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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

I drag a hand across my brow. The dried blood turns pink in the water. “I’m…” I cannot bring myself to say I’m fine.

The bag clatters to the tiles, and Nia grabs a cloth from the sink, kneeling beside me to dip it into the water. Carefully, she smooths the soft terrycloth down my cheeks. Her brow furrows as she traces one of the scars on my neck. “Something bit you.”

So much for not crying. “Ever.” There’s no sense trying to hide the truth when it’s been painted in silver crescent moons upon my skin. My soul.

Nia’s hand finds mine beneath the water. “What happened?”

I shake my head, cursing these damn tears that refuse to stop falling. “His people abandoned him. He’s all alone in that forest and those wolves are…they’re monsters, Nia. I would’ve died if he hadn’t saved me.”

She braces her hands on my shoulders, giving me a little shake. “But you didn’t die. And neither will he. We’ll figure this out.”

What’s there to figure out? I cannot survive across The Divide and Ever refuses to live here. This situation is as hopeless as it always was; I just didn’t want to believe it.

Her mouth flattens as she shakes her head. “Stand up. You’re shaking like a leaf.” She grabs the towel from next to my dress and holds it open the way my mother used to.

Gripping the sides of the tub, I slide my feet beneath me before standing.

“Heavens, Kerris. They’re everywhere.”

It takes me a moment to realize she means the scars. They cover my arms, my breasts, my stomach, and even my thighs.

“Your man was quite thorough, wasn’t he?” Clearing her throat, she envelopes me in the towel and tucks the end beneath my arm. “I’m not sure the dress I brought will cover them. I wonder if Trevor will mind you borrowing a shirt?”

“He told me to help myself to whatever I need.”

She bustles around the room, drawing the plug from the bath and spreading out the cloth on the edge to dry. “He’s a good man.”

“He is. But I can’t marry him.” Perhaps before, I might have been content with a safe match, but now that I’ve tasted true passion, the kind of connection you find only once in a lifetime, I will settle for nothing less.

Her shoulders fall with her sigh. “Your life would be so much easier if you did.”

* * *

Nia leaves me to finish drying, returning with a soft white linen shirt to wear as a sort of jacket over my dress. She scoops up all the soiled garments along with my abandoned towel and drops them into the wash basket.