Cadence was done talking and listening. Done giving her mom chances too.She went to her room and rummaged through her closet. She dug out her overnight bag and an armful of clothes, and dumped them on the bed, two pairs of shoes and toiletries. She didn't even check to see what she was packing. She was in too much of a hurry to leave.But her mom wouldn't let her go without a fight. She begged and cried as she clung to her, grabbing anything she could get her hands on, her arm, her leg, just to hold on to her and make her stay."I'm so sorry. I didn't know what else to do!" Sonja wailed.Cadence carried on with her packing spree, paying her no mind, pausing briefly when her phone chimed on her desk. She snatched it up, relief flooding her as she read Rachel's text. Her bestie was cool, with her staying over for a few days."Cade, I didn't lie." Sonja tried yet again to plead her case, the rims of her eyes red and moist from her tears."You didn't tell the truth either. You made me th

"There you are. I thought you were skipping school again," Emme beamed at Cadence when she walked into class the next morning. And it didn't take her long to figure out why her dance instructor was as excited as a teenager high on space cookies.Three serious-looking suits—two males and one female—sat in the front of the class, appraising one of her classmates while she went through her modern dance choreography. They looked a little unnerving with their cynical smiles as they typed something on the iPads glued in front of them on the long steel table. From their expensive, stylish clothes, Cadence figured they weren't from Shadowbrooke. No one dressed to the nines around here. Not unless there was a funeral, a wedding or a job interview.Emme confirmed her suspicions about the strangers. "They are from the Bridgetown Dance Company, and they are looking for the next big thing. Cade, you have what it takes! You must impress the one in the middle—his name is Fernando, or Fern as he like

The whole time she ran to Pirates Cove, Cadence kept hoping Luca was there and she wasn't going crazy. She almost broke down and cried from sheer relief when she saw him, waiting, his dark clothes making him one with the night."You came." He sounded gentle, relieved almost. The menace she'd heard in his voice earlier was gone."You didn't give me much choice," Cadence retorted.Luca didn't say anything for some time, and an unsettling silence wove its way between them as they stood appraising the other.His eyes glowed blue in the dark, giving away nothing and making it hard for her to figure out what he was thinking."I'm thinking about how beautiful you are," Luca answered her thoughts as he slowly approached her.Cadence suddenly felt overwhelmed by his sheer presence when he stopped in front of her, but she couldn't move away."Why don't you ever listen?" he growled as he cradled her face in his big hands and kissed her eyelids. His touch, cold as it was, set her ablaze as he dip

As Cadence packed her bags and prepared to leave, her heart was as heavy as it was when she first arrived at Rachel's house. She thought some time apart from her mom would put things into perspective, but it hadn't. Instead, being away from home had left her feeling more confused and even more vulnerable.She'd hoped her mom would initiate the first contact and ask her to come home. But so far, she'd listened to her parting words and stayed away, giving her all the space and time in the world to work through her anger.Another person who'd stayed away from her was Luca. Cadence had seen him around town a few times. But apart from a courteous nod and a brief smile, he'd said nothing to her. She didn't blame him. After all, she asked him to stay away from her."Guess this is it?" Rachel asked when she walked into her bedroom and found her gazing listlessly out of the window. She'd just come back from her morning jog with Rudi."Yeah, my vacation is over," Cadence replied as she crossed

After her classes the next day, Cadence decided to head to the Delacroix manor. She ran into Ava on her way there. Their meeting wasn't a coincidence, though. If she hadn't had a lot on her mind, she would have noticed the hunter had been tracking her movements for days now.The wild, crazy look in Ava's eyes as they strolled to the bayou made Cadence a little uneasy, and her gut screamed at her to make up some excuse and ditch her. But she couldn't exactly run off without raising suspicion, so she forced herself to remain calm as she made small talk with the hunter, asking her about the rest of her gang even though she had no interest in their wellbeing.Ava happily confirmed everyone was fine, and all was well again in Shadowbrooke now that they'd destroyed the star."He won't win, Cadence. He's wasting his time. And if I were you, I'd stay away from him. You don't want to find yourself on the wrong side when we go after his clan." The whole time she nodded at her, Ava's mouth was c