by Sarra Cannon
“We did it together,” he said, his eyes meeting mine. “Now, if you don’t mind, I think I’m probably going to pass out.”
He wobbled on his feet, but I let him lean against me.
“I need to get him back to the farm house,” I said.
My aunt Laura came around to his other side and helped me walk him toward my car and slide him into the passenger seat.
Slade rested his head against the back of the seat as I closed the door and went around to the other side to drive him back.
He kept his eyes closed for most of the way back to Gran’s house, and he winced each time I hit a bump in the road. For a while, I thought maybe he’d already passed out, but as we approached the house, he briefly opened his eyes and reached for my hand.
“Anna, I lo—”
He winced again and clutched his side.
He had lost a lot of blood, and it would take him some time to recover, but I knew in my heart that he was going to be okay.
We both were.
I reached over and touched his cheek.
“I love you, too,” I whispered.
Slade’s eyes fluttered open in surprise, and as I pulled into the driveway of the home that would someday be ours, he smiled.
Epilogue
Anna
Six Months Later
Slade and I stood under the branches of the willow tree as a cool breeze blew up from the ocean.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“Ready or not,” I said, nervous butterflies dancing in my stomach. “I can’t believe tomorrow’s really the big day. I don’t know whether to be excited or scared to death.”
Slade smiled at me, the look of adoration and love in his eyes making my own smile brighter as he reached for my hand.
I had never loved someone so completely, and I had never been so happy.
“Excited,” he said. “Always.”
And he was right.
Life could be full of difficult times, but one thing I learned growing up without a mother was that joy is a choice.
I realized very young that I could choose to mourn her loss at every moment and ignore the love that surrounded me, or I could choose to look for the reasons to smile.
I decided that my mother, wherever she was, would have wanted me to smile.
She would have wanted me to live with joy.
To have adventures.
To take risks.
I glanced over at the pink awning that now covered the entrance to my new restaurant, Anna’s Table, and giggled. I couldn’t believe it was finally happening.
My place would serve all farm-fresh produce and recipes from home. Gran and I had been working on the menu for ages, and I’d even finally convinced her to let me in on the secrets of her mother’s spaghetti sauce.
Slade was following his own dreams, too.
He’d never really had a chance to just explore his own goals or interests, but as soon as he’d recovered from the worst of his injuries, he’d started writing about his experiences. It was all part of the healing process for him, just to finally speak his truth and express himself fully.
He said he wasn't sure if he wanted to become a writer as a career or if he was just using it as a way to explore his true feelings, but it didn’t matter. Sometimes life was just about the journey, and that was okay, too.
Besides, he still had a lot to work through.
The Disciples of Light had disbanded when Elisha died. Many of the women went home to their families, while others took their children to new towns where they could start fresh.
Slade’s sisters had all stayed together, their mothers choosing to rent a house just a few hours’ drive from Willow Harbor so that we could visit often.
His father, who it turned out had betrayed many people’s secrets in hopes of gaining favor with Elisha, had disappeared during the fight here in Willow Harbor. Someone had reported seeing him drive away just after Elisha was killed.
None of us knew where he’d gone, but Slade was sure we would never see him again.
Fate would surely catch up with him eventually, though. It always did.
We found peace in that, let go of the pain as best we could, and turned toward happiness, instead.
Toward our future.
Slade leaned over to kiss me.
“I’m so proud of you,” he said. “I hope you know how much I love you, Anna Tillman.”
“I love you, too,” I said, my heart filled with joy and gratitude for all we’d overcome.
I gasped and put my hand in my pocket.
“What?” Slade asked.
“I almost forgot,” I said, pulling the shell from my pocket and offering it to him. “I found this on the beach this morning. It’s your shell.”
Slade’s eyes widened as he turned the shell over in his hands, studying it intensely.
“It can’t possibly be the same one,” he said. “I threw that into the ocean six months ago.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you,” I said. “That’s your shell. I knew from the moment I saw it that it was meant for you, and what’s truly meant for you will always find its way home where it belongs.”
I smiled and glanced up at the beautiful willow as the wind whipped through its mighty branches.
My mother had originally named me after this tree, and I liked to believe that deep down, she’d known from the moment I was born that I would someday end up back here.
After all, Willow Harbor was home, and it always would be.
Extend Your Stay In Willow Harbor…
WHICH BOOK WILL YOU CHOOSE NEXT? READ THE ENTIRE SERIES!
Shifter’s Fate by Alyssa Rose Ivy
Sometimes fate can't be ignored...
* * *
Vampire’s Descent by Jennifer Snyder
Sometimes the past comes back with a vengeance…
* * *
Hunter’s Revenge by Juliana Haygert
Sometimes all you want is revenge ...
* * *
Triton’s Curse by Sarra Cannon
Sometimes freedom comes at a cost…
* * *
Siren’s Song by Juliana Haygert
Sometimes dreams come true…
* * *
Warlock’s Embrace by Alyssa Rose Ivy
Sometimes what you need the most has been there all along…
* * *
Witch’s Mark by Sarra Cannon
Sometimes destiny gives us a choice…
Please click this link and leave a review on Witch’s Mark! It really helps a lot! Thank you for reading!
* * *
The final book in the Willow Harbor series, Raven’s Sight, is coming in October from Jennifer Snyder.
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About the Author
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Sarra Cannon is the author of several series featuring young adult and college-aged characters, including the bestselling Shadow Demons Saga. Her novels often stem from her own experiences growing up in the small town of Hawkinsville, Georgia, where she learned that being popular always comes at a price and relationships are rarely as simple as they seem.
Sarra recently celebrated six years in indie publishing and has sold over half a million copies of her books. She currently lives in South Carolina with her programmer husband and adorable redheaded son.
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Also by Sarra Cannon
Books marked with an * are currently free
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The Shadow Demons Saga
Free Box Set of Books 1-3*
Beautiful Demons*
Inner Demons*
Bitter Demons*
Shadow Demons
Rival Demons
Demons Forever
Emerald Darkness
Forgotten Darkness
Beyond The Darkness
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After Midnight
A Demon’s Wrath (Jackson’s Story)
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[Shadow Demons Saga Reading Order]
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Sacrifice Me Series (A Shadow Demons Spin-Off)
Season One Box Set (Episodes 1-6)
Season Two, Episodes 1-3
Season Two, Episodes 4-6
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The Spiritwalkers
Deep Dark Secrets
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Eternal Sorrows
Death’s Awakening
Sorrow’s Gift
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The Fairhope Series (now complete!)
Free Box Set of Books 1-3
The Trouble With Goodbye*
The Moment We Began
A Season For Hope
The Fear of Letting Go
A Life With No Regrets
The Trouble With I Do