Chapter 47

Kaelen

Maren trembled against me, her mother’s confession still hanging in the air like smoke after a fire. Siren. The word curled in my mind, slippery and dangerous. My grip on her waist tightened, grounding us both.

But behind my calm exterior, the questions burned hotter than any blaze I’d ever walked into.

I looked at her mother—this woman who had raised Maren, smiled at her, cooked her meals,