Masuk** Paige’s POV **The morning with my sister was exactly what I needed before the video call I know is fast approaching. I head inside to dress in something more respectable, choosing a button-up blouse that has a high enough collar to keep my mate marks hidden.When I head back downstairs, I feel Remy’s discomfort, but before I can ask, Callen laughs.“You know you don’t need to dress for court today, right?” He asks with a teasing grin.“I know, but I wanted to look like I’m taking this seriously, plus I’m running out of clothes that cover my neck,” I shrug.Remy lets out a low growl, which cuts off when Parker elbows him in the ribs.“You look great,” Parker smiles, but it’s clearly forced.I double-check my outfit, making sure my bra isn’t showing through the fabric, and then narrow my eyes at them. “Okay, does someone want to tell me what the issue is?”Parker moves to stand in front of me, lifting my chin, so my eyes meet his. “Nothing that we need to address right now, we can ta
**Paige’s POV **For a long while, neither of us speak. The only sounds are Jaxon’s laughter and the soft breeze rustling through the trees. Parker keeps looking over at us like it’s a struggle for him to stay away when he can feel how much I need him. But he knows I need Jaxon distracted more right now. I don’t want him to see me upset.“I don’t know what scares me more,” I admit finally. “The idea that I’m not human, which makes me a target for a whole new reason, or that I am human and this is all a crazy coincidence.”Ryder kisses the top of my head. “You’re safe here,” he says. “No one touches you or your sister without going through me first.”I lean into him, breathing in his familiar scent. “I don’t know how much of all this I should tell Poppy.”He’s quiet for a moment before answering. “She deserves the truth, even if it’s hard to hear. But I think we should wait until we know more. Remy’s reaching out to a contact who might be able to decrypt the clinic’s records. Once we h
** Paige’s POV **The morning sun warms the wood beneath my bare feet, and Jaxon’s laughter drifts through the air as he chases a butterfly across the grass. It’s one of those rare, peaceful moments that feel as though time stops.Ryder hands me a cup of coffee and settles beside me on the porch bench. His thigh brushes mine, solid and warm, and I lean into him. The night’s conversation with Ronnie still loops through my mind, over and over.Descendants of the Moon Goddess. Pack mothers. Bloodlines that can shape the future of entire packs.It still sounds impossible, and yet, everything about it feels… right.“You didn’t sleep much,” Ryder says quietly, watching Jaxon dart through the sunlight.“Neither did you,” I reply, giving him a knowing look.He huffs softly, not denying it. “My mind’s been spinning since last night. Trying to piece together how all of this fits.”I take a sip of my coffee, staring out into the trees. “Do you really think it could be true? That Poppy and I are
** Ryder’s POV **The more I think about it, the more I believe it. Everything we’ve been through, the chaos, the losses, the way fate pushed us together, then apart, and then back together again, isn’t random at all. I think it’s all playing out exactly the way it was meant to, even if some of it feels cruel.Paige’s eyes linger on mine, full of questions and quiet strength, and I can feel it again, the pull that started years ago and never really let me go, it’s not anything supernatural, it’s just her. I brush my thumb over her cheek, loving the way she leans into my touch. That simple, instinctive movement hits deeper than I expect.“You have no idea what you do to me,” I murmur.Her lips part, a soft breath escaping, and that’s all it takes for my restraint to start fraying. The world outside, the hunters, the danger, the unknowns, it all fades to background noise. What’s left is her, standing in the moonlight, looking at me like I’m something worth believing in.“Come on,” I say
** Paige’s POV **Trying to focus on work for the day whilst my mind is spinning in a million different directions is almost impossible. I spend most of my time trying to push the thoughts of hunters, mate bonds and Moon Children from my mind rather than actually getting any work done.After dinner, I take Jax up to bed, reading him two stories tonight to make up for the one we missed yesterday. When he finally drifts off, I head back downstairs.The house feels different tonight.Ryder sits at the table, his elbows resting on the surface. Callen leans against the wall nearby, arms folded, expression unreadable but eyes sharp. Parker and Remy are both seated, their focus fixed on the older man across from them.Ronnie.“Luna,” he says softly, with a small bow of his head.“It’s nice to see you again, Ronnie,” I smile, moving to take a seat at the table.“So,” Ronnie says, his voice rough but not unkind. “You want to talk about Moon Children.”Remy nods. “We think there might be a conn
** Paige’s POV **When the door closes behind them, silence falls again. It feels softer this time, less dangerous, but still heavy. Poppy looks up at me, her voice barely audible. “Paige… what’s happening to me?”I hesitate. I don’t know what to tell her that will make this any less scary for her. It’s one thing to hear about the effect of the bond, but to feel it is not something you could prepare for. I remember those first few days; my head was all over the place.“I don’t know exactly, but I do know this feeling will pass. It just takes some time. I think I cried for a few days, and I thought I was losing my mind before I stopped fighting against it.”Poppy stares at me, wide-eyed and pale, like the words aren’t quite sinking in. “You make it sound like giving up,” she whispers.“It’s not,” I say softly. “It’s letting yourself breathe. The bond doesn’t go away just because you want it to, but it is not as intense when you stop trying to tear yourself free from it.”She presses th







