Late update (oops) because this should have been up a week ago, but I've been sailing in the back of beyond without any wifi :'( It's a hard not life.

Oh, and buckle up your seatbelts, kids. This is the final chapter. Yes! I kid you not. This is not a drill. We are done! Finished! For evah.  So you'd better damn well enjoy it (and head on over to Unhappily Ever After if you haven't already). Luv y'all <3

Wyatt Rochester hadn't moved an inch. He lay where he had fallen, all twisted on his stomach. Some of his wound had crusted and scabbed, but the most recent teeth marks oozed blood in ever weaker pulses. Seeing this, Kai snapped his fingers and Becky was the one to obey the order. House Rochester, and not a drop of squeamishness in that girl.

She took off her own jacket and folded it into a wad, pressing it onto the wound with the weight of her body. Wyatt let out a breathless groan, but submitted to her doctoring. His hand clenched into a fist and weakly beat at the dirt.

We waited while his blood clotted and his skin knitted back together. It only took ten minutes. Then he pushed Becky away none too gently and stood up on his own two feet, one arm braced across his body to keep the wad against his shoulder.

He saw in Kai's face that his reckoning was about to be dealt, and cast a furtive look at the crowd of guards. "Can't we take this somewhere private?"

Kai smiled. "I've got nothing to hide. Do you?"

Wyatt was forced to shake his head as the guard jeered.

"Excellent." He turned aside from his stepfather in blatant dismissal. "Isaiah? Would you mind making your report?"

Isaiah's eyes — which were fixed on Wyatt — narrowed in a distinctly feline manner. A cat contemplating the fate of a mouse dangling from its paw. "Not at all, Kaeden. We harassed the bridges, as you ordered, but soon came to realise that all but seven of the traitor's guards had deserted or died. I saw an opportunity to end the rebellion, and I took it."

Dead? Those would be the casualties of the rogue raid. And deserters? The Llewellyn portion of his guards, once Leah and Logan had disappeared, I presumed. So Wyatt Rochester had been left without protectors, but he hadn't dared draft any more of the guard while the Shadowcat army sat between Holyhead and Evarlin. And now it was far too late. He had lost, really, the moment his children had been rescued.

He waited expectantly. "And?"

"And someone beat us to it. I found Jeffery Silveryn sitting in a circle of mutilated guards, with the traitor lying at his feet. I didn't think it wise to disturb him. But, as luck would have it, he followed us back. Looking for his grandson, I believe."

Wyatt took a step forwards on shaky legs. He swayed once, but held his place. And Nate and I took our own steps to remind him that he was a prisoner here.

"I surrendered," Wyatt forced out. "I surrendered, and this is the treatment I get?"

Everyone ignored him.

"Upon our return, we were ambushed by the guards dispatched to defend the bridge. Perhaps a hundred? The traitor ordered them to stand down, and I believe they are now camped on Holyhead awaiting further instructions," Isaiah finished. He lowered his head and stepped back, which meant report over. That was all we had missed.

"I surrendered," Wyatt Rochester insisted again. "I only disinherited Kaeden because he was suspected of conspiring with mainlanders. Then, this morning, new evidence came to light which suggested otherwise, so I recanted the charges and surrendered my position as regent."

Kai finally ceded, turning his head back to Wyatt. "And what new evidence would that be?"

He had no answer to that, but he didn't stammer, to his credit. Just stood silently, eyes pleading for any form of help.

Kai rolled his eyes skyward. "Perhaps you spoke with the packs at the bridge? Learned that they were looking for someone, not invading?"

 No mention of the charge of murdering Marcus. They had both seemingly chosen to forget about that, for convenience's sake. Kai had no way of proving himself innocent unless Nate confessed, while Wyatt had even less chance of proving him guilty.  

"Oh, yes!" he exclaimed, then quickly regained composure. "They accused us of hiding fugitives — some rogues, they said. Then we were given an ultimatum: hand over these imaginary rogues or they'd invade! It was ridiculous! Rogues on Anglesey! Can you imagine?"

