Page 71 of Donovan
Jonas, ever the cautious one, wasn’t satisfied just yet. “And the hunters?”
“They think we’re dead,” I told him.
No reason to hide the truth. The sparrow shifters had given us shelter, and they deserved to know exactly what had happened.
Jonas pressed his lips into a thin line, considering that. Then, after a long beat, he gave a sharp nod. “Good.”
Silence stretched between us, but this time, it wasn’t heavy. The air smelled of damp earth, pine, and the faintest trace of smoke from a nearby fire.
For the first time in days, I let myself believe that maybe we were safe.
Then, finally, Jonas spoke again. “The offer still stands.”
Something in my chest tightened. Declan shifted beside me, and I felt the subtle movement of his gaze flicking toward me.
“You’re welcome to stay,” Jonas continued. “Build a new life here.”
His words settled into me like a weight, not a heavy one, not a burden, but something grounding. Something real.
A home. A future. A choice. I turned to Declan, already knowing he was looking at me.
The fight was over. We didn’t need to worry about the Guild or rabid vampires. We could finally think about ourselves, and best of all, we weren’t running anymore.
Declan held my gaze, his eyes dark and steady. Then he asked, voice low but certain, “What do you want to do next?”
The simplicity of it nearly undid me.
What do you want?
Not what’s the plan? Not where do we go from here? But what do you want?
For what felt like forever, I hadn’t had the luxury of asking myself that.
Survival had dictated every move, every step. But now… now I could want something. I did want something.
A slow smile curved my lips, but I didn’t answer. I didn’t have to, because Declan already knew.
His lips twitched, like he was fighting a smirk. He reached out, his fingers brushing mine, and I took his hand without hesitation. Warm. Solid. Real.
I turned back to Jonas.
“We’ll stay,” I said.
A murmur passed through the gathered shifters. Some exchanged glances, some smiled faintly. Lena exhaled softly, her expression something close to relieved.
Jonas only studied us for a moment longer before nodding, something knowing in his gaze.
“Then welcome home.”
The words hit me deeper than I expected, sinking into my bones, settling something inside me that had been restless for years.
Home. Not a hiding place. Not a temporary refuge. A home.
Jonas gestured toward the fire pit at the center of the village. "Come. Eat with us."
It wasn’t a question. I glanced at Declan, but he only gave me a slight nod, his expression unreadable.
"Alright," I said.
