"Alright, their memories are gone. When they wake up, they won't remember what happened," Dean says, and by now, the sun has long passed, leaving us in the blackness of the night.

I'm glad he finished, because doing magic for that long had drained me of energy, not to mention, was starting to give me a headache. I stop syphoning energy, and my ears are ringing slightly. I had never used that much magic before.

The Darkness had abandoned me.

As soon as I made the decision not to kill Thane or his men, it was gone. It felt... alive, like it was responding to my emotions, or at least fueled by them. And as soon as Finn snapped me out of the trance, it was like he scared it away.

Could this be what the Seer meant?

Only one will keep the Darkness away, she had told me. Did that mean Thane would bring out the worst in me? The more I thought about it, the more I realized how right the Seer may have been. Both times the Darkness took control, it was with Thane. It went away because of Finn.

No, that couldn't be. Because she said two mates, and only one would keep the Darkness away. If I admit that Finn is the one keeping it away, then I would also have to admit that he's my mate.

Which is not an option.

I groan, stumbling as I clutch my head, which is now dripping in sweat. Finn grabs my shoulders with both hands to steady me. "Can you walk?" Finn asks gently, searching my face in concern.

"I'm fine," I assure him, and he hesitantly removes his hands. But when I take a step forward, my legs wobble, and in one smooth movement, he sweeps me up into his arms.

"Please don't argue," He says quietly as he follows behind the others as they head back to the cabin. "You're weak right now, just let me take care of you."

I nod, because I'm not up for arguing, you know, since I almost just killed a dozen people in cold blood. I shudder. I'm just as bad as Thane.

"You're not like him," Finn says suddenly, and I jump slightly in his arms, but they just tighten more.

"Can you read my mind?" I ask in horror. I don't think I had spoken out loud.

Finn laughs. "What?"

"You can read my mind! That's not fair," I tell him. "I can't read yours."

He laughs again. "No, Onyx, I can't read your mind. Your face is like an open book," He hesitates, his brilliant smile faltering. "When you think of him, you get a certain... look. Like... you're terrified."

"I am like him, you know," I tell him lowly, so the others can't hear us, even though their far ahead. "I would have killed them. I wanted to kill them."

"Hurt people hurt people, Onyx. You hurt them, you healed them, there's no reason to dwell on it," He says and gently kisses my forehead. "But I'd wait a while before doing it again. Dean definitely will want to call in a few favors for this."

I smile half-heartedly, and Finn continues walking us back to the house in silence. I feel insanely guilty for all of the havoc I have wracked on these poor rogues, who had been nothing but nice to them. I resolved to try to make it up to them, though I had no idea how I would go about doing that.

I especially felt guilty about Dean, who looked extremely pale and weak after the hours he spent combing through their minds. Maybe I could convince Ronin to let him have access to the garden again, though I doubted he would go for it.

When we get back to the house, Finn places me on the bed and runs a bath. "You should get some sleep once you're done with your bath," He says gently, and kisses my forehead softly. "Goodnight, Onyx."

He leaves the room, and as I take the bath, I close my eyes, but all I see is Leo dying in my arms. No, Leo being killed by me, in my arms.

As much as I wanted to believe Finn, and that we were mates, it was just impossible to believe, especially after tonight. It was no wonder the Moon Goddess had paired me with Thane. We had the same darkness, he just didn't bother controlling it.

But Finn had kept the darkness away. So what if the Seer was correct, and there was one person who would keep it darkness at bay? I meant it when I told Finn I wouldn't ever be able to love someone like that.

I gasp, sitting upright as I recall something else the Seer had told me.

There is dust.

Finn's Gift was the ability to turn things into dust. When she said there is dust, could that have been in reference to Finn, and he was part of whatever bizarre prophecy she described?

I tried to recall the other things she had said. Something about a sun chasing after the moon. If Finn was the dust, who were the sun and the moon? I wondered if that could be in reference to Thane and I, with my dark magic and his light magic.

But the prophecy also described a white wolf, and I couldn't recall seeing any wolf with white fur, though I also didn't know very many wolves to begin with.

Three deaths, one rebirth. Greyson was one of the deaths, which meant there were two more people left to die, and my heart twisted at the idea of being faced with any more loss.

When the water is cold, I get out and dry off, wearing one of Finn's oversized shirts to bed. Before I go to sleep, I vow to not let anyone else die, regardless of what the prophecy states.

At that point in time, I hadn't known that the prophecy, and the fate of the wolves, was already set in stone.

***

Finn and I look over the lake, and I shiver as a gust of wind hits my flesh, still slightly wet from swimming, making the wind feel all the colder.

Finn wraps his arms around me, and I instantly feel warmer from his heat. "Thank you," I say with a smile, and he returns one of his own, and his gorgeousness nearly knocks the wind out of me.

I don't think I would ever get used to how beautiful he is.

"Anything for you, my love," He says, and gently places a single, chaste kiss on my lips. "There is nothing in the world I wouldn't do for you."

I throw my arms around him, and kiss him so passionately, my brain feels like its melting, and the world around us collapses, and all I feel is him. Finnley- the brightest light in my dark, dark world.

"Isn't this sweet?" I hear Thane's voice sneer, and I jump away from Finn. Thane is a foot away, and his eyes are completely blank.

"Thane, I-" I begin to say, but he cuts me off.

