LOGINOf course, the voice remains completely silent. Coward.“So what am I?” I ask.No one answers quickly enough. Jake steps closer, crouching in front of me so I have to look at him and not the horror show printed on the paper in my hands.“We don’t know yet,” he says. “But we will.”I want to believe
** Poppy’s POV **The room feels too small and too hot.I swallow. “Not the same how?”Jake exhales slowly, reaching for another sheet. “Paige’s blood showed abnormal energy markers, mostly consistent with what Ronnie later connected to Dawn energy, cleansing, regenerative and life-based.”“Sounds l
Rain… Headlights… Control it, Poppy. I push the thought down hard.Leo is already dressed by the time I sit up, pulling on his boots near the edge of the bed. His hair is damp from a shower, and his expression is locked into the serious mask he wears when he’s pretending not to be worried. It does n
** Poppy’s POV **Leo sets a glass down in front of me far more carefully than necessary. He’s slow, deliberate, as if he’s half expecting it to explode the second it leaves his hand. My eyes flick to Jake across the kitchen, only to catch him watching me too.The rest of the day passes in a strange
** Poppy’s POV **Shiver’s run through me. Starting from my chest and spreading out, but everything else calms. My heart stops pounding, my breaths come easier, and the cold that was creeping in is slowly replaced by a comforting warmth.It’s them, my mates. They’re anchoring me. Whatever this power
“Hey,” I say, dropping to my knees in front of her, not caring about the glass. “Look at me.”Her eyes snap to mine, and for a second, they’re not right. There’s something deeper in them. Something darker flickering beneath the surface like a storm trying to break through. The hairs on my arms lift.
** Paige’s POV **Callen leads me to the bathroom, flipping on the small light over the mirror. The glow is warm and golden, giving the room a cosy feel. He rolls his sleeves and starts the water running in the tub.For a moment, I just watch him. The quiet focus on his face, the way his shoulders m
Ryder glances up at me, something raw flickering behind his eyes before he looks back at Jax. He sits on the edge of the bed, his elbows on his knees, and just… watches him. Every protective instinct in him is awake.I see it in the way his hand stays close, ready to touch and soothe if Jax wakes. I
** Paige’s POV **By the time the afternoon rolls around, Ronnie is still here, sitting at the kitchen table with his sleeves rolled up and his hair sticking up like he’s been running a hand through it too many times.My mates have gathered around him, Ryder leaning against the counter with that qui
“Game or warning,” Callen mutters. “Either way, they’re trying to make us afraid to step outside our own borders.”“They won’t win,” I say quietly.Four sets of eyes shift toward me. Ryder’s expression softens, but there’s pride in it too. “No, they won’t.”Remy nods. “We’ve been reacting too much l







