na

usea. I left early, claiming exhaustion, and not a

kson hadn't slept here in weeks, claiming he

ents of fresh pine and rain. But no

, unable to draw a clean breath withi

s crisp shirts, his ceremonial ties, the worn leather jacket he w

photo frame and a small velvet box containing a silv

we can handle sterling jewelry if we don't hold it too long. It is

dant. It felt cold,

were still glowing like dying eyes. Without

didn't melt completely; instead, it warped, the ini

you doin

Jackson stood

ut what hit me first wasn't his dish

e was a cloying, suffocating miasma. Si

a's pe

my tongue like grease. My

I said, my

ing dismissively to the pile of clothes.

ord tasting like ash. "Is

r to the bedside table and placed a slee

practiced, hollow concern. "Top-tier supplements. Imp

e studied the wall, the f

terly. "You mean the damag

. I need you healthy. A sick

st the box, and the la

nd. But right next to it, scratched crudely into the gold se

f Candida's

He snatched his hand back, sh

Elena. That's a

st an order; it is a physical force, a crushing gravity. It pressed down on my should

d, a howl cut through

border!" a warrior sh

isibly relieved.

idn't kiss me goodbye. He didn't tell me to stay s

y doorway, the silen

shed to the ensuite bathroom and emptied my s

mbling. This wasn't just stress.

box of supplements he had left. Maybe he was right

tucked underneath the velvet lining was a folded piec

fold

m the Pack Hospital. But it

nt: E

rmone leve

regnancy, ap

nning. The room seeme

fingers shaking so hard

womb was shredded by the silver

it was. A

omach. A baby. Jacks

told him... if he knew... surely this would change everything? He

ifted from the spot where Jackson had stood

x. He must have seen the

was hidden un

als again. I uncor

vitamins. It smelled

ushed W

old and absolute, freezi

report hidden at the bottom-the Healer must have stuffed it there for hi

he vi

elp me recover. He wa

x into the flames. I watched the glass shatter and th

t into my bra, pressing it

ntil I knew if he wanted a child