"I certainly can't," Kai agreed. Personally, I was struggling to keep a straight face.

"But this morning they left, all in a hurry. Suppose they realised their rogues weren't here, after all, and it was about time!"

The conversation ran dry. Wyatt, desperate to prove his innocence, waited for any kind of judgement. Kai was busy pondering what that judgement would be. I knew what I would do in his place. I knew what I had done when faced with Seb's killer. Let him die. It was only one tiny step further to be the executioner.

Kai's stance slowly drained from confident to weary. "So, what am I supposed to do with you? You could claim innocence to every charge in a trial: there's no way to prove your intentions were malicious. I can't even prove that you ordered my father's death" —here he had to raise a hand as Wyatt opened his mouth furiously— "and, please, do me the courtesy of not denying it, this once."

Natalia moved a little closer, so their shoulders touched properly, and leant against him. I recalled doing the same thing a hundred times: because it was the fastest way to calm a male wolf. Kai took a visible breath, his chest hitching ever so slightly, then he seemed to regain control.

"I won't ask for mercy, if that's what you're waiting for," Wyatt said, and for an instant I could see that familiar glimmer of hatred in his eyes. And if I had seen it, so had Kai. This defeatism was all a glamorous act to portray himself as the victim.

I waited for what would surely be a death sentence.

But, "No," Kai decided, "you won't have to ask."

Isaiah Silveryn barely contained a splutter. Natalia cast an uncertain glance sideways at her fiancé. Even Wyatt himself looked stunned.

"Immunity should do just fine, I think. Whatever you might have allegedly done is in the past now — forgiven and forgotten," Kai continued obliviously. "But I can see that the events of the last few months have taken their toll. My mother's death, the stress of the regency, this injury... Given the circumstances, it would be perfectly reasonable to consider retiring. Leave the burden of leadership to a younger mind. Ethan, say — he is more than capable."

Immunity? Forgotten, let alone forgiven? Ethan? The boy who'd tormented us in training? Who hated Kai as much as — if not more — than Wyatt himself? I understood that Wyatt had to be stripped of power and gently, unless some charge could be proved. But everything else was a muddle.

"What the hell is he doing?" I hissed through an open link. One glance at the faces around me implied that I spoke for most of the guard.

To my surprise, it was the Instructor (well, Commander, now) who answered. "Mercy, Sav, is a powerful tool. He's leaving the Rochesters without grievances, without reason to complain of unfair treatment, without an excuse to rebel ever again."

Ooh, they had planned this, hadn't they? Probably while I was standing guard yesterday. For the first time, I began to wish I had eavesdropped. And I hadn't even realised the link went further than my patrol. But other guards were turning to look at us, some of them contemplating or nodding along.

"Why Ethan?" I tried.

"Because Wyatt can't be trusted. Because the next-in-line is Eric, and he wants to stay in the guard. Because why not Ethan? Kings can't play favourites, period."

Well, I supposed that had an element of logic. Little Leah would inherit when she grew up, anyway. I thought I could just about stand ten years of Ethan's stupid face. Maybe. We'd see.

"Retirement?" Wyatt asked. He knew this was his only way out, of course. And I doubted that he'd even dared hope to keep his life, let alone his freedom. "Retirement. Yes. That's an excellent idea, Kaeden. I will— I... um..."

He swayed in place: his mind was wandering now, chased away by the pain. I wasn't the only one who saw it. Kai nodded once again at Becky, and she slipped under Wyatt's arm to take his weight while she led him towards the buildings, probably to find a doctor or a bed.

I was so busy watching them leave that a tug of the mind-link had me flinching. Kai was directing a mind-link straight at me, but I wasn't the recipient of choice. No, he simply wanted Isaiah to overhear. "Thank you — for not killing Jeff. I know that must have been difficult."

