MasukHis mouth twitches slightly, but he doesn’t quite smile.“Good,” he says.Good? I stare at him.“That’s not an answer.”“No,” he agrees. “It isn’t, but you also didn’t ask a question.”My hands clench at my sides, which is more Leo’s style than mine. I force them to relax.“Ronnie…”“When something
** Jake’s POV **That baby should have died. The thought swirls in my mind, no matter how many times I try to push it aside. I’ve seen enough births to know the difference between a close call and a miracle. That wasn’t a close call; it was impossible.I stand at the end of the bed, watching as the
“Poppy,” Jake’s voice calls, softer than before.I glance over at him. He’s watching me now.A flicker of unease slides through me.“Yeah?” I call back, forcing a small smile.His gaze narrows slightly, as if he’s trying to piece something together that doesn’t quite fit.“Are you sure you’re okay?”
Jake watches me closely.“I’m fine,” I insist, before he can say anything. I know he doesn’t fully believe me, but he doesn’t argue.We step out into the corridor together, and I hear a few voices drift in the distance. “Jake,” Leo says quietly beside me. “What’s going on?”Jake exhales slowly as
** Poppy’s POV **Spending my first night after completing the mate bond back in the clinic was not on my bingo card, but here we are. I wake up stiff. Like I slept too heavy for too long. Jake and Leo insisted we spend the night here, which makes no sense. Yes, I had a bit of a funny turn, but I r
The baby cries a second later, strong, clear, alive. Relief floods the room. I hand the baby to my assistant, who quickly runs through checks before passing him to Mum.My chest tightens at the sight, but it’s tainted by an uneasy feeling, because I just witnessed a miracle, and in my experience, th
The words hit me like a punch, knocking the breath from my lungs. In an instant, I’m back to being that 18-year-old girl again, helplessly whispering prayers into the dark and begging my parents to survive, to come back to me, even when some part of me already knew they wouldn’t. Grief had been tear
I can feel him now. Not just the heat of his body against mine, but his emotions spilling through. They’re warm, fierce devotion, and something so deep it makes more tears escape my eyes.“Don’t cry,” he whispers, brushing his thumb across my cheek. His voice is rough, but laced with tenderness. “Yo
** Paige’s POV **Poppy washes her hands before putting the equipment in a bowl and pouring boiling water over it. She kneels beside Leo again, her face pale, but her hands are steady. She sucks in a breath, closing her eyes and muttering a prayer before her eyes snap open and she looks down at Leo
** Paige’s POV **When I turn, Ryder is already crouched naked on the floor. He reaches for the pair of shorts draped over a chair and pulls them on, then pushes to his feet, rolling his shoulders as if they ache.His eyes meet mine, still alert even through the exhaustion I can feel coming from him







