I wasn't sure how to compose myself. I was a little bit of everything on the inside. I was confused, hurt, still angry. Tired, more then anything.

One look at Colin made me want to cry, scream, laugh. Maybe that's just how our love was.

Love.

We've tried to kill each other how many times now? Two? Three?

They felt like simple things compared to what we've gone through. From our siblings being taken, to us being ambushed, to us running and hiding from every bump in the night.

It seemed like the world was against us.

And maybe it was.

But as long as we're fighting... as long as we stay rested against each other. Maybe we can fix what we broke.

Colin shuffled his feet. "I'm sorry, I—"

"Don't." I cut him off, not wanting to hear an apology. "You don't have anything to apologize for. If anyone does, it's me."

He sighed, tilting his head at me. I missed his hair. I missed his smell, I missed him. I hated how I sounded like a damsel instead of a hero. But the war was over. I could be weak, I could show weakness. And I think that made me stronger.

The Dawns praised strength. They praised pride, dignity. We should also praise the strength in being weak.

I wasn't the type to cry. But seeing Colin brought up things I hadn't thought about.

Our attack at Leslie's, how he was there after and during my father's death. How we held each other after the small battles spread throughout the past months.

"You don't understand, Eve." Colin put a hand on my cheek, wiping away a tear. I didn't want to say I was balling my eyes out, but tears fell. "I didn't believe you about my mom."

"And yet you showed me your neck. Because you still loved me. You wouldn't, couldn't, kill me." I put my hand over his, bringing it down from my face. "You were protecting your family."

Colin kissed my hand. "We're pretty fucked up aren't we?"

"Is that not okay? Because I can leave?" I started to turn but Colin grabbed my arm.

"No!" He smirked. "I love it. I love us. Even if others don't."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, standing on my tippy toes. "That's all that matters. We'll figure it out, Colin, together."

His shoulders shook as he collapsed us onto the ground. "I love you." He cried.

"I love you too." I sniffled.

We both needed a shower.

I looked up at the ceiling, the glass domed ceiling. Thank you, Polyphema. She gave me a second chance, a chance to redeem myself. And she gave her own up. For me.

Colin kissed my cheek. "I thought I lost you. I thought the last thing I would've said to you was, "Get the hell out of here. Don't come back."" He pulled a box out of his pocket. "My ash rose burned up when you... died. I kept its remains." He was so soft. I don't think he understood how the small things he did sent me wild.

I pulled out the ash rose from my jacket. "Mine didn't."

Colin opened the box, a perfect rose sat in it, completely brought up.

I didn't believe the roses were special. They're just flowers. I think they're what we make them. The roses were us. We are the flowers, forever blooming and perfect, always connected.

"Everly?" I shot up at the sound of my mom's voice.

She was walking down the steps, holding Fiona up with one arm. Zach was connected to her hip.

"Mom!?" She set Fiona down on the steps and ran down the stairs, smashing into me with a hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay. Where's Konrad? Is he here?" She asked. They didn't know the news.

I smiled. "Arlis and Colin held him down while Becker killed him."

I hadn't seen all of the fight. I was going in and out of consciousness while it played out. But I did see the final white burst of energy and I did feel the wind smack my face.

"You look like shit little sis." Fiona chuckled. "Are you sure you didn't kill him?"

I tipped my chin up. "No. But I did hurt him. I'm the one who got to tell him Polyphema traded her life for mine and he'd never see her again. And I attempted to cut him with my dagger." I smirked.

"Did it work?" She asked.

I shook my head, laughing. "No."

"Where's Beck, then? Is he not with you?" Zach asked, his baby face unharmed and unscathed. I couldn't say the same for his mind.

My smile dropped. "He... he didn't make it. It took too much power."

Mom squeezed my shoulders. "And Constance is still with Arlis, I assume. I know the three of them were close."

I didn't think it would be this hard explaining it. I wasn't sure what was harder, admitting that she was dead or telling her that it was Dallas who did it.

"Dallas was being compelled." I closed my eyes. "He killed her."

Mom whimpered and I heard Fiona gasp. Zach began crying.

"I didn't know it was going to be that quick, I would've tried to save her I would have. I ju—" A part of me felt like it was my fault. A small part of me would always feel like it was my fault.

I should've tackled Dallas the moment he pulled out a dagger.

"Baby it's not your fault." Mom held me tightly. "Dallas would've killed you to. Constance left us with a goodbye. She already accepted the fact that she might die." Mom pulled back and brushed my hair down. "We're all safe."

I shook my head. "Dad's gone too. And Uncle Kas."

