<h4>Chapter 1062: Chapter 1062</h4>


    The morning light filtered through the wooden ts of the treehouse, casting soft golden lines across the floor where dust motes floatedzily. Jude stirred slowly, the scent of the forest, of old wood and sun-warmed moss, thick in the air. He rolled onto his side, listening to the faint hum of birdsong beyond the windows, the gentle rustling of leaves. The bed was empty beside him. Rose was gone. His heart stuttered for a second before he heard footsteps above, followed by softughter. He pushed himself up, rubbing sleep from his eyes as he stood, shirtless and warm, stretching his arms as he nced out the window toward the garden below.


    Rose was there, barefoot in the grass, her long hair spilling down her back like ink, damp from a wash, wearing one of the white dresses that clung just enough to her shape to make his body respond before his thoughts could catch up. She was turning slowly in a circle, arms stretched wide as if savoring the warmth of the sun. La passed her a basket of herbs with a small smile, and Roseughed again, so bright, so effortless, so unlike the girl they’d pulled from the river just hours ago. When Jude stepped outside, the air clung to his skin, humid and rich with the scent of morning.


    Rose spotted him instantly and walked over, hips swaying in the lightest rhythm. She tilted her head as she stopped in front of him, cing a hand t against his chest. "You didn’te back to check on mest night," she said with a mock pout, her fingers slowly trailing up to his shoulder. "I was waiting." Her voice had a softness to it that caught in his stomach. Jude reached up, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. "You were resting. I didn’t want to wake you." "Mm," she hummed. "I didn’t sleep." She leaned closer, her lips brushing his cheek, warm and lingering. "I dreamt of you instead." Her eyes lifted to meet his, and something in them flickered, bold, maic. It wasn’t the lost, fragile gaze from before. It was focused, hungry. And for a moment, Jude forgot everything that had frightened them the day before. She slid her arms around his neck, pulling herself close, the fabric of her dress pressing thinly between them.


    "Do you still want me, Jude?" Her question was whispered, daring, full of intent. He didn’t answer with words. His hands found her waist, fingers digging slightly into the soft curve of her hips as he kissed her, deep and slow, pulling her flush against him. Her lips parted with a soft gasp, and she melted into him, pressing into every inch. The trees around them swayed, catching the sun in bursts of golden shimmer, but he didn’t see any of it. Just her. Her mouth, her skin, her warmth. They stumbled back toward the house, hands tangled, lips refusing to part as she led him by the cor, breathless and smiling. Inside, they barely made it past the door.


    Rose pushed him against the wall, climbing into his arms, her legs wrapping around his waist as their mouths found each other again. Jude growled low in his throat, gripping her thighs, carrying her toward the bed with urgency he couldn’t contain. She pulled his shirt over his head, dragging her nails across his chest. Her dress slipped from her shoulders, slow and deliberate, revealing the pale skin beneath, soft and glowing in the filtered sunlight. He took her to the bed,ying her down with reverence, and she arched up to meet him, hands pulling him down, their bodies crashing like waves. Their love was fevered, slow then fast, quiet then raw, a dance of skin and sweat and whispered names.


    Her moans curled around his ears like a spell, driving him harder, deeper, until they both came undone in each other’s arms, breathless and trembling, tangled in the sheets. He held her afterward, fingers stroking her spine as she rested her head on his chest. For a long time neither of them said a word, only the sound of the breeze and their soft breaths filling the space. Rose was the first to move, kissing his corbone, then his throat, then up to his jaw. "I missed this," she whispered. "You." "You scared us," he murmured, his voice still heavy with feeling. "I thought I’d lost you." She pulled back just enough to look into his eyes. "You’ll never lose me," she said, smiling gently. "I’m yours. Always." Jude kissed her again, slower now, his hand cupping her cheek. Something in him felt settled, like she’d returnedpletely, like they could breathe again. They stayed that way for a while, curled together beneath the sheets, sunlight trailing across their bare skin. Eventually, there was a knock at the door, and Susan’s voice carried through softly.


    "We’re cooking breakfast. Come eat before it gets cold." Jude sat up, reaching for his clothes. "Come on," he said. "You should eat something." Rose stretchednguidly, that same graceful movement that had first caught his eye when they met. "I’ll be right behind you." He dressed quickly, leaned down to kiss her once more, and left the room with a smile. Outside, the others gathered near the fire pit. The mood was lighter than yesterday, the tension blunted by Rose’s recovery. La handed him a te of roasted root vegetables and smoked fish.


    "Is she okay?" "Better than okay," Jude said, taking the te. "She’s... more like herself today." "That’s good," Ste said, though her tone was cautious. "Too good, maybe," Natalie muttered under her breath. He nced back toward the house, but the window was still empty. "She’ll be out soon." They chatted quietly over the food, but the topic kept drifting back to the waterfall, to what they saw, or thought they saw.


    No one said the word monster, not yet. No one wanted to be the first. After a while, Jude felt her before he saw her. He turned, expecting to see Rose walking toward them, but the space was empty. Yet that feeling, that prickle along his neck, lingered. He shook it off and returned to the meal,ughing softly as Zoey teased Sophie about how loudly she’d screamed during the dive.


    Time passed, and Jude forgot to worry. The warmth of the fire, the closeness of the women, thefort of Rose alive and well, it all lulled him into a kind of peace. Later, after the meal, he wandered to the edge of the clearing where the trees thickened. He needed air, just for a minute. The light through the branches cast strange patterns, and birds called from high above. He closed his eyes, breathing deep. Then something touched him. Not physically. Just that same prickling sensation again, right between his shoulder des. Slowly, he turned. The treehouse loomed behind him, warm light spilling from the window. And in that window stood Rose. She wasn’t looking at him directly.


    Not yet. But her head tilted just slightly. Her eyes caught his. And then, without blinking, she smiled. Not with the softness from earlier, not with the warmth he had kissed. This smile was sharp. Empty. Wide and gleaming. It curled up at the corners like it knew something he didn’t. Jude didn’t move. His breath caught halfway to his lungs, his fingers curling slightly at his sides. The air around him thickened again. That warmth in his chest, thefort he’d felt, it faltered. And Rose... just kept smiling.