I spent the next days silently contemplating what I had to do. The Butcher hadn’t made a reappearance and I made sure to stay close to the group. I imagined Regan made an impression on him and I hoped that it was enough to keep him away from my friends.

Even so, I knew the Butcher couldn’t be far away. He was probably just stalking me from the shadows, waiting for another moment to take me off guard. He wouldn’t give up, that was not his style. Would staying with the group help me ward him off or would I just endanger all of them?

Pondering, I watched Darren and Regan fuss over the fire. Regan was teaching him how to make a log house that improved burn time. They always did those little projects together and Darren loved learning all the little tips and tricks Regan had acquired over the years. There was so much mutual respect between the two and I trusted them like I trusted Danny. Years of traveling with Regan and working closely with Darren did that to a person.

“You seem lost in thought?” Danny gently kissed the side of my face and there was something so loving about the small gesture, it just set fire to my chest. Just the thought of not having her around was enough to switch the panic lever in my head, but I couldn’t afford to let my emotions get in the way. I loved her and I wanted to be with her. But above all of that, there was the need to protect her. To give her the life she always wanted and dragging her into a life of running wasn’t that. It wasn’t fair to her, or to the two other men that kept her company.

“J-Just wondering,” I muttered, brushing my fingers across the small of her back. She squirmed into me and softly touched the bruises on my neck. Some of the patches were already fading, but it still looked dreadful.

“Does it still hurt?”

I nodded, wishing I hadn’t. It was still too painful, but at least I had a good reason for not talking much and being sunken in thought.

“I d-don’t have a wolf who heals m-me,” I teased, nudging her softly. She chuckled and pressed another kiss on my cheek.

“If my wolf wasn’t so pouty, I could try and heal you.”

“W-We’ve tried that before, and it d-didn’t work. I’m not your mate.”

She hid her guilty smile, but I caught it anyway. “I just want you to be okay.”

I stared in her glimmering eyes and my heart clenched as I contemplated one of the toughest decisions in my life. There were two things I could do and at the moment, I wasn’t entirely sure which one was right. But for either, I’d have to be alone with her. “C-Can I take you on a date tonight?”

A smile curled her lips up. With love clear in her eyes, she nodded. “I would love that, JP.”

“I will m-meet you by the r-river later tonight?” I asked, wondering if that was a good idea given that the Butcher found me there. But it was the best place for what I had in mind. I’d need to ask a favour from Regan, but I was sure he’d comply.

Dread filled me as I thought about what I was going to do, but I had to. Now that I was sure that the Butcher was still following me around, I couldn’t risk it. I needed to take care of him once and for all.

With a last kiss, she skidded off and joined Darren and Regan by the fire. She pointed at one of the logs and blew onto the flames, fanning them up. Darren rested his arm around her waist and the way they fit together, even a blind person could tell they were mates too. Everyone who we met probably knew. Everyone, apart from Danny. She was silly like that.

I waved Regan off to the side, letting him know I would be at the riverside until nightfall. If the Butcher came back, at least he knew where to look for me. I’d just have to stay close to the camp and hope for the best.

Nightfall came not a second too early as I set up everything around us. I genuinely hoped that she would love it and that by the end of the night, I knew what to do. I touched my chest, feeling the small silver ring through the pocket. Yes, I really hoped things would become clearer.

I fidgeted with the hem of my shirt until a shadow appeared from the treeline. Even in the shimmery dark, I recognised Danny. How could I not after everything we two went through?

Her eyes lit up as she curled into me for a kiss. I brushed my hands through her soft hair, pulling her closer into me. With a hum, she curled her arm through mine and batted her eyelashes.

“So… You’re taking me on a date?” she teased, the smile betraying how much she loved it.

“Y-Yes.” I intertwined our fingers and pulled her to the first spot.

“What’s this?” Danny asked, her eyes widening as she took in the little stick men I made on the ground. I chuckled awkwardly and pushed my glasses up.

“T-That is us. It’s the day we met.”

“Oh is that so? I don’t remember you looking so... twiggy,” she teased, glancing at me in confusion.