Mom cried. "I know I know." She kissed my forehead. "We'll be okay. We have strong people in this family."

Mom looked back at Fiona, who was now the leader of the family. It would have been mom, but she was married into the family. You had to be born in.

"Colin?" My mom turned to him. "Fiona has... told me about you."

Colin didn't seem scared. He knew his mistakes. "I know what I've done. I'm not proud of any of it."

"She told me how you stood up to Konrad. How you tried to fight him by yourself when you found out Eve had died." Mom walked over to him.

He flinched as she put a hand on his shoulder. "We all do crazy things during war. Especially when the ones we love are involved. Constance and Becker too fell under his command, but... we don't blame them. We don't blame you." She brought him to her chest. "Thank you."

He nodded, hugging her tightly back. "Thank you. For raising a wonderful girl."

"For raising four wonderful children, thank you very much." She slapped his arm playfully as she stepped out of the hug. "How do we get home?"

I shrugged. "Walk?"

"I have a super cool mind link with Arlis so maybe—"

"Don't bother him, Col. He's going through a lot." I walked up the steps to hug Fiona, who was shaky and starved, and Zach.

"We can always take the van parked out front?" Zach said, nodding the front window.

"There's a car?" Mom pulled out her dagger, I pulled out my new one, and Fiona stood up.

Two loud voices came from outside. They stumbled in, a bottle of champagne in their hands.

"Ah bloody hell, there's people here!" Kora shouted. Noah chuckled to himself, slightly tipsy.

I stuck my dagger in my belt loop. "Hey, Kora." I greeted. Judging by the champagne bottle, I could tell she had heard the news.

"Hey! Heard you helped with this! Atta kid." She smirked. "King Anaforo called a meeting. And since..." she faltered for a moment. "I'm the oldest Hunter now."

"Hey, Kora. Can you do us one last favor?" Mom asked.

*** SIX YEARS LATER ***

DALLAS
Dallas wasn't sure why people were like this. After Konrad, he didn't think there was anyone worse.

Turns out, there was. Moira. She was only worse because she controlled whether or not he had a great day.

After Konrad fell, Dallas became obsessed with fixing things to the way they were. And, considering Moira still hadn't been found, he had to find her.

Him and Fiona teamed together to go looking for her. And when they found her, Dallas would swear up and down it was love at first site.

His last name was no longer Dawn, but instead O'Donoghue. He took her last name after the Dagger Trading Ceremony because her family was smaller. It was a Hunter tradition.

Dallas continued hunting, trying to get up to Constance's count. He's not even halfway there.

FIONA
Fiona had opted to take the single side. She's much like her cousin and uncle Kasparov. She's feared amongst the supernatural world and is back in Ireland, living with her brother Dallas and his wife.

She still wakes with nightmares, still screams out Konrad's name. He might've been dead but she didn't forget what happened.

She often calls Arlis, who sent her his number in case she wanted to talk. His adopted daughter, Gracie, often talks of how Fiona helped her when they were with Leslie.

It helps them both.

ZACHARIAH
Zach is now eighteen and has scars on his knuckles from fighting. He's still the smartest person Everly knows.

Zach became instant friends with Arlis's adopted daughters, Gracie and Lilly. Zach went on a lot of "play dates" with them when he was younger. Now they just, "hang".

Gracie is a tad younger than him, by five years, and Lilly is three years older than him. They all still get along great. Zach, Lilly, and Gracie have their own trio started.

Lilly often tells Zach that he should just become a werewolf at how much he's around by now. It's funny how playfully flirtatious he is with Lilly, even though he's 18 while she's 21, and he's not a werewolf.

Arlis tells Zach every time he's over that his girls have mates, and that he's not them. Arlis always threatens that he's not scared to send Zach back to Everly with a broken arm, mangled feet, and a baby-maker that's defective.

Zach always replies with the same thing, "I know. And somewhere out there I have two werewolves to scare into taking care of my best friends."

He lives with Colin and Everly, training with them and his Aunt Kora.

SOPHIA
Sophia grew up with a lot of problems. Her father had done terrible things to keep her alive, her grandfather had abused her, her mother left her. It was a lot to tack on a little girl's conscience.

Sophia grew up into a beautiful vampire, a Gold through and through. Colin helped her grow, him and Everly. It was a lot, Sophia was thankful.

She didn't see her mom after the rise of Konrad, and she stayed shut in. She did, after all, cause a lot of destruction. In the end, she moved in with her Great Aunt Sisca and stayed secluded. Her and Kas get along great.

