Back then, Cooper had looked healthy and well, with none of the weakness or suffering she was seeing now. She had not known then that the child she was looking at was her own son, but the memory of him was still clear in her mind. How could everything have changed so drastically in only two months? How could a healthy-looking child have become this sick, this weak, and now have needles moving through his veins?
"What kind of needles?"
Dakota could barely get the words out.
Elias remained beside the bed, his golden eyes fixed on the faint traces moving beneath Cooper's skin. He looked calm, but the seriousness in his expression made the room feel heavier. Dakota stood beside Kade with one of her hands held tightly in his, her other hand pressed against her chest as she stared at her son lying so small and fragile beneath the blanket.
