Page 165 of A Wild Darkness

EPILOGUE

STEVIE

The first thing I notice is the silence. Not the eerie kind I usually prefer. The kind that lingers between the weathered headstones or beneath cathedral ceilings—but a peaceful kind. The kind that settled over Thompson Manor after what felt like forever of chaos, gunfire, lies, and pretending. Now the house simply…breathes.

I smile as I walk barefoot across the hardwood floor, one of Sebastian’s oversized black sweatshirts hanging nearly to my knees. Evening sunlight spills through the enormous windows, washing the hallway in gold.

Behind me, Sebastian remains asleep. And even though I consider waking him, I decide to enjoy the rare opportunity of seeing him lose a battle against exhaustion. He looks unfairly handsome even unconscious, and it’s irritating. Very irritating.

Then I laugh to myself and quietly slip down the hall of the West Wing.

The smell of coffee greets me before I reach the kitchen. Ben looks up from the stove and smiles. “I was wondering when one of you would appear.”

“One of us?”

“I assumed Sebastian wouldn’t let you out of his sight long enough to eat anything.”

I accept the mug he offers with hot coffee. “He snores.”

Ben raises an eyebrow. “He absolutely does not.”

“You sound very confident for someone who doesn’t sleep in the same room.”

Ben chuckles. “I’ve known him since he was a kid.”

“So, you’ve heard him snore?”

“No.”

I grin. “I have.”

A familiar voice echoes from behind an open laptop spread across the island. “You’re lying.” River folds the paper down just enough to reveal an unimpressed expression. “He doesn’t snore.”

“You’ve shared a room with him?”

River immediately regrets speaking. “Unfortunately.”

Lux wanders into the kitchen, still tying her hair into a messy ponytail. “I heard the words ‘shared a room,’ and now I have questions.”

River sighs. “I walked right into that.”

Christian follows a moment later, looking like he’d slept somewhere between Nightrose Hall and his government office. His tie is crooked, and his eyes carry permanent exhaustion.

I slide a cup of coffee toward him. “You look terrible.”

“I choose to believe that’s your way of saying good evening.”

I nod. “It is.”

He accepts the coffee with genuine appreciation. “I’ll take it.”

Ben places a set of plates onto the island. “Evening breakfast is served for my nocturnal friends who sleep all day and are up all night.”

Everyone gathers around as naturally as if we’ve been doing it for years. A few months ago that would’ve seemed impossible, but now it simply feels like family. We eat together and chat casually for some time. The feeling of warmth and familiarity washes over me.

Sebastian finally appears. His dark hair is thoroughly uncooperative, and he wears a black T-shirt that looks suspiciously like he’d thrown it on while still half asleep.

His eyes immediately find me, and it causes warmth to pool in my stomach. Without saying a word, he walks behind me, wrapping one arm around my waist, and kisses the top of my head.