Two months later…

Enzo’s kisses were addictive and delicious, like dark chocolate and whiskey as his tongue swept through my mouth. Riley’s touch was possessive and urgent, and my body arched to press my breasts deeper into his hands. Torin thread his hands through Enzo’s hair and pulled him away from my mouth. He kissed roughly before crashing his mouth onto mine like a stormy sea crashing against the shore.

Our sweat-slicked bodies pushed against each other in a dance of power and surrender. Every stroke, every groan, every soft gasp made the others harder, their movements more frenzied, as the musky smell of their arousal filled the air, sending my senses into overload. Skin on skin, we reveled in our shared passion like an ancient orgy, gluttons for the connection that only grew stronger with each encounter.

We switched positions so that Enzo lay on the bed, filling my ass, his thrusts pushing my hips up to meet Heath’s cock as it slammed inside me over and over until he filled me with his hot cum, fully marking me as his. As Heath came, Enzo growled in his throat, his long fingers held onto my waist as he thrust deeper into me. Torin’s moan vibrated through my core as Riley took him from behind. The closer Riley came to finishing, the harder Tor’s fingers dug into my skin, leaving bruises that only made me want more.

Our limbs entwined, our fluids mingled, our breaths drew ragged. The air around us crackled with magic as if fueled by our passion. It was sensual, dangerous and raw. This was no sweet love-making; it was primal and intense, fueled by the adrenaline of ever-present danger and the fear of losing each other.

When the afterglow came, it was a blissful void where we clung to one another, our hearts racing, our bodies trembling from the exertion. I closed my eyes, taking it all in - the taste of their kisses, the feel of their skin, the sound of their hearts pounding. It was a type of heaven I’d feared I’d lost forever until the day Heath read his mother’s letter.

It was touch and go, according to him. At a first glance, it appeared just another copy of Daniel’s list, may the traitor rot in hell. It wasn’t until Heath accidentally had given himself a papercut and bled on the document that the list changed, revealing his mother’s letter and the true DNA database. The secret of her revenge, and the extent of Daniel’s blackmail and involvement with Maroni.

I touched Heath’s sleepy face, loving the feel of stubble against my palm and the warm smile that spread his lips as he nuzzled against my hand. I couldn’t stop touching him, loving the miracle that brought us out of a hell of pain, guilt, and constant nausea due to memories of what we’d thought were forbidden desires.

Helene’s revenge for her husband’s affair with my mother was to have one with a regular human of her own – Heath’s real father. Harold would never have known—though he suspected, but couldn’t prove it, thanks to Helene and Daniel’s deception.

I still hated her for that but was grateful she came clean in the end so that I could freely be with one of the men I loved – no ick in sight.

I stretched among them, warm and content. Although I wouldn’t be fully happy until we finally found Artemis and Apollo, got rid of Daniel and any remaining traitors and Dark Ones. Then, I could look forward to a lifetime of happiness in a fully renovated mansion with the rest of my family. I even planned on asking Mrs. Foust to join us. She deserved a great retirement. In the meantime, I was grasping any happiness I could get with both hands.

The sound of the doorbell made all five of us flinch and groan. Who dared interrupt our plans of marathon sex today?

“Who could that be?” Enzo asked what I’d just been wondering. His brows were drawn as he rose to jerk on some clothes.

“Only one way to find out,” I said as the rest of us joined him to see who had shown up.

I was just rounding the staircase when Enzo’s voice of disbelief came up the stairs.

“Artemis? Apollo?”

I ran down the stairs, two or three at a time, squealing and nearly bowling them over as they stood in the doorway.

“May we come in?” Artemis asked, her tone guarded, as she extricated herself from my crushing grasp. Her brother stood behind her, already having escaped, his arms crossed over his chest.

“Of course, of course!” I moved back to let them in, and wiped away happy tears as the other guys joined us in the hallway.

Heath’s words halted my overrunning excitement. “How did you get past the wards?” he asked.

Apollo hesitated, glancing at his sister before stepping inside to join her.

Before they could answer, Riley spoke. “Sierra,” he said, his eyes wide, “you’re the master of the Warner Estate now! The wards must have recognized them as friends and family.”

“Of course,” Heath whispered, sounding relieved, and the others nodded cautiously.

I didn’t care how they got in, only that they were alive and in front of me. I grabbed a hand from each of them and pulled them into one of the newly decorated receiving rooms.

“I can’t believe you’re both here!” I moved to hug them again, but their expressions were still cautious, and their posture stiff. I wanted to think they were bit more at ease than when they had arrived, but the lingering bitterness in Artemis’s eyes said there was still much to heal between us.

She pulled her hand out of mine, as did her brother, and I stifled a sigh.

“We heard about your role as a Reaper,” she said quietly. “And how Torin, Heath, Enzo, and Riley are supposedly no longer possessed by evil.” She gave them a side eye that said she either wasn’t convinced, or she hadn’t forgiven them.

“Artemis, I—”

“Save it,” she cut me off, her voice laced with pain. “I need time. Healing won’t happen overnight, especially after losing Leslie.”

“Of course,” I said softly, aching for the friends we had lost, even though it wasn’t really our fault.

We stood together in silence for several moments, the air heavy with unspoken thoughts and feelings.

I finally asked, “How did you escape from the Accursed Academy?”

Apollo cleared his throat. The hard expression in his eyes ratcheted up my anxiety. “We didn’t.”

I glanced between them in confusion. “Then, where were you all this time?”

“We weren’t really captives. At least, not long after we got there.”

“I don’t understand.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “All you need to know is that they actually saved us.”

Artemis nodded. “And there’s something I thought you’d want to know. Apollo and I won’t be returning to Ravenswood, even if Riley’s mom is in charge now.”

“What are you talking about? Where will you go?”

“Accursed Academy,” Apollo replied flatly.

“Accursed Academy?” I exclaimed, shocked. “But they were in league with Maroni! You can’t possibly—”

“Sierra!” Artemis snapped, anger flaring in her eyes. “We didn’t come here for your judgment. We thought you might be better than this, less prejudiced.”

“Wait,” Enzo chimed in, trying to defuse the situation. “Some of the students at the Accursed Academy were working with Carlo. It’s not an unfounded concern.”

“Carlo had allies in Ravenswood too,” Artemis shot back, her gaze never leaving mine.

I took a deep breath, realizing how my words must have sounded to them. “I’m sorry. “You’re right. It’s not fair for me to judge everyone at that school based on the actions of a few.” I shot warning glances at Enzo, Heath, Torin, and Riley, then turned back to my two friends. “I want you both to be happy and do what’s best for you.”

“We will,” Artemis’s voice was stern, but her face softened a little.

“You two are always welcome here,” I said, and smiled as something occurred to me. “Ethan will be coming to live at the estate, too. I know he’d love to see you.”

Her eyes warmed at the mention of my little brother. “I might like to visit the little dude sometime,” she agreed.

“Come whenever you want.” I painfully hoped our friendship would survive despite the distance.

I hugged them both tightly as they prepared to leave, not wanting to let go of the connection. When I finally pulled back, I punched Apollo in the arm as hard as I could.