LOGINWe step out into the corridor together, heading towards the room we’d seen him go into. “Hey,” I call as we spot Jake’s assistant leaving the room opposite. “Have you seen Jake?”She looks up, relief flickering across her face as if she’s glad it’s not another emergency.“Yeah,” she says. “He stepp
**Poppy’s POV **After the tree of death tried to kill me, we head back into the clinic for breakfast. Jake leaves to check on his patients, promising to catch up with us soon. I want to tell him no, that I need him with me, but that will only worry him and Leo. I feel fine; the chill I had last ni
His 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
Remy raises his brows at me, able to hear her, and I grimace. Ryder will hear her, too. “Oh, hi, Poppy. Paige and Jax are fine. They’re here with us.” “They are? Oh, thank goodness. Can you put her on the phone, please?” “She’s actually putting Jaxon to bed right now. Can I get her to call you
“I know.” Remy pulls in a shaky breath, and I can see how close he is to crumbling again. I should leave it. I should let him have this quiet grief and not drop another emotional bomb on top of the mess we’re already in. But this might be how I can help him. This might be how I fix it for him.
I press my forehead to his again, catching my breath, but I don’t pull away. His eyes are glassy, lips red and kiss-swollen. I don’t know where we go from here. How we navigate this with Paige in the picture now. I only know that my feelings for him are real. Right now, in this moment, he’s as r
** Paige’s POV ** The moment the word leaves my lips, the energy in the room shifts. Callen gets to his feet, far too graceful for a regular human male. He looks predatory as he looks down at me, but when he extends a hand to me, it feels more like an offer than a demand. He’s still giving







