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
“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
The mug of tea she barely touched sits forgotten on the table beside her. The soft glow from the laptop screen casts light across her face, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything as peaceful. I stand and cross the room quietly, reaching to slide the laptop off her lap and close it gently. She d
** Paige’s POV **The house falls quiet again.Parker is still upstairs with Jax, and Ryder is brooding silently at the kitchen island.“What happened out there?” I ask, sitting next to him.Ryder doesn’t answer right away. He lifts his gaze to meet mine, and then his eyes drift to my neck. I don’t