RALPH & ANAFORO
Ralph went home to his girlfriend, continuing to live with her from pack to pack, mostly staying with Anaforo. He doesn't talk about the day Konrad died, mostly because Anaforo doesn't bring it up.

Anaforo is still the King of the necromancers. He's now number two on the "who's counting the most powerful?" List. Not that he cares. Right under Kora, right above Arlis.

Him and his wife are having a baby boy.

Ralph hates kids, but has already demanded the title of god father.

EVERLY

I lay as an adult in my torn up home from a lost battle, I learned that life is a struggle for a reason; a good reason. I just wish things had gone differently all those years ago.

I just wish that when I was younger... that I had done things less like how I was expected and more like how I wanted.

Maybe then... maybe then they would still be alive. People I trusted, people I cared about. People I... loved.

But... Becker and Constance, my dad and Kas... they died so my peace could be disrupted.

In the room next door, 3 year old Terrance Lason Becker Dawn cried, breaking the nice silence in the house.

"I'll get him." Colin slid out from under the sheets. Our home was a mess, messy from a battle we lost in teddy bear wars.

I closed my eyes, trying to fall back asleep. It was only 7pm but I felt like I never got any sleep. The baby in the crib in the room was still quiet, thank God. Little baby Sisca Constance Dawn.

I tossed over in the bed, unable to fall back asleep. I stood up and stretched, looking at the daggers on the wall.

Four, to be exact. My father's, Kas's, Constance's, and mine. I had a pause on hunting, at least until my kids grew up.

My phone started ringing. It was a number I had but had never talked to. Arlis.

I picked it up, tired. "Hello?" I asked. Colin walked into the room, carrying our son in his arms. His dark brown hair was the shade of Colin's— they looked just alike. I put the phone on speaker as Colin laid Lason in our bed. While Terrance was his first name, we hardly ever called him that.

"You know the envelope Becker dropped? When... he..." He asked nervously.

"Who is that?" Colin mouthed.

"Arlis." I mouthed back.

I actually didn't know he dropped an envelope. "No? Does it have to do with Kon—"

"No!" Arlis shouted. "He's dead. Still dead. Dead dead."

I breathed out a sigh of relief. "What's going on?"

"Everly... I think you need to read it for yourself." The softness in his voice made me want to drop everything and run over there, read the letter.

I looked down at baby Sis. I couldn't do what I could when I was younger. "I'm— I'm busy watching my own kids. I can't make it there. Can you read it over the phone?" I was trying not to sound tired, but kids were exhausting. It made me wonder why I ever had them. And then we'd be coloring and Lason would mark my nose and we'd laugh and Colin and I would chase him through the hall. And then I remembered. Because I love this, I love family.

"Of course." Arlis said. In the background, I heard his own kids playing. They were full of energy, just like Arlis's family.

And life was good. I had my family, I had Colin. The struggles I went through during Konrad's attempted rise made me stronger and more thankful. I was stupid back then, still am, but I had learned a lot of valuable lessons.

Dear, friends.
     I know I failed you when I joined Konrad's ranks, and I'm so sorry. I wanted to do something wrong and I ended up hurting a lot of people. Several Alphas throughout the country are dead because of me— dead because I couldn't stand up to Konrad.
     I hope you can forgive me. For killing them. For taking Arlis. For not defending Everly when I should have, nearly getting her killed. Actually getting her killed.
     I have thought a lot about what I can do to make it up to you— to my true family. I love all of you. Enough that it hurts me when I say goodbye.
    I have had you all for the best parts of my life, and the worst parts. I am so deeply indebted to Arlis and Constance, who showed me what true love was. I owe my life to Everly, who lost hers for the sake of doing what's right, my Little Sun. To Kate who, hopefully, still carries my godchild in her as you read this.
     I am writing to say goodbye. I'm cleaning my debts.
     You all deserve far deeper and a far longer happiness than I do. When we battle Konrad today, I will die. I don't have the power to kill him with Kate's idea. Not without myself dying, anyways.
     You have shown me life, love, happiness. This is to you— the people who have given me a reason to die for. It has been an honor to follow this journey with you.
          Sincerely, Beckerann Dawn

I could have had a longer Epilogue, I know. It was a personal choice to keep it short. It leaves more room for you all to pick what you believe. I like short epilogues. This is a story, and their chapters are over.

For now.

I HAVE MANY PLANNED BOOKS COMING. Too many to be honest. But I'm finished with 2.

Thank you all SO MUCH! I can't explain how much going on this journey with you all means to me

Song is Hoping by X Ambassadors