로그인Kade 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
Tyler took another step. Small, careful. He was close now, close enough. I saw his weight shift forward onto the balls of his feet, his whole body coiling, ready to spring.Serena saw it too.It happened too fast. Tyler lunged. Serena’s arm moved. Lana made a sound that I will never be able to forge
Elena’s POVThe whole room went still.Lana stood in the center of the shack with her chin lifted and her eyes wide, and Serena stood behind her with one arm hooked around her collarbone and the other pressing a knife flat against her throat.My knife.Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. The only sound was
Kade looked up at me. I shook my head, not sure what to say other than, “We’ll figure it out when we get home.”Tyler looked around. “Lana isn’t here?” he asked.I whirled toward him. “What do you mean? I thought she was with you.”Tyler just shook his head slowly.I cursed under my breath.“We’ll f
Elena’s POVMy head pounded even worse than before when I finally woke again. It wasn’t just the back of my skull that ached with a dull throb, but now also my chin felt like I’d taken a boot to the underside of it.Which I had.I tasted copper in my mouth, and when I pushed my tongue against my low
Serena’s POVThe nerve of that woman!Serena was so furious she saw red as she stormed out of the house. The morning grass was cool and wet with dew, dampening the hem of her skirt, but she hardly noticed. She needed to get out.She needed to think.Serena had spent so many years planning for her fu
Elena’s POVMy heart lurched painfully at the healer’s words.“Illness?” I whispered.Ivy was ill? My daughter was sick? With what?Kade didn’t seem to hear me speak, and if he did, he ignored me outright. Lips pressed into a thin line, he quickly followed the healer into the hallway, leaving me mom
Elena’s POV“Wake up!”The sound of voices and a baby crying jolted me out of my stupor. The pounding in my head was incredible. I felt like I’d taken six shots of vodka before I passed out and eaten a mouthful of dirt from the cellar floor in my sleep. The last thing I recalled was… What happened?
Kade’s POVAt first, Kade had been terrified and furious. Someone had tried to hurt his child—and that someone had been the very woman who was supposed to be gone by now! But seeing Elena’s face, so hopeful, so terrified, streaked with dirt and tears… It made something crack inside of Kade’s chest b







