Part 19 (1/2)

Xander wheeled her into the room. Our eyes locked for the first time in more than a month. For the first time with no secrets between us. And, for a moment, my heart ceased to beat while I listened to hers thunder in her chest.

”Leave us,” Xander said to the men.

Was he sure?

He only held my gaze, daring me to question him.

”You have five minutes. Make good use of them.”

Unlocking the cell door, Xander wheeled her into the prison within the room. Panicked, I backed up, exhaling loudly.

”Xander,” I started, eyes locked on Aria.

”You won't hurt her,” he said just like he had last night.

”You won't,” Aria said, smiling her sweet smile.

”She stays in her seat at all times,” Xander said, stepping out of the cell and pretending to look over paperwork on the desk just outside. Truly, he wasn't taking any chances with his granddaughter in the cell with me, and I was glad.

I sat on the cot and took her hands in mine. She looked at them then at my bare chest, my face and hair. I worried at what she saw, how she saw it, until she met my gaze again. ”I missed you.”

I exhaled in relief. ”I missed you.” I leaned in to take her in my arms, but when she made to stand, Xander cleared his throat. He had one eye on us, as he should.

”Ugh.” She sat back.

”I'm sorry you were hurt. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you.”

She shook her head. ”How could you protect me against a dozen machine guns?”

”I should never have placed you in danger to begin with.”

”I don't think it was you who did that.”

No, I supposed it wasn't. It felt right, and I realized for the first time in six years, I felt clean. Something else had happened the night my father had been killed, or in the weeks following his death. I'd somehow forgiven myself for my mistakes.

Her eyes glistened with tears, and I reached up to tuck her hair behind her ears before taking her face into my hands. ”I love you, Aria. I love you so much, and once I'm out of here, I'm never leaving your side again.”

Those tears fell as she reached for my face, running her knuckles along my beard. ”I hope you won't. When I thought you were dead, I wanted to die, too. I don't ever want to be away from you again.”

”That's not happening.”

”What is happening?”

”Savage Blood will become a part of Rage. Xander will rule as Alpha of Rage, and I will take my place where I was always meant to be, as Alpha of Savage Blood.” It still pained me to think this was because my father had been cut down too soon, but this was life, and it was time for me to accept my duty and lead my people. ”When Xander retires, for lack of a better term, the packs will be united as one, with me as Alpha.”

”But you didn't want this. You didn't want anything to do with the packs.”

”That was when I thought they'd betrayed me. But it turns out there was only one bad seed. I realize my duty, Aria, and my pack needs me to lead them now. Question is, is this what you want? A life at my side, as my wife and mate?”

”I can't want anything else, Zane. This wasn't what I expected to find when I came searching, but I'm yours. What my mom and dad should have done all those years ago is what we're going to accomplish. It feels right, like I'm honoring their memory. Honoring the memory of my brother.”

We had a duty, both of us. It didn't need to be discussed, it simply was. There was no walking away for either of us. If that happened, war would break out in time, and the packs would destroy one another. My father had said I didn't know the meaning of the word duty. I only hoped that wherever he was now, he'd forgiven me and was proud of me.

”Aria, I think we should get you back to the medical facility,” Xander said.

”Just a few more minutes. Please, Grandfather.”

”Why don't I come with you?” I asked. I felt good. I felt right. I wouldn't hurt her or anyone else. And it was time to begin my new life.

Aria looked hopefully at Xander who studied me then nodded.

”I think that would be a good idea.”

Epilogue.

Zane I'd missed the hot scratch of the needle, the way it could send you to outer s.p.a.ce.

Aria sat across from me, leafing through a magazine as the artist worked, tattooing the new mark of Rage's Savages, the united pack, on my back. It would cover nearly the whole of it, leaving the black rose and what remained visible of the original Savage Blood tattoo untouched. Xander had wanted me to patch it over, but I would not. It was my history.

We'd defeated Ace, and all loyal to him were either dead or exiled. Mostly dead. I sometimes wondered if that part bothered Aria, but if it did, she didn't let on. Xander still ruled as Alpha, but, within weeks, I would be taking over.

I reached a hand to touch Aria's - my wife's - newly rounding belly. The first of the next generation was on his way. The next Alpha and the first of many, I hoped.

She smiled, covering my hand with hers. ”You doing okay?”

”Yeah. Really good.”

Three years had pa.s.sed since the night at the bar. Three years since we'd defeated Ace. Once we'd both healed, I'd taken her away for a year, traveling anywhere and everywhere we wanted. Xander had been p.i.s.sed as f.u.c.k, but we'd needed that time. I wanted Aria to be sure of what she wanted, of what being by my side would entail. I was destined to be Alpha, and it was a duty I could not turn my back on, not again. I didn't even want to. But I wanted that year with her in case she did say no. In case she decided she wanted normal. But that normal would mean a lonely existence for her. If she'd chosen that route, she'd never be able to have children because, as soon as that happened, normal would go out the window.

Funny enough, all that time, she'd been thinking the same thing for me. Wanting me to be sure.

I was. We both were. Maybe for the first time in our lives, we both knew what we wanted, where we belonged. I was grateful it was together. h.e.l.l, every time I looked at her face, I was f.u.c.king grateful.

”Okay, almost done, Z,” Mike, the tattoo artist said.

Aria put her magazine down and walked behind me to have a look. ”Wow. It's amazing.”

”Just a few finis.h.i.+ng touches, and voila.” Mike stepped back, and I took the handheld mirror to see, smiling at the result.

Xander had done well.

Rage's Savages had preserved the wolf coming out of the man from Savage Blood, but that man now walked out of the mouth of Rage's skull, swallowed up by it, the wolf bigger and stronger for it. On the floor of the cave that was the skull lay a single black rose, the names of both Savage Blood and Rage inscribed there in tiny lettering, along with the RIP they deserved. It was time to let the past rest, and now, together, we would begin anew. My only regret was that Fly wouldn't be along for the journey. After taking care of Savage Blood while I was unable to, he'd said his good-byes and left. Last time I heard from him was a year ago.

”Well, what do you think?” Aria asked.