Shade's eyes snapped open.
Jade gasped, pulling back, her hands shaking. "Shade?"
Shade breathed. The black in his veins was fading. The monster was gone.
For the first time in forever, he felt free.
Jade exhaled. Then she punched him in the chest.
"Don't you ever do that again, you asshole."
Shade laughed. A raw, broken sound. "Noted."
Then Jade kissed him again.
And this time—
It wasn't about desperation.
It was about victory.