I pointed at the smallest figure and drew the memories from my mind. “It w-was a rainy day, I r-remember cause my glasses k-kept fogging as I talked to you. T-There were some children playing and I recall l-looking at you and just t-thinking that I should just m-man up and say s-something.” I pulled a leaf from the ground and revealed the word I drew in the sand. The word that started this whole journey. “Hi.”

She curled her arm around me and the familiar scent of summer weaved into my nose. The one smell I came to identify as home.

“T-There is more.” I pulled her to the next spot and the new scene I reconstructed. “T-This is the day we met t-the twins.”

Danny laughed out loud and the sound washed over me like the rain cleansed the earth. I missed her laugh.

“Ashleigh cut off my hair. I remember.”

“A-And you punched her in the f-face,” I added, recalling the moment Ashleigh and Aspen crossed our path for the first time. How we couldn’t have known that that would define so much of our life.

“She became my best friend in less than a week. I’m sad we’re not travelling together anymore.”

“M-Me too. But Akira needed h-her after what happened with Aspen.”

“I know...” she brushed a tear away and recomposed herself. “What’s next?”

I pulled her closer to the river and the drawing I made. The wet sand shrieked under our shoes and I knew I picked the right spot for this memory.

“The first time we saw the sea…”

“Y-Yes, we got all the way to the c-coast and saw the ocean for the f-first time.”

Her chuckle brought a warmth to my chest as I recalled a moment from long ago. The azur waves that washed over the golden beach, the salty scent brought in by the wind, the gentle sun dancing over our skin. A moment of respite in an endless chase.

“The end of the world,” Danny whispered, dragging her finger through the wet sand.

“E-Exactly.”

She sighed and pressed herself into me. “That would be a nice place to settle down, don’t you think?”

A lump formed in my throat, but I nodded, not wanting to break her fantasy. “It w-would.”

“We could go into the ocean to swim or dive for pearls again. Oh, and build sandy castles,” she smiled. Involuntarily, I touched my breast pocket and felt the lucky pearl I carried with me. She dove for it years back when we saw the sea and ever since, I held it with me for good fortune. So far, it had served me well. And I hadn’t been able to think of a better stone to set in the ring I got for Danny.

The branches cracked under our feet as we climbed back up the hill and followed the trail of small candles I planted.

“T-This is when—”

“Regan,” she whispered, brushing her hand over the sketch I carved into a rock. The big wolf looked a bit wonky, but she recognised him anyway.

“He s-scared you when you t-two met.”

“He was just so damn big,” she muttered under her breath, but the glimmer in her eyes told me she didn’t actually mind. She wasn’t scared of him, not even back then. He just took her off guard and for a good reason. It wasn’t everyday that you met your soulmate.

Gingerly, I guided her to the next bush. In the earth, I drew a shuriken. Darren’s arrival and another big moment in her life. In all of our lives, really. Everything that happened to us, everything we experienced, we did together.

“I can’t believe he tried to kill us when we first met,” Danny giggled, clearly amused by the weird circumstances of how she met one of her men.

“He s-sure tried,” I affirmed, kissing her gently on the cheek. She melted into me, the smell of star anise dancing on my pallet. An aroma I would recognise everywhere and anytime. Her scent.

I pulled her to the next tree and handed her a piece of jerky. Confused, she chewed on it and chuckled at the image I drew to the best of my abilities.

“Aspen’s bad leg and when we met Akira,” she noted, humming quite contendly. Deer jerky was her favourite of them all and I managed to get a couple of pieces of it in town.

“I’m r-really glad we met her even though it b-brought some tension along.”

She nodded. “Me too. I think we were always meant to meet her.”

“I suspect s-so.”

A sad smile fell on her face. “I hope she’s okay.”

I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and breathed in her scent. “S-She must be, Ash is with her.”

“True… She is in good hands.”

Not wanting to linger too much on this event, I pulled her to the next stop. A little clay figure I formed from the mud from the riverbank. Danny laughed as she brushed her fingers over the little cat. “Chesca.”

“Y-Yes. That is the day she became our friend again.”

“I can’t believe that actually happened, she gave us such a hard time.”

