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Back For Ever Save as PDF
Chapters (63)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Map of the Willowhaven
  4. Map of Rosehill City
  5. Foreword
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. Epilogue
  62. Map of Rosehill City
  63. Also by Jenny Hickman

In this world, I am entirely out of my depth.

I am no good to him.

He needs someone stronger—deserves someone who can defend herself. A partner, not another burden.

I take my slippers with trembling hands and slip them onto my feet.

Ever swipes the dagger from the bloody grass, clenching the bone handle in his fist once more, his jaw set as he scans the forest. If it’s not safe here for me, then he shouldn’t be here either, especially not without access to the well.

“Come with me.”

Dark eyes lock with mine.

“You have no one else.” I swipe my fist beneath my watery eyes. “We will find a way to make it work. Just don’t push me away. Please, Ever. Please.”

My heart clatters against my ribs as he takes my hand in his and leads me out of the forest, past the Unseelie village, all the way to the bridge where Maddox and Gryffin sit by a fire, chatting quietly. When they see us, they lurch to their feet.

“What the hell happened?” Maddox asks me, not sparing Ever so much as a glance.

Ever clears his throat. “Wolf.”

Maddox’s dark gaze darts to Ever, but all my love does is stare straight ahead into the empty gray.

“You never should have brought her here,” Ever grits out. “Take her home.”

Maddox’s gaze returns me, his jaw popping as his teeth grind together.

I cling more tightly to Ever’s hand. “No. You’re coming with me. Please. Please.”

He pries open my fingers, removing himself from my grasp, his sorrowful gaze falling over my face. “I am sorry I failed you. It will not happen again.”

“Ever, please… Don’t do this.”

He presses his lips to my forehead, then turns and drifts away.

45

“Your knees will buckle under the weight of a broken heart.”

Kerris Dawn, An Observation

Maddox comes to a sudden halt before we reach the end of the bridge. “Shit.”

I peer around him to see what caused the holdup. There, in the distance, stand two guards. Their backs are to us so they don’t know we’re here yet, but there’s no telling what they’ll say or do if they see Maddox.

He must be thinking the same thing because when he turns, he wears a wince.

“I can go on my own,” I tell him. It’s really not that far. Besides, it will be easier to traverse Rosehill unnoticed without a giant Unseelie escort.

Although he shakes his head, relief flickers across his face. “Ever asked me to take you home.”

“I’ll not let you get into trouble for my choices.” Heaven only knows what his fate might be if those guards find out—or his chieftain.