LOGIN“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
“But he told me to take Ivy away for the weekend.”“I don’t care what he said,” Jack cut her off with a sneer. “We’ve worked too hard and too long to let him slip through your fingers now. Leave the kid here, and go back there right now. Show him that you won’t be pushed around anymore. Don’t let th
Elena’s POV“It was you, wasn’t it?”I stopped running and turned to face Beth fully. The strange circumstances surrounding the fire, the sneer on her face, all of it—Natasha had to have put Beth up to it. She was becoming Natasha’s newest little minion, after all.Beth paused, still jogging in plac
“Yes?” I asked coldly.“I want to talk to you.” She glanced at Tyler. “Alone.”Tyler bristled. “Whatever you have to say to her, you can say in front of me.”Serena simply folded her arms, waiting. I sighed and turned to Tyler. “Get in the car,” I said. “I’ll just be a minute.”My brother hesitated,
“Fine,” I said, extending my hand. “Sounds fair to me.”Beth grinned and shook my hand. As we shook, I noticed something peeking out from under her sleeve—something red and irritated, like a cat scratch.“Get a new kitten recently?” I asked.“What?”I gestured to the mark. Beth suddenly yanked her h







