the wall had been scuffed and chipped from the numerous guests who had passed through the corridor. In contrast, the warm, cream-colored paint on the other half appeared fresh. The black light fixtures attached to the walls also looked newer, while the paintings and other art had probably been purchased decades ago.
The entire lodge seemed to be a mixture of old and new, tradition and progress. She liked it. In an odd way, she felt a connection with the place. The woman who had escaped the Hunters wasn’t the same person who had been kidnapped from the side of the highway. Nor was she a wholly new person. At her core, her personality, her likes and dislikes, hadn’t changed. Now, she was just…more.
From the moment she’d woken up in the hospital, she had been struggling in vain to reclaim a life that no longer existed. Foolishly, she had somehow convinced herself that she could pick up where she’d left off as if the past two years had never happened. She couldn’t forget her past, and she didn’t know that she’d want to, even if it were possible. After all, those experiences, both good and bad, had made her who she was now.
She could remember the past, however, without letting it weigh her down. She could hope without letting it hold her back. So much had been taken from her, but she had also found more than she probably deserved. She had a roof over her head, food in her belly, and a new family who always had her back. Safety and comfort were no longer guaranteed, but they were privileges she now enjoyed.
She had Cade.
Even before the Purge, many Gemini went an entire lifetime and never found their other half. Having a mate who adored her, who always put her first, who knew all her flaws and loved her because—not in spite—of them was a true and precious gift. She’d lost a lot that night she’d blown her tire, but since then, she’d been blessed with so much more.
“What is going on in that head of yours?” Cade asked as they exited the lodge and stepped out into the brisk night air. “I swear about twenty different emotions have crossed your face in the last five minutes.”
Mackenna shrugged. “Just working out some stuff.”
“And how is that going?”
“Pretty good.”
Nothing was set in stone. It didn’t have to be either-or. She could mourn the loss of her old life and still be grateful for her new one. Pausing on the front lawn, she swung Cade around and lifted her arms to encircle his neck as she arched into him for a kiss.
“Not that I’m complaining,” he said with a smirk, “but what was that for?”
“Just my way of saying thank you.”
“And what are you thanking me for?”
Where did she even start? For taking a chance on a broken and damaged werewolf. For not driving past her when every instinct had probably told him it was for the best. For traveling across two states to let her hope for just a little bit longer, even when past experiences said they wouldn’t find the answers she sought.
For trusting her. For believing in her and helping her believe in herself again. For loving her, protecting her, guiding her, and knowing when to let her find her own way.
Against all logic and faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, they’d found their way to each other, just when they’d both needed someone the most. Whether fate, or luck, or some higher power had led him to her on that lonely stretch of road, it had been Cade who had made the decision to stop, and that choice had changed both of their lives in ways they probably didn’t even realize yet.
“Just for being you.” She kissed him again, slow and sweet, pouring everything she felt into the meeting of their lips. “I love you, Cade.”
“I love you, too, baby.”
She didn’t know what the next week would bring, or even the next day. With so many people still suffering, she did know that they couldn’t hide in their sanctuary forever. Eventually, the Revenant would be compelled to venture away from Olympus, to help those who needed it and right the injustices of the world.
When they did, she planned to be there with them. Second chances didn’t happen often, and they certainly didn’t come without a price. It was time she started repaying the debt of hers.
In the meantime, she felt no guilt about soaking up every moment of peace