Epilogue

Two Weeks Later

Titus stood in the middle of his quarters and looked around for the last time. He’d hauled the last of his belongings to Macy’s room, and was now leaving this part of the silo for good.

The silence seemed deafening, and he felt Simon all around him. A bit of guilt washed through him at the thought of never stepping into the room again. If Simon’s ghost did reside here, Titus would be leaving him behind.

However, he couldn’t stay.

He found the greys and blacks terribly depressing, and this room held too many memories for him, and very few of them any good. How long and how often had he thought about killing himself in here? How many days, hours, weeks, and months had he sat in complete misery and despair?

No matter what happened, none of those emotions could be eradicated from this room.

“Are you ready?” Macy asked, laying her hand on his bicep.

He slipping his arm around her shoulder and nodded. “Yes.”

“What are you thinking right now, Titus?”

Shaking his head, he sighed. “I’m thinking about how utterly fucking miserable I was living in here.”

Macy remained quiet.

“Do you feel him?” Titus asked. “In this room. Do you feel Simon?”

“I have always felt Simon around you. He’s part of you.”

“He’s my past.”

She stepped in front of him and took both his hands. “Our past becomes part of us. It doesn’t define us, but it has influence on what we become today. So, yes, Simon is part of your past, but he also impacts the male I love now.”

He’d asked Rayner to come take a look around the room, to see if Simon did reside there, caught in between this life and the next. He’d assured Titus he wasn’t. Perhaps all he felt in the room were the ghosts he conjured in his mind.

“I know Simon’s death almost ruined you, but what did his life give you?”

He thought for a moment as he glanced around the quarters again. It was definitely an interesting question from such a wise female. “Stability. Comfort. Pleasure. Love.”

“Well, then take those things into our future with you, Titus. Leave the pain of loss here, locked away in this room.”

Something clicked within him and he realized he didn’t have to feel guilty about his love for Macy. Simon had been the one to give him the groundwork of his relationship with her by loving him the best way he knew how.

He would take all the positive things Simon had left him and bring them into his life with Macy—whatever it took to provide stability, comfort, love, and pleasure to her.

He reached out and pulled her close to him. As she laid her head on his chest and snaked her arms around his waist, everything seemed right. He stood where he was supposed to be.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Yes.”

As he shut the door to his old quarters, he left his past behind and thought about his future with Macy. As a male, it was his duty and honor to provide stability, comfort, love, and pleasure to his female. He promised himself he would work daily to make her happy and to be the best mate he could, and he would take that oath at their mating ceremony.

They walked over to the elevator and stepped inside. He looked down at her and grinned.

“Do you know what time it is?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No, but I know you have the meeting with the Warriors in a while.”

He pressed her up against the elevator wall and kissed her deeply, leaving them both gasping for air.

“You know you said I should bring the things Simon gave to me into our relationship.”

“Yes,” she whispered, her cheeks pink.

“Right now, I’d like to bring you pleasure.”

She smiled, and his heart warmed.

As she caressed his cheek and gazed up at him lovingly, he knew he was ready to leave everything in his past behind and move into the future with Macy.

She raised her eyebrows and licked her lips. “I think we can always find time for that, Titus.”