Masuk“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“Would you just eat your vegetables? They’re going cold!”“No!” Ivy folded her arms across her chest and pouted, turning her nose up at the bright green broccoli on her plate. “I’m not eating those. They’re poisoned!”Serena’s fingers tightened dangerously around her fork. She whipped her
Elena’s POVThe moment my father hung up the phone, I turned to him and held up the list.“Is Kade coming tonight?”My father glanced at the list, where Crescent Hollow was written in his familiar handwriting. To my relief, he shook his head. “He never RSVP’d.”“But you invited him,” I pointed out.
Elena’s POVThe following day was chilly, the autumn breeze nipping at my exposed skin as I made my way through the winding streets of Nightshade village, but the sky was blue and bright. Lana and I walked side by side, shoulders bumping against one another as we walked.“So,” Lana said, nudging me
Elena’s POVI entered the banquet hall just as the party began.The grand hall had been completely transformed since the last time I’d seen it; long tables, lined with a decadent array of food and drinks, ringed the edges of the room. The rafters were festooned with elegant draperies and dangling st