For once — and this was a rare incident indeed — Isaiah didn't bother denying his murderous ambitions, but rather said quietly, "Yes, well, it seemed prudent to avoid upsetting the new regent."

Kai nodded slightly. "True, I suppose. But you don't need to worry about Rhys or Jeff anymore. They went home. For good."

"Oh dear. Like father, like son, it seems. Rogues are known for their transiency, so I can't say I'm surprised. Persuading him to stay would have been a miracle worthy of your Goddess herself. But I suppose the regency is open?" Too smug, too self-satisfied.

Kai chose to rise above it. "Oh, no. Rhys will be the regent — just over the phone rather than in person."

Isaiah tipped his head to one side.

"I hope you find that agreeable," he added, making damn sure it was clear that no wasn't an option.

His head dipped ever so slightly. Not pleased — that was obvious — but not resisting either. And that was as good as it ever got with Isaiah. Which meant conversation over, thank the Goddess. The link slipped away and Kai's attention turned back to the crowd.

The guards were silent, seemingly waiting for something. I knew how they felt. It couldn't just end like this, with Wyatt being led away quietly. No, we'd won, after all. It should feel like a victory, not just ... whatever this was.

As if he had heard my thoughts (and, chances are, he had) Kai stepped out to face the guard, tugging Natalia gently with him. They were half-facing each other, definitely looking at each other, and in that way that makes you forget to breathe.

Better, I thought. By now, the whole fortress knew about Kai and Natalia's engagement. I'd overheard several whispered discussions and endured many searching looks in the corridors. Zara had even pulled me aside to tut and call Kai some vile names on my behalf, until I'd explained that I didn't mind.

It was astonishing that she had believed me. Even more astonishing that, for the first time, I did too. Friends. Yes, I could live with friends.

And so when Kai dared to kiss her, I felt nothing but approval. They were putting on a flawless performance for everyone in the courtyard. No one looking at Kai's smile and Natalia's pretty blush could doubt that the royals were happy.

The guard gave a roaring cheer, and I surprised myself by joining in.

A perfect girl and a perfect boy. Of course they would make the perfect couple.

And I wasn't even jealous. Not a drop. Maybe because while Kai's eyes were on Natalia, someone else's were on me. And maybe, just maybe, I was looking back.

***

Darkness had fallen before I got a chance to catch my breath. Another day of following Kai to and fro on his many errands. As the light had begun to fade, the Rochester-loyal portion of the guard had marched into Evarlin, weary and footsore and pliable. Then we had lined up in the courtyard to see the Instructor sworn in as commander (which had been boring but necessary) and witnessed the Moon Guard become the Midnight Watch. Shadowcats could now join up — but I hadn't seen anyone rush to volunteer. Isaiah assured us that he was in the process of quietly selecting candidates, most of whom would replace guards who had died in Wyatt's rebellion.

Because that's what we were calling it now. Wyatt's Rebellion. Not a war, not even close, they said. The future generations would interpret these past months as nothing more than a disturbance in the transfer of power. There hadn't been any major battles, not even much loss of life. Just another rebellion, like the one after King Quinten's death. Insignificant and forgettable.

But that was our doing. It could be remembered as insignificant and forgettable for all I cared, because Kai and Becky and Ben and Alex and Nate and I were the ones who had kept bloodshed to a minimum, ended the violence before it really began.

Not that anyone cared what we had or hadn't done. I still ended up stripping to my underwear in the changing rooms of the fortress.

It had been Kai's idea: for the patrol to go for a run together. We had done it most nights since being sworn into the guard. The difference was — this time, the Silveryn siblings were being included. Natalia was beside me already, carefully folding her jeans. Becky was on my other side, unwinding the wrapping from her injured hand.

I didn't have to trigger my shift: it happened all by itself, which could be attributed to how long it had been since I'd last been furry. at that thought, I bent around to look at the missing patch of fur on my side and grinned. Because there was a proper visible scar there. My first. (Even if I hadn't gotten it from a real fight). (Shut up).

