Chapter 24 - Jade

I wake up feeling like I’ve been hit by a truck.

Not the metaphorical “Oh, I’m a little tired” kind of truck, but the literal “I got slammed into the ground by a demon and overexerted my powers until I broke something” kind of truck. My head is pounding, my body feels like it’s been stretched beyond its limits, and there’s a weird, hollow sensation in my chest, like something’s missing.

I blink against the light streaming in through the window. The first thing I see is Penny’s little face all scrunched up with worry, staring down at me like she’s waiting for me to stop being a zombie and join the land of the living.

“Mama?” she whispers, her voice so small, I can barely hear it.

I force a smile, despite how heavy everything feels, and reach out to brush a lock of hair away from her face. “Hey, baby.”

Her eyes light up, and before I know it, she’s launching herself at me, throwing her tiny arms around my neck and hugging me so tight, I can barely breathe. Not that I care. I’d let her squeeze the life out of me if it meant I got to hold her like this.

“You scared me,” she mumbles into my shoulder. “Don’t do that again.”

I close my eyes, breathing her in, feeling her warmth against me. “I’ll try my best, sweetie.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch movement and realize I’m not alone. Damien’s there, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed, looking like he hasn’t slept in days. His eyes lock on mine, full of relief, but there’s a tension in his stance. It’s like he’s been standing there, ready to spring into action at any moment.

Alec’s sitting beside the bed, too. “Glad to see you back with us, little sister.”

I give him a weak smile. “Glad to be back.”

Alec stands and steps closer, resting his hand on Penny’s head for a moment before he leans down to pull me into a quick, firm hug. It’s awkward with Penny still clinging to me, but I hug him back. Alec’s never been the emotional type, but I can feel the weight of everything that’s happened in his touch.

“You did good.” His voice is thick with something I rarely hear from him—pride. “Really good.”

“Is it over?”

Alec nods. “For now, yes. We’re safe. Thanks to you.”

My shoulders relax a little. At least for now, we’ve survived.

Alec steps back, looking at Damien knowingly. “I’ll give you two a moment. I’ll take Penny outside.”

“No, no!” Penny tightens her grip on me, and her little fingers clutch my shirt. “I want to stay with Mama!”

“Penny, you can come right back,” I assure her, stroking her hair softly. “Just give Mama and Damien a minute, okay?”

Her big brown eyes glance between the two of us, and after a moment, she pouts but nods. “Okay.”

Alec takes her from my arms, and as he leaves the room, I watch Penny’s little face peek over his shoulder, still watching me like she’s not entirely sure I won’t disappear the second she’s gone.

The door clicks shut, and then it’s just me and Damien.

For a moment, the silence between us feels loaded, like neither of us knows where to start. He moves closer and sits down on the edge of the bed.

“Jade,” he begins, his voice low and rough. “We need to talk.”

I nod, already knowing what’s coming. “I overdid it.”

He doesn’t respond right away, but the look in his eyes says enough. He’s worried. He’s angry. And he’s scared.

“You scared the hell out of me. You passed out within minutes of destroying that thing. You could’ve—Jade, you almost—”

“I know,” I cut him off. “I know. But I had to. I couldn’t let that thing hurt anyone else.”

He exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair. “But at what cost? You used too much magic, Jade. You pushed yourself too far.”

“I didn’t have a choice,” I say, my voice trembling. “Damien, I… I didn’t mean for it to go that far, but I had no other option. I couldn’t let anyone die. Not you, not Penny, not the pack.”

He watches me, his eyes filled with so many emotions that it’s hard to read them all. Fear, relief, frustration. “But now? What does this mean for you? For your powers?”

I take a deep breath. “I don’t know. I can feel it. My powers aren’t the same, Damien. I… I pushed too far. My elemental magic is weak. I won’t be able to use it like I used to.”

The words taste bitter as I say them out loud, but it’s the truth. My magic feels… broken. Altered in a way I don’t fully understand yet, but I know it’s changed.

He doesn’t say anything for a long moment, and I can see the worry etched on his face. “And you think I care about that?”

I blink, caught off-guard. “What?”

He shakes his head. “You think I care about how much magic you can or can’t use? Jade, I don’t give a damn about that. I love you. I love you , not your powers. Not because you’re some badass witch. I love you because you’re you.”

