ANMELDEN“Grieving.”Ivy blinked. “What does that mean?”“It’s… What I did for your mom.” His throat tightened. “What I did for you for a while, too.”“That doesn’t really make sense.”“It won’t,” he said, putting his hand on her shoulder. This time, she didn’t flinch away, which came as a relief. “Not until
Kade’s POVKade, Tyler, and the others didn’t return to Nightshade for two days after they left Elena behind.Each step of the way, Kade considered turning back for her. Multiple times, he had considered marching back there and scooping her up into his arms and forcing her to return with him, even k
Eventually, the floor was as clean as it would get given the circumstances. I dumped the muddy-looking water out into the pond, then scrubbed my hands, arms, and face in the sink.Exhaustion took over me by then. I flopped onto the rickety cot without thinking twice and slept.When I woke the next m
Elena’s POVI must have sat in that spot on the porch for hours. Hell, it could have been days, and I might not have even noticed.The passage of time lost all meaning. The sun rose, turning the swamp hot and fetid with the scents of still water and rotting wood. The sun reached its zenith and the f
Kade walked up to her. He didn’t sit. He got the sense that she didn’t want that. Instead, he just let her stare at Ivy. Then down at her hands. Then at Ivy again.“It’s not your fault,” he said after a long moment.Elena didn’t answer. She just blinked, then looked back out over the swamp.Just the
Kade’s POVThe shack was quiet except for Nellie, who was making a small, whimpering sound from her chair. Kade looked at her once, then looked away.Wordlessly, Elena crossed the room and dropped to her knees beside Lana. She gathered her up, both arms pulling her close, and rocked her friend back
Kade’s POV“Why would I want to leave? My home is here now… With my mate.”That statement made Kade’s interest pique further. He was about to tell Elena that he had decided to let her go back to Nightshade—Goddess, he had even let Tyler in today in the hopes that she would just try to make a run for
But because of my stubborn principles, I refused to show him.“No.” I lifted my chin. “I don’t have to show you my body if I don’t want to.”“Then I’ll take a peek myself,” Kade growled, reaching for my shirt. Gasping, I went to slap him again as I had the last time we’d seen each other, but he caug
Elena’s POV“Dinner?” I blurted out.Kade paused. “Yes. Dinner.”I hadn’t been expecting that, but it felt like an opportunity to get some answers—so although the thought of sharing a meal with Kade made me want to gag, I accepted the invitation. Not that it seemed I had much of a choice, anyway. I
Elena’s POVI walked around the corner and saw a familiar face—an Omega who I used to see around the pack. She was fair-haired and petite, with a mousey, timid look about her. Nellie.We rarely talked before—I didn’t talk to anyone, really—but I remembered her because of the way the others treated h







