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
“Then when I’m ready, I’ll let you know.” I smile.“I’ll be ready,” he whispers, pressing a kiss to my temple. “No pressure, but just so we are clear, I am not even going to try to pretend I'm not insanely jealous that Remy mated with you."I know now that this is no longer a matter of ‘if’; it’s a
“Don’t worry. We’ll be back before you know it.”I watch him walk away. Feeling a pit of dread open in my stomach. Ryder is hurt, and I don’t know if he will be the only one injured. Why can’t the hunters just leave them alone? Why can’t they take a moment to understand that the people they hunt are
“Don’t call her weak. She has proven she is anything but weak,” Ryder says with a low, dangerous growl. “Fine, if you all want to put your own desires over her safety, then on your heads be it, but don’t…” “Enough!” I cut him off as I push to my feet, hands braced on the table. My heart’s raci
The bond settles like a second heartbeat, and I know, with brutal certainty, that I’ll kill anything that tries to take her from me.I pull back, running my lips along her jaw. Not a kiss, but close. Then I open the mind-link with her, praying this works.“Paige, listen to me. If you can hear me, ju







