The Initiative (A Sleeping Beauty Remix)

Thirty-Six (Final Chapter)

Despite her nature, I believed she would do well. And it would be a great experience.

I straightened in the doorway, "I'm happy for you, Eva."

"Don't have too much fun without me."

I stuck my hand out, relieved when she clasped it. "Wouldn't dream of it. Call me if you need anything, yeah?"

Her face softened, "Yeah."

☙♡❧

"You do not drive a black sedan."

Wes clicked his key fob, raised a brow, and continued to the tiny black car in the garage. "Did I crush your dreams?"

I snorted and got into the passenger side of the vehicle. "We can talk about your car decisions later."

To be honest, I wasn't sure what I expected Wes to drive. Maybe an SUV or something more sporty. Not this generic vehicle. Wes was low key by nature, but I didn't think that extended to his car choices. When we were younger, he'd talked about getting a sports car or a truck once we had money. Or even a race car. But not a sedan.

I clicked on my seatbelt as the car started with a purr. Huh. At least it was quiet.

Everything was quiet. Not just the car, but my life too. Other than a debriefing scheduled next week, I had nothing ahead of me. And it was fabulous. "What are we going to do with all this time?" I asked into the hushed car.

"We'll figure it out," Wes replied.

"Have you given Leonger your decision?" Like me, Leonger had given Wes the choice of leading the next Initiative group.

"I have," my mate said, "I turned in my resignation."

I blinked, "That's not like you."

He was not the type to sit down and do nothing when there were people out there in need. And while we'd crushed a chunk of The Circle, that was only a piece of it. They were still out there, albeit hidden. I had no doubt the Sarian Government would put a lot of resources towards keeping the extremists under control or suppressing them completely.

"We've put in our time," Wes said. "For now, I'm content to take a few years off. Maybe spend some time with my mate." He smiled softly at me.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "you're doing something for him." I knew it in my gut. No way Wes decided to give it all up. Not when he was this young.

He scratched the back of his head and frowned out at the road in front of us. "I may have offered to be an advisor if needed."

Ha! I knew it. "When did you have time to turn in your resignation without me noticing?"

"About an hour ago."

I shook my head at him. Sneaky bastard.

Wes and I had been glued to each other's side since the festival. I loved every second of it. Technically, I completed my mission and was free to move about the kingdom if I wanted. I had the whole world in front of me. I was awash with the possibilities.

I'd never had this feeling before. It was a sort of weightlessness in my chest—a heady combination of relief and joy—that made me feel light enough to fly. I could go anywhere. Do anything.

I'd hopped from foster home to foster home as a kid, stuck in the school system and skating through the rocky terrain of multiple family dynamics. And then, right when I was done with high school, the Initiative scooped me up.