Chapter Forty-five Kade
The facility doors. Behind us now. Closing. Final. Amethyst walks beside me. Slow. Careful.
The ribs still hurt. I can see it. The way she holds herself. Protective. Guarded. My hand finds the small of her back. Light. Steadying. She doesn’t pull away. Leans into it. Trusts it.
The Raven is waiting. Near the vehicles. Arms crossed. Watching. Assessing. Her eyes move between us. Taking in Amethyst’s careful movements. The bandages visible under her shirt. My hand at the small of her back. Protective. Possessive.
Mine.
Raven’ts gaze lingers for a second before she nods once. Understanding. Approval. Maybe recognition. Maybe all three.
I stop in front of her. Amethyst beside me. Close.
“I’ll continue working for you," I say.
Direct. Simple. The Raven’s eyebrow raises. Slight. Curious.
“But I need time off."
Silence. Brief. Heavy.
Her eyes flicker to Amethyst. Then back to me. Something shifts in her expression. Understanding. Recognition. A smile. Small. Knowing. Almost amused.
“How much time?"
“I don’t know yet."
Truth. I don’t. Could be weeks. Could be months. However long it takes.
For Amethyst to heal. For us to breathe. For the world to stop spinning. The Raven nods. “Take what you need."
Relief. Immediate. Profound.
“Thank you."
She waves a hand. Dismissive. But her eyes are warm.
“You’ve earned it."
She turns to Amethyst.
“Can I borrow you for a moment?"
Amethyst looks at me. Questioning. I nod.
“I’ll be right here."
She follows The Raven. A few steps away. Not far. Just enough for privacy. I watch them. Can’t help it. The predator doesn’t like distance. Doesn’t like her out of reach. But this is safe. The Raven is safe.
I force myself to look away. To the vehicles. To the road beyond. To what comes next. The apartment. Haven’t been there in months.
Since everything changed. It’s small. Sparse. Nothing permanent. Nothing that ties me down.
That’s how I lived. Ready to move. Ready to disappear. Ready to burn every bridge and start over. But now—
I want roots. A home. Something permanent. Something that belongs to both of us. Someting no one gets to take away.
Raven and Amethyst return. Amethyst’s expression is calm. Settled. Whatever they discussed. It’s resolved.
“Ready?" I ask.
“Yes."
I open the passenger door. She climbs in. Careful. Slow. I close it behind her. Walk around to the driver’s side. The Raven catches my eye. Nods once. I nod back. Get in. Start the engine. Drive.
The city comes into view. Buildings. Streets. People. Normal life. Continuing. Unaware. The apartment is downtown. Third floor. Corner unit. I pull into the parking garage. Find my spot. Kill the engine. Amethyst looks at the building. Taking it in.
“You live here?"
“Sometimes."
“Sometimes?"
“I move around a lot."
She nods. Understanding.
We get out. I grab her bag from the back. The one Raven packed. Clean clothes. Essentials.
My hand finds her back again. Guiding. Protecting. We take the elevator. Third floor. The hallway is quiet. Empty. My apartment is at the end. 3C. I unlock the door. Push it open. Step aside. Let her enter first.
She walks in. Slow. Looking around. Taking it in. The space is small. Open concept. Kitchen to the left. Living area straight ahead. Bedroom door to the right. Minimal furniture. A couch. A table. Two chairs. Nothing on the walls. Nothing personal. Nothing permanent. Just—
Functional. Temporary. A place to sleep between jobs. She turns. Looks at me.
“It’s nice."
“It’s empty."
“It’s yours."
I set her bag down. Close the door. Lock it.
“I don’t own much," I say. Explaining. Justifying.
“I moved constantly. Didn’t accumulate things. Didn’t—"
“I understand."
Two words. Simple. But they carry weight. She does understand. She lived the same way. Always moving. Always ready to run. Never settling. Never building.
Until now.
I look at her. Really look. She’s standing in my apartment. In my space. The only person I’ve ever brought here. The only person I’ve ever wanted here. The only person I’ll ever want here. And she understands. Doesn’t judge. Doesn’t question. Just—
Accepts.
The box. In my pocket. Heavy. Present. Demanding attention. I’ve been carrying it for weeks.
Since the morning everything went wrong. I reach for it. Pull it out. Small. Black velvet. She sees it. Her eyes widen. Slightly. Surprise. Curiosity. Maybe fear.
“I’ve been debating on whether I should give this to you,"
My voice is rough. Uncertain.
“I went and got it the day that Enzo—"
I stop. Can’t finish.
The memory is too sharp. Too raw. The cabin burning. Thinking she was inside. Thinking I’d lost her.
I hold out the box. She stares at it. Then at me. Reaches out. Slow. Careful. Takes it. Opens it.
The ring catches the light. For a second, I don’t look at it. I look at her. At the hitch in her breath. The widening of her eyes. The disbelief. The wonder. The realization.
Every mile I’d driven to get it. Every hour I had to fight my way back to her. Was all worth it.
She gasps. Soft. Genuine.
“Kade."
Her voice breaks.
“It’s beautiful."
