ARDENTessa didn’t say another word after that. I wanted to ask—had Rowan known all along? What were they to each other now? But the way her fingers twisted nervously in her lap and her eyes steadfastly avoided mine told me that pressing further would only cause her to retreat into herself. It had already taken so much for her to admit it.Still, it made my chest ache. Mates weren’t supposed to be secrets. Mates weren’t supposed to hurt. I had hoped she would have a different fate than mine. In the short time I had known Tessa, I had come to realize she was a remarkably kind girl, devoid of sharp edges.We didn’t speak of it again, and I allowed the silence to linger. Tessa would open up when she was ready.By the time the third period rolled around, I was halfway through a textbook on the political dynamics between packs when the announcement buzzed through the speakers overhead.“All students, report to the assembly hall. Immediately.”Students shuffled in their seats, hastily gat
ARDENThe scent of the trees refreshed my senses as we made our way back to the campsite. I kept my eyes fixed on the towering trunks, but my thoughts drifted far from the serene scenery. What we had witnessed in that cabin would linger in my mind for a long time. Cade and I made sure to place everything back in its proper order—not a single item remained in sight, except for the necklace I had retrieved from the remains. We hoped this would ensure that no one discovered we had stumbled upon the secret hideout. “What happens now?” I asked quietly, breaking the heavy silence that enveloped us. My voice felt small and delicate in the stillness of the forest. “Do you think this has something to do with the videos?”Cade’s jaw clenched as he stared straight ahead. “It has to,” he finally replied. “Those videos exist for a reason. Winters probably sent us here to keep us out of the way, to make it seem like a favor or a break.” “But really, it was a cover-up,” I said, finishing his tho
ARDENEverything felt too good to be true. And maybe it was. Still, I wanted to hold onto it—just a little longer.When I opened my eyes, I found myself curled up against Cade’s chest, my cheek pressed to the steady rise and fall of his breathing. His arms were still wrapped around me, even in sleep. He looked so peaceful like this, his brows relaxed, lips slightly parted. He hadn’t experienced a nightmare this time. A small smile flickered across my lips as I watched him. Was it selfish to hope this moment meant something? Whoever this “Honey” girl was—the one whose name had haunted his dreams—was it too much to believe he could forget her in my presence?Something twisted in my chest. Maybe I didn’t want to know the answer.I stayed there for a while, letting my fingers lightly brush the ridge of muscle on his arm, trailing softly, lazily over his skin. It felt dangerous, allowing myself to feel this much, but I couldn’t help it.Then, slowly, his eyes fluttered open. When they fin
ARDENHis words still echoed in the small room.“You’re way too beautiful right now to resist.”I didn’t even have time to respond.My fingers bunched in his towel, holding onto him. “Cade,” I muttered against his lips, pulling back just slightly. “There are no cameras.” “It’s not for points,” he murmured between kisses, his forehead resting against mine. Something inside me cracked open, and I pressed my lips back to his like I’d been waiting all this time. My arms wrapped around his neck, his wrapped around my waist. His hands were rough, but gentle. In a stranger’s house, with a guy I was sure I couldn’t stand when we first met; now, here I was—holding onto him like he was the only warmth left in the world.I knew it didn’t make sense.I shouldn’t be doing this.But I couldn’t help it.Not when he looked at me like I mattered. Not when he’d jumped into freezing water and carried me out without hesitation. Not when he whispered “I’m here” like it was a promise he’d always keep.
ARDENThe water didn’t feel so cold anymore. I was floating on it like it weren’t the very thing I had once feared most. I didn’t even realize how far I had come until Cade let out a soft chuckle behind me. “What?” I asked, turning my head over my shoulder to look at him. “You’re doing it.” “Doing what?” “Swimming.” I paused mid-paddle; the motion felt so natural now that it didn’t even register in my senses. I had pushed through the lake without clinging to him, without hyperventilating or freezing up. The fear that had once paralyzed me was... gone. Or, maybe not entirely erased—but drowned out by something undeniably stronger. By him. I turned around, floating gently toward him. The moonlight caught the angles of his face, casting shadows across his cheekbones and highlighting the water that dripped from his jaw. “I guess I am,” I whispered. A small smile appeared on his lips. “I told you I wouldn’t let you drown.” That warm flutter returned to my chest, filling me with a
ARDENI blinked my eyes open. Pain immediately flared across my shoulder blades and thighs. My arms felt as though I had used them to wrestle the ground itself. I tasted dirt. My head throbbed, and my lips were dry. It was so, so dark.I groaned, pushing myself up from the forest floor, my body screaming in protest. I’d definitely rolled down the cliff—probably hitting every root, rock, and regret along the way. But I was alive.Thank the Goddess for my wolf genes—because without them, I probably would’ve cracked my skull open and been left for dead. I blinked again, slowly adjusting to the lack of light. Another benefit of being a shifter was my night vision. Well, sort of. It wasn’t perfect, but it still allowed me to make out faint shapes and silhouettes around me. What the hell was this place?I looked up, but the cliff edge was nowhere in sight. I must have tumbled really far. My hand instinctively moved to my ribs, wincing at the sharp jab of pain that shot through me. Yeah. D