“H-Hard is an understatement,” I nodded, recalling the moment I accepted her into our group. After the war, I never expected to make my peace with her and yet, somehow she became one of our companions. And surprisingly her death, her real death, was a tragedy. As Danny’s first friend, she was a milestone and worth remembering. Just like…

Danny followed my gaze to the small stone and fell silent. She brushed her hand over the rough surface and let out a deep sigh as she studied my carving. Her cold breath danced through the night as white smoke on a brand new canvas.

“T-The Winter Stone.”

“Why don’t you tell me where she is?” He growled, his voice rasping in my ear, his breath as rotten as his soul. I shrouded my mind in loving thoughts of family and friends. I needed to protect myself, from this horror, from this moment, from him.

“Come on, Jean-Pierre. I know you keep her company. Where is your little wolf?” the Butcher hissed, the hard tip of his boot making contact with my stomach. I convulsed in pain, gritting my teeth, fighting the terror.

“You can’t protect her forever. Just tell me where Danielle is so I can find this special Stone and I’ll let you live.”

With a great deal of effort, I lifted my tired head, the muscles running along my back already strained from the run. I stared at the Butcher in front of me and with all the energy I had left, I managed to shake my head.

“No? Think again, boy. If you tell me, you can leave, mostly unscathed.”

Every part of my body trembled as I forced myself to speak. “Never.”

He cackled loudly, his laughter shuddering through my ear drums. “I was hoping you’d say that. And I was lying anyway.” The Butcher grinned, his thick eyebrows furrowing. “You’re not leaving this place. Not alive anyway. Even if you revealed the secret of the wolf and gave up that girl, I still want to play with you.”

“JP?”

I shrugged the memory away and brought my head back to the matters at hand. Danny brushed a tear away and hugged me tight. “At least Aspen is happy.”

“W-We know he is.”

With a dry chuckle, she pressed a kiss on my cheek. The warmth of her skin spread across mine and I couldn’t but love her for it.

“This is rather depressing for a date,” she mused.

“S-Sorry, it gets better.” I guided her away from the memorial, to an open space in the forest. The wind danced through the leaves and the gentle ritsling of branches was almost like a wind chime melody. I gestured into the darkness and smiled. “B-Better, don’t you think?”

“I don’t see anything?”

I pushed a branch down, revealing the last image of my journey. Of her journey.

“That’s just the camp with Regan and Darren,” she remarked, staring at me with confusion flickering in her eyes. The soft hue of the fire reflected onto the two men and I smiled.

“E-Exactly. This is your f-future.”

Danny smiled and pressed herself into me. “No, it’s not. You’re not standing next to them.”

“T-That is the point.”

She awkwardly chuckled. “That’s a joke, right?”

“N-No.”

“What do you mean?”

My breath hitched and with all the strength I could muster, I drew out the words I never wanted to voice out loud. “H-He’s back.”

“He?”

“The B-Butcher.”

Danny’s colour drained from her face as she jumped up, worry clouding her eyes and stress tensing her body. She knew what he did to me the first time around, she had seen the harm he put me through. She had been the one who tended to me and the only reason I hadn’t passed over to the next life.

She knew exactly just how terrifying his return was. And that was why I hoped never to put her through this kind of anguish again. I couldn’t taint her life with the darkness, it would poison her mind and destroy her sanity. Her concern for me would tear her to shreds and I couldn’t let that happen.

“What are we going to do?” she whispered, her voice breaking. The worry had already started.

“Y-You are not going to do anything. I-I will deal with this.”

The last hint of a laugh disappeared from her face and she stared at me with dark eyes. “JP, what do you mean?”

I gathered up all the courage I had in me and spoke words I hoped I would never have to say. “I-I’m leaving.”

Danny cocked her head to the side and frowned. “Okay, where are we going?”

“N-No. You are not coming. None of you are.”

“Wait.” She brushed her fingers gently along my neck and concern flitted across her face. “You’re not saying what I think you are saying, right?”

“I-I have to do this on my o-own.”

Danny gasped and grabbed hold of my shirt, shaking me as if she hoped that would put some sense into my head. “You’re not doing this on your own.”

“I have t-to.”

“But not by yourself, JP, he’ll kill you. For real this time.”

