Romance

  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

  Lily&#39;s Perspective
  The tension visibly drained from Ethan&#39;s shoulders, and from my brother Keith’s, whose usual “the sky can fall, someone taller will catch it” demeanor masks the fact he worries more than anyone. Even the stubborn stress pimples on Keith’s jaw had receded. Their patrols became less frequent, shorter, with more responsibility passed to the younger cubs to learn the borders and hone their senses. As Keith put it: “We can’t rely on our old noses forever. New blood needs to learn how to mark its own territory.”
  We all knew why. It wasn’t that the Hunters had suddenly found peace. The chaos Jacob and Celena had stumbled into was like a bleeding chunk of fresh meat, holding the rapt attention of every hyena and vulture that had caught the scent.
  It was a relief, but a heavy, damp piece of wood seemed lodged in the pit of my stomach.
  Sometimes, in the dead qu

  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 several thick, open notebooks filled with fashion sketches and watercolor illustrations.
  Jacob rem

Chapter 243