Becky's paw was more impressive — true. There was a puckered line across her pads where her fingers had been reattached. I was busy staring at it when Natalia shifted, so I only noticed when her claws chinked against the stone tiles.

I turned cautiously. I had never seen a female Shadowcat before. And that's what her second form was: a sleek, petite lynx-like body with the colouring of a panther. She lowered her head politely to let us take her scent and give the customary snuffle greeting, which was surprising, given how little her kind liked interacting with ours.

I had an idea. I probed the mind-link and, weirdly, found her. Her mind was stranger than any I'd ever felt. Doubled, almost. She responded to my curiosity with a light laugh. "There's an explanation — don't worry. You'll see in a few minutes."

"I despise mystery," Becky complained.

Natalia just laughed again, and that was the end of our conversation. We left the changing room a minute later, only to come face to face with four males who looked like they'd been waiting for hours. In reality, it couldn't have been more than two minutes, honest.

Nate's familiar Shadowcat form padded towards. He didn't approach his sister at all; I had begun to notice this pattern of behaviour in his species: avoid each other by unspoken consent. Perhaps it was a solitary species thing. Instead, he brushed against my side and stood there, our bodies touching from shoulder to flank.

I didn't have a blimming clue what I was supposed to do, so I resorted to staying utterly still. What was this? Certainly not a werewolf thing, that was for sure. Maybe it was a feline thing? Yes, that would make sense.

A tiny, annoying part of my brain was trying to remind me of the way cats rubbed against their owners to imprint their scent, but I dismissed it as total nonsense. This? No, this was not affection. This was... Yeah, okay, I hadn't the foggiest.

"Can we have a minute?" I asked Kai on some unknown impulse.

A slight twinkle his eye as he nodded. "Sure. Catch up when you're ready."

Kai led the others out of Evarlin, and they followed easily enough, though Becky threw some pointed backwards glances. I lingered by the gate and Nate lingered with me. He finally peeled away from my side and lay on the grass, legs folded underneath him like a really low crouch.

"When we first met, I saved your sorry life," I began through a link to no one, and watched a smirk materialise, baring rows of sharp white teeth. "And you didn't say thank you because — as you put it — we shouldn't have to thank people for acting like half-decent human beings."

I remember, his expression admitted. But his eyes were complaining. Because he couldn't say anything back. I had ambushed him in a way that made it impossible to defend himself. Harsh, but so convenient.

"You can stop that. Whenever you talk, you weave a nice little web of words and leave me trapped. Now's my turn."

He blinked lazily at me. I took the lack of dissent as consent and continued belligerently, "That bugged me for a long time. I couldn't understand — see, people do say thank you for things like that. And we shouldn't, by your logic."

Nate rested his head on his paws, eyes staring up at me patiently.

"So why do we thank people for acting like half-decent human beings? The answer is, I think, we don't. We thank them because we're half-decent human beings too. Logically, I could reach the conclusion that, back then, you weren't, right? You must have been a jerk when I met you."

His shoulder rose and fell in a very non-committal fashion.

"Then you got nicer. Then you turned back into a jerk. Then, yesterday, you got nice again. So I'm thinking that either you're bipolar as hell, or something interrupted your redemption arc. After we left Evarlin, I reckon, which just leaves me to guess. Kai? Peyton? Me?"

The corners of his mouth twitched.

"Okay, so not me. But maybe it was about me." I was daring now. Daring and reckless. "'Cause you said you were ordered to be nice, and that sounds like—"

His head lifted slightly. The beginnings of an interruption, as if he'd got tired of watching me struggle. As if he didn't think I could work it out alone. And that only made me more determined to prove him wrong.

"Oh, no, no, no. You don't get to explain jack shit. I want to work it out by myself, thank you very much," I growled. Another thought occurred to me. "Your father?"

This time, when he smiled, I knew I was finally on the right track.

