Page 53 of Witch's Promise

Her words hit Sean like a physical blow, dredging up all the guilt and self-loathing he'd been carrying for years. "Can't I?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "After everything I've done, Kate... Maybe this is what I deserve. To be alone."

Katelyn's eyes flashed with a mixture of sympathy and frustration. "For fuck's sake, Sean. You were a kid when all thatshit went down. A kid who'd been manipulated and abused by his own father. Yes, you made mistakes. Yes, people got hurt. But you've spent the last twenty years trying to make amends. At some point, you have to forgive yourself."

Sean wanted to argue, to list all the reasons why he didn't deserve forgiveness. But the conviction in Katelyn's voice made him pause.

"I don't know how," he admitted, the words feeling like they were being dragged from some deep, hidden part of him. "I don't know how to let go of all this guilt, Kate. It's been a part of me for so long, I'm not sure who I'd be without it."

Katelyn's expression softened. "You'd be Sean. Just Sean. Not the assassin, not the prodigal son, not the guilty survivor. Just a man trying to do better, to be better. And that's more than enough."

The simplicity of her words made Sean's throat tighten with emotion. He blinked hard, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall.

"Call him, Sean," Katelyn urged gently. "Ask to meet up. Even if nothing comes of it romantically, you both deserve some closure."

Sean nodded, the idea simultaneously terrifying and exhilarating. "And what about my dad? Riley? This whole mess with the Wisteria girl?"

"Let me handle your father," Katelyn said, her tone brooking no argument. "I'll keep digging, see what I can find out about Riley's whereabouts and activities. You focus on Gabe and helping his team find Jessy. Deal?"

"Deal," Sean agreed, feeling like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. It wasn't a solution to all his problems, not by a long shot. But for the first time in a long time, he felt like he had a path forward.

As he stood to leave, Katelyn's voice stopped him. "Hey, Sean?"

He turned, raising an eyebrow in question.

Katelyn's smile was soft, tinged with a sisterly affection that made Sean's chest ache. "I'm proud of you, you know. For facing your dad, for trying to help Gabe. You're a good man, Sean. It's about time you started believing it."

The words hit Sean like a sucker punch to the gut, bringing a fresh wave of emotion he wasn't prepared for. He managed a jerky nod, not trusting himself to speak.

As he walked out to his bike, Sean's mind whirled with possibilities and fears. The thought of calling Gabe, of putting himself out there again, made his palms sweat and his heart race. But underneath the anxiety, there was something else. A tiny spark of hope, fragile but persistent.

Maybe Katelyn was right. Maybe it was time to stop running from his past and start facing it head-on. Maybe, just maybe, he could find a way to forgive himself and build something new from the ashes of what he'd lost.

Chapter 16

Sean

The fight tonight had been a joke, barely worth the effort of lacing up his boots. Some fledgling vampire with more bravado than brains, thinking he could take on the undefeated champion of Salem's underground fight scene. Sean had put him down in under three minutes, not even breaking a sweat.

But even as his body sang with the lingering high of adrenaline, Sean felt hollow. Empty. This wasn't who he was supposed to be, not anymore. He'd promised Katelyn he'd try to do better, to be better. And yet here he was, right back in the thick of it, letting the Elder manipulate him into one more fight, one more night of violence.

The door creaked open, interrupting Sean's brooding. The Elder's wizened face appeared, a triumphant grin stretching his wrinkled features. "Excellent work tonight, my boy! You showed that upstart exactly why you're the champion."

Sean grunted, not bothering to turn around. "It wasn't much of a fight. Kid didn't know his ass from his elbow."

The Elder chuckled, the sound grating on Sean's already frayed nerves. "Perhaps not, but the crowd loved it. They always do when you're in the ring. Speaking of which, I've gotyou scheduled for another bout the day after tomorrow. Some werewolf from up north, thinks he's hot shit. Should be a real crowd-pleaser."

Something inside Sean snapped. He spun to face the Elder, his voice low and dangerous. "No."

The Elder blinked, confusion replacing his self-satisfied smirk. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I said no," Sean repeated, each word dropping like a stone. "I'm done. No more fights."

For a moment, the Elder just stared at him, as if waiting for the punchline to some joke only he could hear. When Sean's expression remained deadly serious, the old man's face darkened.

"You can't be serious," he sputtered, anger coloring his tone. "You're at the top of your game, Sean! The undefeated champion! You can't just walk away now!"

Sean felt a grim satisfaction at the panic in the Elder's voice. "Watch me."

He turned back to his locker, methodically packing his gear. The Elder's voice rose, taking on a shrill edge that set Sean's teeth on edge.

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