She sucked in a breath and the gates on her end opened, all of her pouring into me.
I shuddered and closed my eyes, unable to keep them open any longer.
She’d finally done it. She’d finally opened herself to the bond.
Contentment swept over me just as everything went black.
Epilogue
Declan held me in his arms. We hadn’t left our room since the attack at Sanborn Place three days ago. At the rate we were going, I didn’t think we’d be leaving the bedroom for at least five more.
He was still healing his injuries. I’d done a number on him. His skin was still red and angry, but it was no longer charred.
Thank God for shifter healing.
I thought I’d lost him, and it had left me broken until Robert told me Declan was still alive, merely in a shifter’s sleep in order to heal his injuries.
Declan had slept for forty-eight straight hours before he opened his eyes this morning, and I didn’t think I’d ever be able to leave his side.
After the fight, the streets had been quiet. We left the bodies of our enemies behind and packed ourselves up to head home. All except one.
Inarus guarded the body of the woman I’d silently battled with, unwilling to leave her side.
When I’d asked him who she was, he’d simply shook his head. His expression letting me know that he wouldn’t let any more harm come to her, and he wouldn’t be explaining himself.
I’d been too tired to care. We all had a past, and we all had our secrets. I’d let him keep his. For now.
Declan shifted on the bed beside me. He opened his eyes and slowly lifted a hand to cup the side of my cheek. “Hey.”
I smiled down at him and rubbed my cheek in his palm. “Hey.”
I hadn't been able to stop staring at him since we returned. I watched him sleep like a crazy woman, making sure he was breathing and needing the reassurance that he was going to be alright.
There was so much I wanted to say to him, needed to say.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
I felt like an idiot. I’d run full bore into an ambush, just like my mother had wanted.
She’d used Twitch as a means to get me there, and she’d been ready for me. We counted the bodies after the attack. None of our people had died, though Inarus, Declan, and Brock had sustained serious injuries.
I was still recovering from the knife wound in my ribcage, and it hurt every time I took too deep of a breath, but it was nothing compared to the third-degree burns Declan had sustained to eighty percent of his body.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered.
Declan shook his head, “You have nothing to be sorry for.”
I snorted. I had everything to be sorry for. He’d nearly died, all because of me.
“Are we …?” I couldn’t even finish the sentence. I ached for confirmation that our relationship hadn’t been shattered. That by hurting him physically, I hadn’t pushed him away.
The bond was still strong between us, but that didn’t mean he had forgiven me.
Declan leaned forward and kissed my lips tenderly. “We’re more than okay.”
I worried my lower lip. “And I’m not going to destroy the city?”
He chuckled and wiped a tear from the corner of my eye. "And you're not going to the destroy the city."
“I love you,” I whispered.
I heard the sudden inhale of breath and stared into his wide emerald eyes as they began to fill with flecks of gold.
I hadn’t said those three little words before. Not to him, and not to any other man besides my father, until now.
He was quiet for several long seconds. I pulled away and anguish filled me. Of course he couldn’t love me. I was a monster.
Just as I was about to turn, a brilliant smile lit up his face, and he pulled me down beside him.
“I love you too.” He tightened his arms around me, “So much.”
Joy echoed through our bond, and I nestled myself against his chest, careful of the still healing skin, and tucked my head beneath his chin. I listened to the steady thrum of his heartbeat.
He still loved me. We were okay.
I was safe, and I was in the arms of the man I loved. Nothing else, not even my mother, mattered in this moment.
Thank you
Thank you all so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed seeing Aria and Declan finally come together.
If you enjoyed Branded by Fire, I would be extremely grateful if you took a moment to leave a review on the retailer website of your choosing.
If Branded by Fire is your first introduction into the Blood & Magic world, you can see where it all began in book one, Cursed by Fire, available now.
And if you’re curious to know what happened once James left, keep your eyes out for Hunter Born, coming soon.
Blood & Magic Series
Cursed by Fire
Kissed by Fire
Burned by Fire
Branded by Fire
Hunter (coming soon)
About the Author
Danielle Annett is a reader, writer, photographer, and the blogger behind Coffee and Characters. Born in the SF Bay area, she now resides in Spokane, WA, the primary location for her Blood & Magic series.
Addicted to coffee at an early age, she spends her restless nights putting pen to paper as she tries to get all of the stories out of her head before the dogs wake up the rest of the house and vye for her attention.
Learn more
@Danielle_Annett
authordanielleannett
www.danielle-annett.com
[email protected]
Branded by Fire: A Paranormal Urban Fantasy Series (Blood & Magic Book 4) Page 13