He laughs coldly. "You're what, Onyx? A whore? Only a whore would move on that quickly, you know."

My eyes brim with tears, and I'm paralyzed as Thane takes a step closer, and leaves over Finn, who's looking at me in terror.

"Onyx, don't let him kill me," He pleads as Thane's hand rests over his chest.

I want to stop him, but my magic has abandoned me, and I can't even reassure Finn- or beg Thane to stop- as my throat squeezes closed.

"She couldn't stop me from killing the first rogue," Thane says, surprisingly gently to Finn, who flinches. "She can't stop me from killing you either."

And he shoves his hand through his chest, and Finn's light is snuffed out.

I wake up, gasping for air. I move my fingers to confirm that I'm not paralyzed, and that it was just a dream. I have to check if Finn is okay.

I get out from under the covers, and cool air hits my skin as I go to the door. I hesitate as my fist hovers a few inches away from Finn's door, in the room he was sleeping in across the hall. I didn't want to wake him up, but the dream felt so real- I had to check to make sure he was still alive.

I knock twice on his door, hoping he won't be too mad at me for waking him up, though I supposed it wouldn't matter if he was already dead, and Thane had gotten to him.

I don't hear anything for a moment, and immediately assume the worst. Oh my god, there must have been an issue with wiping Thane's memory, and he must have came here and found Finn. He could still be here, he could-

The door opens, revealing a sleepy Finn, who's light brown hair is slightly messy, and his eyes are partially closed, not open all the way yet.

He's only wearing a pair of boxers. "Onyx?" He asks in confusion, his voice raspy, and it makes my stomach flutter. "Are you okay?"

Relief floods my body, and I throw my arms around him. He stiffens in surprise, before wrapping his large arms around me. "You're alive," I choke out, and tears fall from my eyes.

He pulls away, looking at my face quizzically. "Should I not be?" He asks in confusion.

"I-I had a nightmare. Thane, he-" My voice fades into nothing as I recall the way he tore out Finn's heart, just as he had done to Greyson.

Finn's eyes soften, and he runs his thumb along my cheek, wiping away the tears. "Don't cry, Onyx, I'm fine, it was just a nightmare, you're fine," He reassures me, pulling me in tighter and holding me closer.

"Sorry for waking you up," I apologize after a few moments of crying quietly in his arms, and pull away once more to look at his face, to really make sure that he was real- and alive.

"I don't mind," He says, and with his next words, his voice lowers. "You're always welcome to come to me, no matter the time."

Involuntarily, goosebumps raise on my skin under the intensity of his gaze, and I'm at a loss for words.

"Let's get you back to bed," He says, taking my hand in his, and he walks us back to my room. No- his room, that I stole from him. Oh god, I have completely destroyed this man's life.

He opens up the covers, and once I'm inside, he places them over me, running his thumbs once more under my eyes to wipe the tears away. "You don't have to be scared," He says softly, and his eyes look unbearably sad. "No one will hurt you here."

"It's not me I'm worried about," I say quietly, my heart wrenching at the thought of losing him. He couldn't be one of the wolves in the prophecy- he just couldn't.

He smiles slightly. "No one will hurt me either, Onyx. I can take care of myself- and you, too."

I would never understand his desire to take care of me, but it was getting harder and harder to fight. There's something impossibly addicting about having someone care for you so deeply, someone who makes you feel like you're the only thing that matters.

He tuns to leave, and when he's at the door, I can't stop myself from saying, "Wait!"

Finn turns back around and looks at me in concern. "Do you not want to stay here? I can give you another room if you'd feel safer there," He offers.

I shake my head slowly. "I want to stay here but..." I hesitate.

His eyebrows furrow. "What do you need, Onyx?" He asks gently. "You only have to ask, I'll give you whatever it is you desire."

"Can you stay with me?" I blurt out.

His eyes widen in surprise. "You-you want me to stay here tonight?"

I can't believe I just asked that. I nod. "You don't have to if you don't want to," I quickly say. "I know it's super inconvenient but I don't know, I just can't be alone right now. I don't want to be alone," I say the last part quietly.

Finn nods in understanding. "You're never an inconvenience, Onyx. I don't mind at all, whatever it takes," He assures me, and walks over to a chair in the corner of the room, and takes a seat.

I frown. "You can't sleep in a chair."

He rolls his eyes and grins. "Don't worry about me. Go to sleep, you still need to rest more."

I try to fall asleep, but I just end up tossing and turning for a few minutes, too guilty to sleep.

"Finn? Are you awake?" I whisper.

He laughs. "Yes, Onyx. And you shouldn't be. Go to sleep."

"Do you want to come sleep in the bed?" I have no idea how I was bold enough to ask that.

He's quiet for a few moments before answering. "You don't have to offer that, Onyx. I promise the chair is fine."

"I want you to."

Oh my god, what am I saying?

Once more, there's a silence, and my heart pounds in my chest.

"Fine," He agrees. "But only if you promise to keep your hands to yourself," He jokes, and I laugh slightly, though my heart beats faster when he walks to the edge of the bed.

He doesn't get under the covers, and just lays on top of them, crossing his arms over his chest and closing his eyes.

"Won't you be cold without a blanket?" I ask, still feeling guilty for burdening him.

He doesn't open his eyes as he responds, "Go to bed, Onyx."

I do as he says.

And it's the most restful sleep I have ever had.