Romance

  Celena&#39;s Perspective
  The beech and spruce trees flashing past the car window grew more and more familiar. So did the unique scent in the air—pine needles, damp earth. We were almost home.
  Jacob drove with focused intensity, though the dappled afternoon light softened the hard lines of his profile. His hands were steady on the wheel, but his eyes would flick to me every so often, checking. That look held worry, care, and a bone-deep, relieved exhaustion. He thought the worst was over. We had our answer, we’d escaped, and we were on our way home. Now came the long, slow work of healing. Wrapping the wound in time and the fabric of a familiar life.
  He’d done enough. More than enough. So much it made my heart ache.
  I couldn&#39;t… I couldn&#39;t keep going on like this.
  But I’d decided. One last effort. For Brett.
  No, I hadn’t really wanted a new dress. That was just an exc

  Celena&#39;s Perspective
  The velvet curtain fell closed behind me, sealing off Jacob and the dusty world outside. Inside was another space—larger than I’d imagined, and far more… private. The light was a soft, warm gold from several wall sconces and a floor lamp with intricate brass filigree. The air held a clean, crisp scent of herbs and woodsmoke, like cedar blended with a faintly bitter floral note I couldn’t name.
  Tall, antique clothing racks stood arranged throughout the room, each holding only a few garments, all meticulously shrouded in breathable dust covers. Mannequins stood in corners, draped with exquisite, unfinished pieces. A massive floor-length mirror with a frame carved in vines and flowers stood against one wall, its surface preternaturally clear. Against another wall was a heavy cherrywood worktable strewn with pincushions, spools of thread, measuring tapes, and s

  Jacob&#39;s Perspective
  The low, steady rumble of the engine was the only comforting thing left in the world. My knuckles were white on the steering wheel, my eyes fixed on the grey interstate stretching ahead. In the rearview mirror, the ruins shrank rapidly, finally vanishing behind the rolling horizon.
  It was over.
  For us, at least. The monster in Brett&#39;s skin, its bloody accounts with the witches, the Hunters, and every other scavenger drawn to the stink… they could sort it out themselves. I didn&#39;t give a damn anymore. We had our answer—the cold, brutal truth. That was enough. Digging any deeper wouldn&#39;t bring anything back except maybe getting Celena or both of us killed.
  Now, it was time to go home. My and Celena&#39;s home. A place with a door we could lock, shutting out the whole fucked-up world for a while.
  The blue line on the GPS crept steadily forward,

Celena&#39;s Perspective
  The beech and spruce trees flashing past the car window grew more and more familiar. So did the unique scent in the air—pine needles, damp earth. We were almost home.
  Jacob drove with focused intensity, though the dappled afternoon light softened the hard lines of his profile. His hands were steady on the wheel, but his eyes would flick to me every so often, checking. That look held worry, care, and a bone-deep, relieved exhaustion. He thought the worst was over. We had our answer, we’d escaped, and we were on our way home. Now came the long, slow work of healing. Wrapping the wound in time and the fabric of a familiar life.
  He’d done enough. More than enough. So much it made my heart ache.
  I couldn&#39;t… I couldn&#39;t keep going on like this.
  But I’d decided. One last effort. For Brett.
  No, I hadn’t really wanted a new dress. That was just an excuse. A plausible reason to make him stop.
  “Pull over.”
  My voice came out calmer than I’d e

Chapter 242