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Cade got the call late that night. Mara and the baby had been taken.

He drove to the coastal cliff with no plan, in the rain.

The kidnapper had them both at the edge. One step back meant a drop onto the rocks.

Cade arrived with Vivienne and a group of Pack guards. He called out.

"Who are you? What do you want? Let them go — take anything else."

The man laughed.

"Let them go? Cade Thorne, I'm giving you one choice. The baby, or your mate. Pick one."

He dangled the infant over the cliff edge.

Cade went white.

Vivienne grabbed his arm, crying. "That's our baby. That's Pack blood. You have to save him — you haven't even given him a name—"

Cade looked at Mara. She was barely standing, right at the edge.

"But Mara—"

"That's her fault! She brought them here. She must have planned this. She's trying to kill our son."

Cade looked back at Mara. Something flickered in his eyes — suspicion.

Mara laughed.

"Planned it? You let them kill my son, Cade. Isn't that what this is? Payback?"

He hadn't understood what she meant yet. She could see it on his face.

"You can't decide? Fine. I'll decide for you." Her voice cracked open. "Blood for blood."

She threw herself at the kidnapper's arms. She reached for the baby.

Vivienne screamed. Cade's hand moved to his gun without thinking.

The barrel pointed at Mara.

"Don't move, Mara. Don't you dare wreck what's left—"

"What's left?" She laughed — and the sound was full of grief. "You wrecked it. You wrecked all of it."

His hand hesitated.

And in that second, she looked down and said quietly, "Don't be scared, Ren. I'm coming."

Then she threw the bundle over the edge.

Cade's finger pulled.

The bullet went through Mara's chest. The impact carried her back and over.

She fell.