Genesis stirred in her sleep, lashes fluttering. She stretched lazily, eyes still closed, and reached her hand to the other side of the bed—empty... and cold. Her eyes snapped open.

The room was dark.

She shot upright.

Where am I? Panic gripped her chest like a vise.

Where’s Kieran?

Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. This wasn’t their bedroom. She didn’t recognize the walls, the smell, or the eerie silence. Her body trembled as she climbed off the bed, the floorboards icy beneath her bare feet. She walked around slowly, shivering, and reached out again—no bedside table, no familiar lamp.

Her heart pounded harder. Her knees nearly buckled. But she...