“M-Maybe, but at least, you will b-be safe.”

“Please, let us come along.”

“N-No.”

“I don’t understand?” She phrased it as a question, but I knew she understood perfectly. I had been loud and clear. I was leaving. Confusion, anger, and disbelief swirled in her eyes as she drew in a breath to stabilise herself.

“Tell me this is a joke,” she demanded with a hard voice, but her last word betrayed her true feelings. “Please...”

Saddened, I shook my head and balled my fists. I wished this wasn’t real. I wished this wasn’t something I needed to do. I wished...

But I had been running from my fate for far too long and it was time to face the music. To stand up against the Butcher.

“I-I have to do this. Alone,” I whispered, averting my gaze to keep myself strong.

“And I get that. I admire it, JP. But let me come with you—”

“N-No.”

“I could help you—”

I shook my head. “N-No.”

The desperation was clear in her voice as she racked her brain. “You don’t have to do this alone, we can—”

“No.” I took a step backwards and refused to meet her eyes. “I am g-going and you are not coming with. N-Not this time.”

“We’ve always done everything together,” she tried, hoping to sway me.

“We h-have, yes.” For a moment, hope flickered through her eyes but I crushed it as quickly as it came. “But n-not this time. And that is final.”

“JP, please.” Danny looked at me with her begging eyes and I wavered. Was I really making the right choice? Could I do this without her? Without them?

A branch snapped in the back and I jumped around, unshielding two of my daggers in pure reflex.

“Its okay, it’s just a bunny,” Danny reassured me, pointing at the little animal hopping out of the bush. I breathed in relief but held one of the daggers clenched tight in my hand. I never knew what else was also hiding in the bush unless it revealed itself and I wasn’t about to be caught unprepared.

Danny curled her arm around my neck and gently massaged my nape.

“Relax, I got you. We can do this together.”

The panic settled and for a moment, the rubbing soothed me. I tipped her head up and pressed a kiss on her lips. As if my body knew this was the last time I would be kissing her, it drew her in. Fire flamed up in my gut and electricity sparked down my spine. My mind and heart screamed for her and I curled my fingers harder into her, almost possessively. I didn’t want to let her go, but I had to. This was for all our sakes and I was doing the right thing. Why it felt so wrong, I couldn’t understand. But I was unmistakably doing what had to be done. As much as I wanted to stay with her, I couldn’t. Staying would mean tainting her and all of my friends with the poison of the Butcher and bringing his vileness into their lives. I couldn’t let him touch them, not even by association.

Abruptly, I released the spell we both seemed to be under and broke contact. Even the small gap I created, was enough to strike my heart with pain. My whole body screamed for her, for me to pull her back in and from the glint in her eyes, she was wondering the same thing. Hoping I would.

I didn’t.

The moonlight reflected in the single tear drawing a river of sadness on her face and I hardened my breaking heart. I needed to leave now, before my resolve disintegrated. Tenderly, I brushed the silver drop away and basked in the warmth of her skin. Just one more moment.

I breathed in her scent, hoping to never forget it. Knowing I wouldn’t . She was my home and I was about to leave for a journey I wasn’t sure I would ever return from. And I had to be prepared for that.

Her dark eyes bore into mine and for a brief passing of time, we returned to the people we used to be. Danny and JP, young and foolish, without any idea of the hardships we would have to face some day. Two souls, entwined by a destiny I never thought was meant for me.

But we were no longer those people. I had to leave. Her. Them. Home.

With a voice clearer than it had been in months, I breathed out two words that turned my heart to stone and my soul to dust.

“Goodbye, Danny.”

I pulled my hand back, breaking the last connection between us two.

“JP, don’t go.” Her voice trembled as she called for me in a last effort. For a moment, I wavered. Maybe...

No.

I turned around and without a second glance, I left my woman standing at the bank of the river. Her voice echoed over the water as she called out my name, begging for me to return.

I pulled my hood over my ears and tuned out any sound that would tempt me to return to Danny.

“JP!”

My name danced through the night with a desperation that shattered my heart all over again. And yet, I didn’t return. I had a mission to fulfil.

And so, I left Danny.