I step closer. Can’t help it. Need to be near her.
“I don’t know what this means," I say.
Honest. Raw.
“I don’t know if it’s marriage or a promise or just—"
“It means you’re mine," she says.
The words hit harder than they should. Harder than a bullet. Harder than a knife. Because she says them freely. Not because I’m forcing her. Not because she’s trapped. Not because she has nowhere else to go.
She chooses it. She chooses me.
Every time.
Looking up at me. Eyes bright. Certain.
“And I’m yours."
Yes. Exactly that. I take the ring from the box. Hold it. She extends her left hand. Trembling. Slightly. I slide the ring on. Third finger. It fits. Perfect. Like it was made for her. She looks at it. Turns her hand. Watching the stone catch the light. Then she looks at me. And what I see there—
It’s everything.
Love. Trust. Certainty. Forever.
I pull her close. Careful of the ribs. My mouth finds hers. Soft. Reverent. Not demanding. Not claiming. Just—
Loving. She opens for me. Lets me in. Her hands come up. One on my chest. One behind my neck. Holding me. Keeping me close. I deepen the kiss. Slow. Thorough. Tasting her. Memorizing her.
My hands frame her face. Gentle. Worshipful. She’s everything. Everything I never knew I needed. Everything I never thought I could have. And she’s here. Wearing my ring. Choosing me. I pull back. Just slightly. Breathing hard.
“Bedroom," I say.
Not a question. A need. She nods.
“Yes."
I take her hand. The one with the ring. Lead her across the apartment. Through the bedroom door. The room is simple. Bed. Dresser. Window with blinds drawn. Nothing else. But it’s private. Safe. Ours. I close the door. Lock it. Habit.
She’s already moving to the bed. Sitting on the edge. Looking at me. Waiting. I cross to her. Kneel. Between her legs. My hands find her hips. Gentle. Careful.
“Tell me if it hurts."
“It won’t."
“Amethyst."
“I need this."
Truth. I see it in her eyes. The need. The want. The desperate hunger for connection. For normalcy. For us.
I lean forward. Kiss her again. Slower this time. Deeper. My hands slide under her shirt. Careful. Avoiding the bandaged ribs. Finding bare skin. Warm. Soft. Alive. She lifts her arms. I pull the shirt off. Gentle. Controlled.
The bandages stand out. White against her skin. Evidence. Of what she survived. Of what we survived. Of what I almost lost.
I kiss her collarbone. Soft. Reverent.
Then lower. To the edge of the bandages. Claiming the scars. Worshiping the survival. She gasps. Soft. Needy. Her hands find my hair. Grip. Hold. I continue. Kissing. Tasting. Mapping every inch.
My hands work her jeans. Button. Zipper. She lifts her hips. I slide them down. Careful. Slow. Off. She’s bare before me. Vulnerable. Beautiful.
Mine.
I stand. Remove my own clothes. Quick. Efficient.
Then I’m back. Over her. Careful not to press.
Not to crush. Supporting my weight. She reaches for me.
Pulls me down. Into a kiss. Deep. Consuming.
Her legs wrap around my hips. Careful. Controlled.
I position myself. The head of me against her. Hot. Ready. Waiting.
“Yes," she whispers.
Permission. Invitation. Need. I push in. Slow. Controlled. Inch by inch. Filling her. Completing her. Us. She gasps. Arches. Takes me deeper. I stop. Fully seated. Buried. Home. My forehead drops to hers. Breathing hard.
“I love you," I say.
Raw. Honest. Absolute.
“I love you too."
I start to move. Slow. Deliberate. Each thrust measured. Deep. Claiming.
Her hands grip my shoulders. Holding. Anchoring. Her breathing quickens. Matches mine. We move together. Rhythm building. Pressure coiling. Winding tighter. My hand slides between us. Finds her clit. Circles. Gentle. Persistent. She moans. Soft. Desperate. Beautiful.
“Kade—"
“I know."
“Please—"
“I’ve got you."
I increase the pressure. The speed. Driving deeper. Harder. But still controlled. Still careful. Still loving. She breaks. Shatters. Around me. Her body clenching. Pulsing. Taking me with her. I follow. Seconds later. Buried deep. Filling her. Marking her. Claiming her. Forever.
We stay connected. Breathing hard. Hearts racing. Together.
I shift. Careful. Pull out. Move beside her. Pull her close. Against my chest. She fits perfectly. Like she was made for this. For me.
Her hand rest over my heart. The ring catches the light.
Mine.
Hers.
Ours.
“We’re really doing this," she says.
Quiet. Wondering.
“Yes."
“Building something."
“Yes."
“Together."
“Always.”
She settles against me. Trusting me completely. The most dangerous thing she’s ever done. The thought should make me smile. Maybe it does.
Because the monster is still here. Still breathing. Still capable of terrible things.
But she’s the only thing I’ve never wanted to destroy.
The one thing I’ve only ever wanted to keep.
I press a kiss to her hair and close my eyes.
And for the first time in my life—
I let the darkness rest.
Because after all these years believing monsters don’t get happy endings—
I was wrong.
Mine did.