"And why would he do that?" I asked triumphantly, because it was so obvious now. "Why would he care about me? Because I was ruining his plans for your sister, right? I was with Kai, and he couldn't have that."

Well, duh, Sav, his eyes were saying now.

I lay down too, facing him with my ears pricked forwards. "Is that what happened? He told you to get me away from Kai, and you made sure to do the opposite."

No reaction. Maybe his muscles tensed just a little, though.

So. At least some of it was right. Now all I needed to do was work out why he had stopped defying the order as if it didn't apply anymore. He was bound to listen to his father until, well, forever. In fact, I wasn't sure there was any way for a Shadowcat to escape Isaiah's authority.

"See, Nate? I've got you all figured out." I stood up again suddenly and stretched my front legs. "Come on, then. They can't have gotten far."

He had been crouching, as it turned out. Because the instant those words left my mind, he was off, gone, running at full speed through the gate and into the woods. I had never been very good at running. But there wasn't anything to do except follow. And, to my surprise, he slowed his pace so that I could begin to close the distance and later stay on his heels.

We caught the patrol at a river bank. They were taking a rest, all sprawled out on the sandy mud. Alex had rolled onto his back like a dog waiting for a tickle. Ben was still as a statue in a shady corner, one eye cracked open to watch for threats. Becky was cleaning mud from her front paws, fussing over that ropey scar. Kai and Natalia weren't side by side now there wasn't an audience, but their regal bearing wasn't diminished.

I tried to commit the scene to memory, like a mental photograph. How long had it been since I had seen my friends relaxed and happy, just being themselves? I couldn't even remember.

Then they noticed me and Nate. Tails thumped against the ground in greeting. My own began a lazy wag as I walked over to an open space by the water and—

I stopped and shirked sideways. Natalia was shifting — I could see her bones morphing and popping. Why? Why would she possible shift in the open forest, where half a dozen people could see her naked? Her brother included? And why did it seem like she'd been waiting for us before she did it?

But Nate didn't look surprised. Didn't even look away. But I squashed my eyes firmly closed and turned away just to be sure. But my ears were still wide open, and I could hear Nate's unrestrained laughter a little too well. A wet nose nudged my side.

Grudgingly, I opened my eyes and glanced over my shoulder. There wasn't a naked girl on the river bank. It was like she had vanished completely...

And then I noticed the new wolf who was snuffle-greeting a stunned Kai. A dark, lithe wolf who really couldn't be anyone except Natalia. But it was still hard to believe. It was like having your world turned upside down and shaken a few times.

A shifter with three different forms. Just ... whoa. I shook my head a couple of times to clear the haze and then snapped at Nate playfully — which finally made him shut up. But he responded with a feint at my flank and before long all seven of us were play-fighting, tumbling and tackling and eventually just collapsing to pant through grins.

And that evening was one of the happiest of my life.

***

Much later, on our way to bed, the dawn light streaked over Evarlin's walls. We had stayed out in the forest from dusk to dawn without marking the passing of time until I had begun to feel the horrible tug which told me to shift back. So we had returned home and got dressed and now the seven of us strolled through empty corridors. And it was quiz night.

"Marcus's death?" I asked.

Kai gave a weary shrug. "He was trying to kill us on Peyton's orders. Self-defence."

"Peyton?"

"Unsolved. I'll enlist a senior patrol to investigate, but I doubt they'll find the poisoner."

"The rest of Seb's patrol? They helped murder him, you know."

"They'll stand trial. Fairly. I'll expect you'll get to testify, as the only witness. That's something to look forward to."

"Okay, how about kidnapping Leah and Logan from their beds? Why did we officially do that?"

"We didn't, of course. They were kidnapped by a bunch of nasty mainland rogues," he said with a wink. "We rescued them — don't you remember?"

I snorted, but my questions had run dry. Becky had already taken a turn. A long, draining turn focusing on the fate of the Rochester supporters. Not all of Kai's answers had delighted her, but they had at least mollified her. There wouldn't be consequences for the grunts. Their leaders, on the other hand, would be quietly stripped of power, same as Wyatt.