His words hit me hard, and the tears that have been threatening to fall finally break free. I try to hold them back, but it’s useless.

“Damien, I…” My voice cracks, and I look away, unable to meet his gaze. “I’m not the same as I was. I don’t know if I’ll ever be the same again. And if that’s too much for you… if you don’t want to deal with me—”

“Stop.”

His voice is sharp, and when I finally look at him, I see the fierce determination in his eyes. “You think I’m going anywhere?” he demands. “You think I’d leave you now, after everything we’ve been through?”

“I don’t know,” I whisper. “I just… I don’t want to hold you back.”

He grabs my face in his hands, forcing me to meet his gaze. “Jade, listen to me. You’re not holding me back. You’re not a burden. You never were. I’ve loved you for a long time. Hell, I think I’ve loved you since we were kids, and I didn’t even know it.”

A sob escapes me, and I try to pull away, but he won’t let me.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he continues. “I don’t care if your powers change. I don’t care if you lose them completely. None of that matters to me. What matters is you. I love you, Jade. I’ve always loved you. And I’m going to spend the rest of my life proving that to you.”

The tears are falling freely now, and I can’t stop them. I bury my face in his chest, clutching at his shirt. “I love you, too,” I murmur, my voice muffled against him. “I never stopped.”

His arms tighten around me, pulling me even closer. For the first time in a long time, I feel like everything might actually be okay.

We stay like that for a long time, wrapped up in each other, letting the world outside the room fade away. Whatever happens next, we’ll face it together.

“Do you really mean it?” I ask, pulling back just enough to look him in the eyes. “You really want to spend the rest of your life proving it?”

His grin is genuine, lighting up his whole face in a way that makes my heart skip. “Absolutely. Every single day.”

“Good,” I reply with a smirk. “Because I’m not going anywhere.”

He chuckles softly, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “I wouldn’t let you, even if you tried.”

I lean up and press a soft kiss to his lips, and for a moment, everything feels perfect. Like maybe, just maybe, we can have this—this life, this love—without the weight of the world crashing down around us.

But there’s one more thing I need to do. One more truth that needs to be said.

I sit up straighter, wiping the last of the tears from my face. “Damien… there’s something else.”

He raises an eyebrow, clearly sensing the shift in my mood. “What is it?”

I take a deep breath, steeling myself. “Penny. She… she needs to know. About you.”

He freezes. I can see the mixture of emotions flicker across his face—fear, hope, uncertainty. “You think she’s ready?”

I nod. “She’s only two, but she deserves to know the truth. She deserves to know who her father is.”

His throat works as he swallows, and for the first time since I’ve known Damien, I see him look…vulnerable. “And you think…you think she’ll understand?”

“She’s smart. She’ll understand.”

Damien stands, pacing the room for a moment before finally nodding. “Okay. Okay. Let’s do it.”

I get up slowly. My body is still aching, but there’s a sense of determination in me now. I open the door, calling for Alec and Penny.

Penny toddles in, her eyes lighting up when she sees me. Alec gives me a nod before slipping into his truck outside, giving us privacy.

“Penny,” I say, crouching down to her level. “Come here, sweetheart.”

She runs over to me and wraps her little arms around my neck as I pick her up and set her on my lap.

“Mama? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, baby. But I need to talk to you about something important, okay?”

I glance at Damien, who’s standing beside us, looking both nervous and hopeful. I take a deep breath and squeeze Penny’s hand. “You know Damien? The man who’s been helping us?”

Penny nods eagerly. “Uh-huh. He’s strong.”

I chuckle, and my heart swells. “Yes, he is. And there’s something special about him, Penny. He’s your daddy.”

Her eyes widen, and for a moment, she just stares at me. Then she looks at Damien, then back at me. “My daddy?”

“Yes, baby. He’s your daddy,” I say softly, brushing her hair back. “And he loves you very much.”

Penny blinks, processing the information before a smile breaks across her face. “My daddy!” she squeals, and she reaches her little arms out for Damien.

Damien’s breath catches in his throat, and I can see the tears welling up in his eyes as he kneels down in front of her. “Hey, kiddo. I’m your daddy.”

Penny giggles and throws her arms around his neck, and Damien pulls her close, holding her like she’s the most precious thing in the world. And in that moment, I know everything will be okay.

We’re a family now.

And nothing will ever change that.