Page 86 of Sanctuary

I know you’ll be angry. I know you’ll think I should have stayed and fought. But some battles can’t be won by standing your ground.

I love you more than I ever thought possible. Enough to walk away to keep you safe.

Please tell Lily I’m sorry. Tell Wren and Declan that I’m grateful for the family they gave me, however briefly.

—Mia

I placed the note on my pillow, knowing Connor would find it when he came looking for me. The flight I’d booked departed in three hours—enough time to slip away unnoticed while the family prepared for the ceremony.

I shouldered my bag and moved to the window, checking the grounds one last time before turning away. The lake sparkled in the morning sun, peaceful and perfect. I memorized the view, knowing it might be the last time I saw it.

I was halfway down the back stairs when a voice stopped me in my tracks.

“Going somewhere?”

Chapter 40

Mia

Declan stood at the bottom of the stairs, arms crossed, expression unreadable staring up at me.

“I... I need to run an errand before the ceremony,” I lied, the words sounding hollow even to my own ears.

Declan’s eyes flicked to the bag on my shoulder. “Must be quite the errand.”

I swallowed hard, searching for a plausible explanation, but the words wouldn’t come. Declan had always seen through me, from the very beginning.

“They threatened you again,” he said, not a question but a statement. “And you think leaving is the answer.”

“It’s the only answer,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. “As long as I’m here, all of you are in danger.”

Declan shook his head, disappointment etched in the lines of his face. “I expected better from you, Mia.”

The words stung more than I expected. “This isn’t about courage,” I protested. “It’s about protecting the people I love.”

“Is it?” he challenged, stepping closer. “Or is it about protecting yourself from the possibility of losing them?”

I stared at him, caught off guard by the accusation. “What are you talking about?”

“You’ve spent your entire life alone, convinced that attachments are weaknesses to be exploited,” Declan said quietly. “Now that you finally have something to lose, your first instinct is to run before it can be taken from you.”

His words cut through my defenses with surgical precision. I gripped the stair railing, suddenly unsteady.

“You don’t understand,” I said. “These people won’t stop. They’ll use anyone I care about to get to me.”

“You think we don’t know that?” his voice softened slightly. “You think Connor doesn’t understand the risks? Or Rory? Or me?” He gestured toward his chest, where the bookcase had cracked his ribs. “We’ve all paid prices for this family, Mia. The difference is, we choose to pay them together.”

I sank onto the step, my resolve crumbling. “I can’t be responsible for more pain. For more scars.”

“Then don’t be,” Declan said simply, climbing the stairs to sit beside me. “Be responsible for standing your ground. For fighting beside the people who love you instead of for them from a distance.”

We sat in silence for a moment, the weight of his words settling between us.

“What if I’m not strong enough?” I whispered, voicing my deepest fear.

“Then you lean on us,” he replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “That’s what family means, Mia. Not just protecting each other but supporting each other. Filling in the gaps when someone falters.”

I looked at him, this man who had every reason to hate me—who, if it hadn’t been for my sister, I would have killed—yet chose instead to offer wisdom and compassion.

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