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“I understand,” she said finally, her voice flat. “You need to do what is best for you, just like I do.”
I stepped closer, wanting desperately to take her in my arms but unsure if my touch would be welcome. “Kat, please. You don’t have to leave. We can figure this out together. I promise I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe, to make this life work for both of us.”
She turned back to me, tears slipping down her cheeks. “And what happens the next time Declan sends us on a mission? Or when one of your enemies decides to use me to get to you? What then Rory?”
I had no answer for her. The dangers of this life were real, and we both knew it.
“I love you. Despite swearing off men after what happened to me, I love you,” Kat said softly, reaching up to touch my face. “But I can’t live like this. I’m sorry.”
“If you’re Captain, you won’t have to. You’re protected at all costs,” I said, trying to reason with her. But I could tell it didn’t matter.
“Will you be staying with me tonight or… in your own room?” she asked.
I was tempted to tell her my room, but I knewin my heart, it would be the last time I held her in my arms. “With you.”
With that, she turned and walked back towards the house, leaving me standing alone. It took every ounce of my willpower to not follow her.
As I watched as she retreated to the house, my heart was heavy with the weight of our talk. Part of me wanted to run after her, to beg her to stay, to promise her the world if only she would reconsider. But I knew it wouldn’t change anything. She had made her decision, and I had to respect it, no matter how it gutted me to do so.
With a heavy sigh, I turned back to the moonlit pasture, trying to gather my thoughts. The night air was cool against my skin, carrying with it the scent of grass and distant rain. It was peaceful out here, a stark contrast to the turmoil in my heart.
I don’t know how long I stood there, lost in thought, before I heard footsteps approaching. For a moment, I hoped it might be Kat, coming back to tell me she’d changed her mind. But the heavy tread told me it was someone else entirely.
“Rory,” Declan’s voice was uncharacteristically gentle. “You alright?”
I turned to face him, not bothering to hide the pain in my eyes. “No,” I admitted. “I’m not.”
He nodded, coming to stand beside me at thefence. For a long moment, we stood in silence, both staring out at the night.
“She’s leaving,” I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper. “Going back to Nevada.”
Declan sighed heavily. “I figured as much. This life... it’s not for everyone.”
I turned to look at him, anger suddenly flaring in my chest. “You knew this would happen, didn’t you?”
To his credit, he didn’t flinch from my accusation. “I hoped she would stay,” he said quietly. “But I knew there was a chance she wouldn’t. It’s why I wanted you both as Captains. I thought if she had a real stake in the Clan, if she felt truly part of something...”
“But she doesn’t,” I finished for him. “She never did.”
Declan placed a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm and reassuring. “I’m sorry, Rory. Truly I am.”
I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat. We stood there for a while longer, the silence between us heavy with unspoken words.
Finally, Declan spoke again. “What will you do now?”
I took a deep breath, steeling myself. “I’ll stay,” I said, my voice stronger than I felt. “This is my family, my life. I can’t walk away from that.”
He squeezed my shoulder. “You’re a good man, Rory. The Clan is lucky to have you.”
“Declan?” I called out as he turned to leave.
He paused, looking back at me.
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I was about to say. “I don’t want to be Captain.”
His brow furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean? After everything we’ve been through, everything you’ve proven—”
“I know,” I interrupted. “And I’m honored that you think I’m worthy of the position. But it’s not what I want.”