"Have you thought of an explanation for everything?" I demanded.

Kai grinned at me — a proper, mischievous grin worthy of the cheerful boy I'd befriended all those months ago. "It's more like improv, to be honest."

Nate took my question seriously. "His explanations are the foundations of peace, Sav. We make up a nice little story about what happened and tell it loudly and often. And the version we choose determines the future."

"Charming, Nathan," Becky retorted. She punched Kai's shoulder to get his attention. "Anything else we should know?"

"Yes. There won't be houses anymore — it's too volatile having just three factions. From now on, Llewellyn, Davengard and Rochester will have no more influence than any other family. And I want to open channels of communication with the mainland packs, because isolationism should have been left in the thirties."

Natalia nodded, a neat little dip of her head. "Good policies, but actually implementing them might be —"

"Impossible," Kai finished lightly. "Don't worry — I know. Still gotta try, though. Still gotta try."

"Naturally," she said.

We had reached the dorm rooms. Technically, Kai didn't sleep here anymore, and Natalia had never slept here. Their rooms were across the fortress, and I doubted that long walk appealed at such a late — or early — hour. Yet Nate slipped away without hesitation. I still wasn't sure where he slept, or if he slept at all, but that was his business.

"There aren't guards outside your rooms," Ben pointed out after a moment. "Stay here tonight. I'll drag in a mattress from one of the empty rooms."

Kai yawned, exaggerating the motion for our entertainment. "You know what, Ben? That's got to be the best idea you've had all year. But I'll be the one dragging the mattress, thank you very much. There's this common misconception that sitting on a throne makes you physically unable to look after yourself, and I'd quite like to disprove it."

A smile tugged at my lips. Kai would, of course, hate every moment of ruling. But he took to it like a duck to water and I couldn't help observing that perhaps a king who rebelled against every aspect of being king might be exactly what the island needed. Perhaps he would even knock us from our eternal rut of civil war and warped politics.

"Then let me help, at least," he conceded. That was received with a grudging nod and the two boys disappeared down the corridor. I watched their retreating backs and suppressed my own yawn.

"I would offer you my bed," Becky told Natalia as soon as they were out of sight, "but if you stay with Kai, you'll start all sorts of delicious rumours, and I've never been able to resist gossip."

She was faced with wide, pleading eyes. That apparent reluctance wasn't genuine —  I was willing to stake my life on that, but the pretence amused me. "I'm not sure I'm ready for —"

"Nonsense. Readiness is a social construct. So don't you dare take pity on her, Sav," she ordered. It was so like Becky to — accidently and for her own ends — influence the flow of power. It would start a rumour alright, and one which couldn't possibly harm our position. The more united Kai and Natalia appeared, the happier the Shadowcats would be. But Becky was smirking: utterly oblivious. She ducked into her room, calling over a shoulder, "Night, all."

"Night," we chorused. Alex turned into his own room, humming a children's lullaby, terribly out of tune. Natalia slipped through Kai's door with a smile and a blush. And I could just about hear Kai and Ben's smothered curses drifting from somewhere up the corridor.

I was alone now. I touched the door of my room, running a finger down the grain of the wood. Two hours left until morning. Why on earth should I spend them sleeping? I turned away from the door and padded down the corridor, ever so quietly to avoid difficult questions.

Where was I going? Why? When would I be back? I couldn't answer because I didn't know. All I knew was that I had gotten a little too used to skipping a night's sleep, and somehow it was a habit I was unwilling to break.

So I let my feet carry me where they wanted and drifted into a waking dream. My thoughts were a mess of forest nights and hidden beaches and starlit journeys. I was only beginning to sort through the trauma of the last months, and what I found wasn't encouraging, but it felt manageable. I had been hurt, chased, at risk of dying and generally terrified. I knew it would take time to deal with all of that, and even longer to forget.

