Eyes In Darkness

Epilogue

"Did you mean what you said?" I asked softly.

Riddick turned his head, eyes gleaming in the low light. "I meant every word."

I moved from my seat over to his, and he caught me easily, pulling me onto his lap. The hum of the skiff filled the silence around us as the stars streaked by, the darkness no longer something to fear.

⸻

(Two years later)

The alarm clock buzzed at 6:00 a.m.

I started to move, but a strong arm around my waist pulled me back. I rolled over to see my husband lying beside me, silver eyes half-open, a lazy smirk tugging at his mouth.

I smiled and was about to wish him good morning when the thunder of small feet echoed down the corridor.

The door flew open, and Jack and Ali charged in, laughing, each carrying one of the twins—Richard and Robin.

The boys had their father's eyes and my face.

In moments they were all in the bed, a warm, wriggling pile of blankets and sleepy laughter. Within minutes, they'd fallen back asleep, safe and tangled between us.

Riddick looked over at me, the edges of his grin softening. In that deep, quiet voice that always melted my heart, he said,

"I love you... and our little pack."

I brushed my fingers over his hand. "We love you too."

Outside, through the thin glass of our window, the sky glowed faintly violet over a strange horizon—an unknown world waiting beyond our doorstep.

But after everything we'd survived together, the unknown didn't scare us anymore.

We'd already faced the dark—and won.