LOGINHis 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
Callen lets out a groan. “Fuck, look how wet she is for us already.”I can’t think. I can’t stop myself. Every instinct, every nerve, is screaming for them all to connect with me, and for Callen and Parker to claim me.I let out a moan of bliss as finally, someone touches me right where I need it, a
** Ryder’s POV **I stay beside Paige as we watch the pack kids. Jax is playing with them as if he’s always been here. They don’t treat him like the new kid or an outsider. They don’t look at him like a leader either. To them, he’s just a pack kid the same as any other. Watching him run and laugh wi
** Paige’s POV **The sound of children’s laughter fades behind me as we step onto one of the narrow dirt paths on the outskirts of the small village. I almost stop right there, because every instinct in me screams to turn back and keep Jaxon in sight.Parker’s hand brushes mine, his calming energy
** Ryder’s POV **The certificate rests in my lap, the edges crinkled where my fingers have been gripping it too tightly. I can’t stop staring at the damn thing, as if I blink it’ll vanish, and I’ll wake up back in those years when I longed for Paige and had no idea our son existed.Jaxon Madden. My







