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
“How long has he been like this?” I asked, carefully moving aside the blankets to get a better look at him.“About a month now. The fever won’t go away. He hasn’t eaten in a week now.”My chest ached for the poor little boy. He looked frail and thin as I moved aside the blankets, and he cried out at
Kade’s POVWhen the child wrapped her tiny fist around Kade’s finger and held his gaze as if silently daring him to take her out into the wilds, Kade knew he had just lost.Dammit.This baby was the one thing that Samantha had left behind for him. If Samantha was dead—well and truly dead, and all of
Alistair’s face puckered. “Well, she’s still the child of a slave—hardly fit to be an heir to Crescent Hollow. Perhaps the grandparents can take her in, if Kade refuses to take her to the wilds.”Margaret’s eyes lit up. “Yes, I—”“Absolutely not,” Jack cut her off. “We have no room for a baby, and M
Tyler’s POV“HELP!”The mental voice took Tyler by surprise. That voice… It was Samantha’s.Somehow, she had mindlinked him.Tyler didn’t hesitate. He shoved his way through the crowd and ran out of the ballroom. His footsteps were still unsteady from the lingering effects of the alcohol, but he did







