a P
mbrace of the New York night. The wind cut straight through my thin blouse, a stark r
ing around me, a chaotic symphony of sirens, horns, and dis
They deserved better than this. They deserv
nto the search bar. Several options appeared, but one name stood out: Greenwood Gardens. It wasn't excl
notoriousl
naire, I had never been given a credit card, never had a joint account. Vance called it "keeping things simple." I
lips. This was what my gil
r. My parents' hono
chunk of my remaining balance. "Greenwood Garde
coming call. Vance. I silenced it, letting it vibrate itse
e doing? If you took those ashes out o
lack of remorse. He wa
shared history, turned to cold ash. My thumb mov
ed to the empty back se
he memorial park. The place was vast and silent, a city of
est. A kind-faced woman behind the desk confirmed my fears. The
ound," I said. "To see
sympathetic
hat looked like small palaces and angels weeping stone
ooking a small pond and sat do
acking. "I'll find a way. I promise.
ifferent kind of notificat
clined due to insufficient funds. You
hit me. I had no money. I couldn't even aff
ering breath, fighting back the panic. I could call Jena. She would come in
rgency fund from a lifetime ago. Acce
adlights cut through the gloom. A car, impossibly sleek and
olls-Royc
A sharp jawline, a straight nose, dark hair. He was just a silhouette,
at the scenery. He
of the woman in a thin blouse, shivering on a ben
made the wolf beneath my ribs lift its head and go utterly, breathlessly still.On the night air
ph
e.Every instinct I owned whispered th
and held, and I felt the pull of it in my spine,
asted only a
inaudible word to his d
llights disappearing into the darkness, leaving me alone once more. Bu
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