car. How we chose to come here.
Finally, I take a deep breath and say quietly, "If it’s okay…
Ragnar and I would like to stay here for a while.
Just until we figure out what’s next. As you can probably guess, college is on hold for now.
I’m not ready to go back. I need time. Time to think, time to rest. Sometimes I feel like I should go into retirement. " I wince.
Dad nods with understanding. "Of course, honey. Stay as long as you need. After everything you’ve been through, you deserve a decade-long vacation," he says, squeezing my hand. "You’re incredibly strong, son. Just eighteen, and you made it through all that without falling apart."
I just give a small smile. I don’t want to tell him about all those moments where I did fall apart.
Then Dad gets up, walks around the table, and opens his arms.
The hell is behind me, truly. I hug him tight, overwhelmed with joy.
Because I know I’m finally home. And no matter how far I go, this is where my heart will always return.
And a piece of it will always belong to my dad.
Someday… when we’re ready, when it’s real and settled, I hope I’ll be able to say the same about Ragnar.