Page 169 of Please Save Me

Sophia’s hand trembled as she ran it gently through Mason’s hair. I could tell by the way she cleared her throat that she was barely holding it together.

Thanks to Dale and the Sons of Christ, death was second nature to me. It was the one thing in life that was completely inevitable. But it had been a long time since a death affected me the way this one did.

For years, Dale had convinced me the other women were evil and that God had smote them because they’d strayed too far from the light. I’d never gotten to know them beyond the "breeding" Dale demanded, but Mason was different. She’d shown me thesunwhen I didn’t even realize I’d been living in darkness. She’d given me love and compassion, even knowing who I was and where I came from. And just as flowers had bloomed in the desolate garden of my heart, just as she gave me a life I hadn’t even realized I still craved, she was losing hers.

Cool air swept into the room, pulling me from my thoughts. I glanced over my shoulder to see Sebastian tottering in. His crutches clinked against the white tiles, and our eyes met briefly in a silent exchange. His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. Resting his crutches by the door, he all but hopped across the room toward me.

He leaned into me for support, his weight settling against my side as he reached out to stroke Rosie’s coppery hair. Bending down, he kissed her forehead softly.

Part of me wanted to demand where the hell he’d been—he could have missed Mason’s passing. But I knew there would be time to lecture him later. For now, I let myself take comfort in his presence.

“Can I hold the baby?” he whispered.

I glanced at the cast on his leg. “There aren’t any more chairs.”

“I know,” he said. “I was hoping I could hold Rosemary… So you couldhold me?”

A lump formed in my throat. I carefully transferred Rosie into his arms before pulling him close and resting my chin on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner,” he murmured, offering Rosie a finger to hold. “I just—I needed a minute.”

It was a valid excuse, but that didn’t mean I was ready to forgive him.

Rosie squinted up atherDada, accepting his finger before promptly pulling it into her mouth. Sebastian’s nose wrinkled in disgust as her little face scrunched in irritation. Her breathing quickened, and I tensed, recognizing the warning signs of what was about to happen.

Sure enough, a piercing wail shattered the tension in the room.

Sebastian bounced her gently, trying to shush her. My eyes darted back to the bed, terrified we were disrupting Mason’s final moments. But what I saw next froze the world around me.

Mason’s eyelids fluttered.

At first, I thought it was a trick of the light. But as Rosemary’s cries persisted, her eyelids moved again, this timestronger. Her fingers twitched in Lucian’s hand.

“Mason?”Lucian’s voice was incredulous.

The movement stopped, and just as I began to wonder if it was her last hurrah, Mason let out the smallest, faintest groan.

Sophia gasped, her tears breaking free despite her best efforts.

“Give me the baby,” Lucian said suddenly, urgency sharpening his voice. “Give me Rosie. She wants the baby.”

For someone who couldn’t read minds, he sounded so certain.

Sebastian and I exchanged a disbelieving glance before I quickly transferred Rosie into Lucian’s arms. He held her close to Mason’s face, and the baby’s criessoftened.

Rosie let out the strange little grunt she always made when she was impatient. Mason’s head shifted toward the sound, slow and heavy, as if dragged by an invisible force.

Sophia stood abruptly, frantically searching for something—though I wasn’t sure what.

“Mason. This is Rosemary,” Lucian said steadily, like his voice alone could anchor her to the world. “She needs her mom. You need to wake up. She’s hungry… again.”

The tension in the room was suffocating as Lucian continued to speak to her, his voice unwavering. It was as if he believed sheer willpower could bring her back.

Sebastian and I held our breath, both of us frozen.

This morning, Mason had been declared brain dead. How was this happening?

After what felt like an eternity, Lucian gently placed Rosie on Mason’s chest.

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