Steeling myself, I opened it, his tight scrawl written across the page in neat lines.
Aria,
I consider myself lucky to call you friend. Fortunate to have had the pleasure to work with you and blessed to have experienced what I can only assume is love for the emotion is both joy and pain at its most extremes.
Declan loves you and I’ve seen the fierceness with which you return his affections.
I’m selfish enough to know I want you even knowing you’re not mine to have. But I care for you enough to want your happiness above my own. Even now I know I’m selfish for admitting these feelings. For leaving you with the burden of knowing their existence.
But as penance for divulging my feelings, I willingly accept your hatred.
I couldn’t let you live with the guilt of taking your mother’s life. So I chose to live with your hatred for taking her from you instead.
I wish you years of happiness. I hope life slows down for you. You deserve it. You deserve to be safe, loved, and finally secure.
Declan will see to that.
Maybe our paths will cross again but until then, be happy. Let go of your grief and your regrets. There are no more shadows lurking behind you.
xx
Inarus
I read the letter a second time and then a third before the door opened and Declan stepped inside. He spotted the letter and scrutinized my face.
“Are you okay?”
I set the letter on the bedside table and waved him to me. He climbed into our bed, positioning himself against the headboard and pulling me between his legs, my back to his chest as he wrapped his arms around me.
When I didn’t answer, Declan nuzzled my hair and asked me again, this time his voice far gentler. “Are you okay?”
I nodded. “Did you know he was leaving?”
I peered up at him. His eyes were staring out the window, a small frown on his face.
“I did. He spoke with me before he left.”
I sighed. “It’s probably for the best.”
His arms tightened around me. “Do you really feel that way?”
I didn’t miss the hint of hope in his voice. My next words carried weight. Declan had put up with a lot for my sake. And for once, I was happy to ease his worries.
“I do.” I let the words hang in the air, knowing he probably wanted more of an explanation. But keeping things simple was best.
I would miss Inarus and I hoped one day, our paths did cross again. But I cared for him too much. More than I had any right too.
I loved Declan and though I didn’t truly believe Inarus could come between us, knowing how he felt about me, that he couldn’t set his feelings aside, put me in an uncomfortable position. I was not without my faults.
I was so afraid to lose the few people in my life I had that with him here, I would cling to him harder than I should. I’d lost too many people in my life.
And I didn’t want to hurt him, or my mate. Him leaving was for the best.
I was also immensely grateful for what he’d done for me. In the moment, and even now, I’d felt grief and anger. He’d killed my mom. But hadn’t that been what I’d planned to do from the start?
He’d spared me the guilt and the pain of having to take my mother’s life. And as thanks he accepted my anguish and fury. But I could never hate him.
He was a better man—a better friend—than I ever could have asked for.
20
Epilogue
Three months had passed without retaliation and the collective breaths we’d all been holding were finally released.
If neighboring units of the H.A.C. had intended to lash out, they would have done so by now. It looked like we were in the clear. Life had gone on and I was finally getting back into the swing of things.
Inarus and Dia were both gone. We hadn’t seen or heard a peep from either of them in the last three months. I missed him but I reminded myself that it was for the best.
Robert had sulked through the halls the first few weeks after Dia’s absence but he seemed fine now. His usual intolerable self.
I was back at work. Playing bodyguard and hunting down baddies. With Inarus no longer in the picture, Melody had decided to work with me at Sanborn Place.
It was nice.
She was notoriously late and had horrible people skills but she always got the job done so I couldn’t really complain. She also made coffee every morning so there was that.
And speaking of Mel …
“Are you taking the Drucano job?” I asked.
Perched on the edge of her desk, Mel glared at me. “Like I have a choice. Urgh, that girl is the worst.”
I didn’t bother hiding my laugh. Playing bodyguard to Laela Drucano was probably my least favorite job but her father paid well and it was repeat business. Inarus used to take her cases. She had a huge crush on him and her father seemed to approve, but he was gone so Melody had that particular pleasure now.
“Since you’ll be busy with the Drucano job, I’ll take care of the Nessie sighting out at Newman Lake.”
Melody rolled her eyes. “There is literally no way Nessie is hiding in Newman Lake. She’s a Loch Ness monster. Not a local one.”
I quirked a brow. “Okay, I know there’s no Nessie in Newman, but you talk about it as though she really exists.”
Melody rolled her eyes. “Uh, duh. She’s been around since the seventies. But she’s