When I came back to awareness, I found myself on the battlements on the walls' tops — a secluded maze of open-air passages high above the courtyard. On one side was Evarlin's interior, lit and familiar and deserted. On the other was nothing but forest and hills and shadows. I knew I was on the borderline between two very different worlds, yet looking down on both like the Goddess herself.

I lay down flat on the cold stone and waited.

For what, I wasn't sure. But I took the time to trace every constellation I could remember.

Nate slipped onto the battlement not long after the sun and the horizon had gone their separate ways. His footsteps were audible (which, although I didn't want to admit it, was probably deliberate) and his scent was on. I didn't lift my head, didn't acknowledge him — just kept staring at the faded stars.

"Why am I not surprised to find you here?" he asked softly.

"Why am I not surprised to find you here?" I retorted just as softly.

His footsteps scuffed closer still, then I felt a boot tip nudge my calf. Finally, I tore my eyes from the sky to glare at him. But what I saw made me forget all about that in a heartbeat.

He was wearing a guard uniform, which I had come to expect. But this wasn't Alex's too-small shirt and harness. No, it was brand new, and it fitted him properly, tight and loose in all the right places. I could even make out the dips and curves of his abs.

But it was the meaning of the uniform which really struck me. Bleeding, rotting, stinking hell. I stood up too fast and felt all the blood rush from my head. He rested a hand on my arm to steady me, but I knocked it away. Through a darkening haze, I glowered at him.

"You," I said slowly. "You."

"Me," Nate agreed.

"You ... bastard." I thought about it. "No, you know what, bastard doesn't do it justice. Not telling me? I reckon that makes you ... a ... prick."

His eyes danced with laughter. "Careful now. Insulting your new patrol leader on his first day isn't the best of starts."

"And being a prick to your employees is?" I demanded.

"Oh, on the contrary, the sooner you four learn your places, the better."

I bridled in mock disgust. "Try not to forget that Kai would give me that job in a heartbeat if I even hinted—"

He stepped closer, knocking into me.  "Very, very true. But you won't, will you? You prefer pulling the strings, and I am more than willing to play the puppet."

"As long as it suits you," I finished.

"It does."

I knew I should have been annoyed. But a smile was tugging at my lips, and I couldn't find the willpower to resist it.  Because the puzzle I had been solving since he had appeared blood-soaked in my living room had its final piece.

See, this was how he was getting away from his father. They did say 'guard before family,' after all. When Kai had made it possible for Shadowcats to join the guard, he had also unwittingly made it possible for Nate to escape his father's authority. Or maybe, I thought, just maybe, it han't been unwittingly at all.

"Patrol leader," I muttered again and snorted. "For future reference, you can boss me around all you like, but I'm not going to bloody well listen."

He showed me a truly unbearable smirk. "We'll see about that, I think."

Then we were just staring at each other, far too close, and I somehow found the guts to flick my gaze down for an instant, to his lips. My heart began hammering against my ribcage, but it was worth the distraction — because it worked.

Because then — finally — he kissed me.

It wasn't gentle. It wasn't tentative, as if he was scared I'd pull back or freeze up. No, Nate's kissing was as rough and demanding as his personality. And I found that I quite liked it. Well, more than quite, if I was being honest.

My back hit a wall. His hands found their way to my waist and lingered there, dipping under my shirt to touch bare skin and leaving a trail of burning fire in their wake. And still, we were kissing, sacrificing our oxygen for something we needed far more.

But as it turned out, we needed oxygen too. So we broke apart breathlessly for a moment, and I felt a wonderful rush of frustration to see that the bastard was still smirking.

So we kissed again. And when that didn't work, we kissed some more, until the dawn turned to morning and the fortress woke below us. Then we just sat together, legs hanging into empty space, and not once did Nate take his eyes from me, or the smile from his face.

But I knew I wouldn't ever get tired of seeing that smile. I knew I must have looked just the same. And I finally knew that I had been chasing the wrong tail all along.

T H E   E N D