Shadows
Nightshade
I watch from the edge of the trees, Cade’s cabin looming ahead, surrounded by the quiet woods like a protective barrier. Aviana is safe back in her cabin, but my pulse still races. I never meant to chase her into a patch of foxgloves. I can still see her face—pale, her body limp in my arms. I can’t allow myself to think about what might have happened if I hadn’t been there when it all went down.
My focus shifts back to Cade, the man I’ve been casually watching for days. The memory of that moment still catches me off guard. He’d talked to her, acting all friendly, before casually mentioning he’d changed her schedule. She didn’t seem to notice he wasn’t really asking at first, but I did—and it sent a jolt through me. That was the moment I realized he was playing a game, one he thought he could win. I had to destroy him. I need to destroy him.
He’s sitting at the table, the dim light in the cabin catching the edge of the file he’s reading. Aviana’s file. I saw him take it from his office.
A knot of anger tightens in my stomach. I hate him. I hate the way he’s trying to gain her trust—the trust that only I deserve. He doesn’t know what she’s been through, what I’ve seen her go through. He has no right to her. He thinks that just because he’s some therapist, some authority figure, he can waltz in and claim what’s mine. No. This is my place in her life. Not his.
I lean against the rough bark of the tree, forcing myself to breathe evenly, though every fiber of my being screams to storm inside that cabin, rip the file from his hands, and make him pay for trying to worm his way into something he doesn’t belong in.
Time stretches as I watch him. Eventually, he stands and moves across the room. I follow his every step, every muscle in my body taut, my senses heightened with the need to protect what’s mine.
Cade moves into the small bedroom. He changes clothes, rubs his face, and lies down. I wonder what’s going on in that twisted head of his. Does he feel guilty for crossing the line as a therapist? Does he even realize it’s not just her safety I’m guarding? It’s everything. She’s mine.
His breathing slows. Tension melts from his shoulders as he succumbs to sleep. I stay hidden in the shadows, waiting. I have all the time in the world.
Minutes later, his breath comes in uneven gasps—barely audible at first, a sign that he’s drifting into a nightmare. The kind that’s sharp with fear, the kind that knows no rest. I wait, knowing what’s coming.
“Detective…” Cade mutters in his sleep, his voice strained. “No, you must be mistaken…”
I freeze. Detective? The word echoes in my mind. What the hell is he dreaming about? What kind of detective is he talking about? And what mistake is he referring to?
I lean closer to the window, trying to get a glimpse of his face. His brow furrows, fists clenching at his sides. I can’t look away. What’s his secret? What is he hiding from her? From me?
Another low murmur escapes his lips.
Suddenly, the sharp ring of a phone cuts through the tension. Cade jerks awake with a gasp, chest heaving as he grabs the phone beside his bed. He mutters something incoherent into the receiver before sitting up, rubbing his face as if trying to shake off the remnants of his nightmare.
“Aviana…” he murmurs, the name falling from his lips like a warning.
I don’t think. I don’t hesitate. I move on instinct. My body is already in motion, heading toward Aviana’s cabin. I have to get there. I can’t let him beat me to her.
But staying hidden in the shadows, I’m too late. I hear the distant sound of his footsteps, the rush of air as he passes me in the woods. I stop, concealed in the darkness, watching as he reaches her cabin.
I can’t let him know I’m here. I can’t reveal myself—not yet. So I wait.
Aviana’s cabin is silent, the air thick with tension. I see the flicker of light from her window, the faint shadow of her silhouette moving inside. I know she’s awake. I can feel it. I feel her fear, the same way I feel every breath she takes.
And I hate that Cade is there with her.
I watch from the shadows, barely breathing, as he knocks softly on the door. The sight of him standing there, poised to enter her space, sends a surge of anger through me.
But I stay silent. I stay hidden.
She’s mine. No one will take her from me. Not Cade. Not anyone.
And when the time is right, I’ll make sure he understands that.