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
I wouldn’t have it any other way though, because the truth is, I can’t imagine a world without her in it now. Not after this, not after she’s made it so much brighter.By the time we finish the last of the cabins, it’s late afternoon. Paige insists on checking every last detail. Making sure there ar
** Paige’s POV **When we finally dress and head back downstairs, we find Parker sitting at the kitchen island nursing a bottle of beer. His gaze lifts to look at us as we walk into the kitchen, a small, knowing smile on his lips.“How long have you been back?” I ask him.“Long enough,” both he and
The room goes still, and then, slowly, Josh exhales, leaning back in his chair. “She’s got fire,” he mutters.Ryder’s lips twitch, pride flickering through the bond.Marcus looks at his beta, exchanging a long glance before nodding once. “If you’re willing to share intel, we’ll contribute a rotation
** Paige’s POV **By late afternoon, the tension of the meeting and knowing we have a traitor fades into a slight niggling at the back of my mind. We take Jaxon down to the pond for a while. The water ripples softly with the slightest breeze. Jax crouches at the edge, poking at the mud with a stick







