LOGIN“Hey,” Paige says softly.“Hey,” I reply, my voice cracking. Her smile fades and her eyes narrow as she studies me. “What happened?”“Nothing, I’m okay.”Callen snorts a laugh, and I shoot him a look. “Callen, get out,” Paige orders.“Well, that’s rude.”“Out,” she demands, and he wisely retreats,
** Poppy’s POV **The door closes behind us with a soft click, and I finally take my first real breath in hours. I want to freak out. I want to shout that this isn’t supposed to be happening. But allowing myself to get worked up is not good for anyone or anything. Stuff will break, people will pani
“I was trying to figure you out,” he shrugs.“You were lurking.”Callen gasps. “Shadow boy was lurking?”Bastian’s eyes narrow. “Shadow boy?”“Oh, don’t worry,” I say. “It suits you.”For one strange moment, his expression softens. Not much, but enough that I see it. Enough that my heart skips a bea
** Poppy’s POV **The branch is still lying where it fell. I try not to look at it as we walk away, but my eyes keep finding it anyway. Split wood, torn bark, and leaves scattered across the ground as if it had exploded from the inside out. Because of me.One stupid argument. One moment when everyth
“At least she didn’t pass out this time.”Poppy groans. “Callen.”“What?” he shrugs innocently. “That’s personal growth. I’m proud of you.”“Pass out?” Bastian frowns. “Yeah, when she found out Leo was her mate, she tried to run. But she ran right into Jake, who immediately told her she was his mat
** Leo’s POV **“No, seriously, humour is my thing,” Callen says enthusiastically. “True,” Ryder nods."Aww, thanks, Rye. It's nice to finally be appreciated.""Last week you got stuck in a camping chair," Ryder continues. "I have to admit that was pretty funny."Callen's face drops immediately. “
** Paige’s POV **The cabin is quiet except for the soft hum of my laptop. I’ve been staring at the same line of text for at least five minutes, pretending to work while my mind keeps wandering to the patrol. Ryder and Parker are out with the new enforcers, and I have an uneasy feeling about it.I g
About halfway down the southern line, Leo connects his mind to mine again. “Check this out.”I move toward him. At first, I don’t see it, then the metallic glint catches my eye. Lodged in the mud near the base of a tree is a small, flattened bullet, the edges scorched black.“Looks the same as the o
** Remy’s POV **I don’t remember falling asleep on the couch, but when I wake, sunlight is filtering through the window. For a second, it feels like any other day. Then the memories hit. The flash of light. The laughter echoing through the woods. The stench of poison in the creek, and Paige’s arms
** Ryder’s POV **Dinner feels almost normal. The sound of laughter, the warmth of the kitchen, the way Paige’s smile makes everything else bearable. For a while, we pretend everything’s fine, but even as I laugh at Jaxon’s terrible joke, a part of me stays on alert. The scent of worry clings to Rem







