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
** Paige’s POV ** I sit in silence as the weight of this entire insane new world bears down on me. I can still feel their eyes on me, like they’re waiting for me to do something. For what I don’t know. For me to scream?… To cry?… To run? I don’t do any of those things. I can’t. Instead, I just
** Ryder’s POV ** I’m a father. There’s no doubt about it. This boy is mine. A good mix of me and his mother. The boy runs to me like I’m some kind of long-lost hero. I’m not. I’m the bad guy in this scenario. The selfish villain that left his mother alone and pregnant so I could live a life wit
**Paige’s POV **For a heartbeat, I forget how to breathe. The faint glow isn’t fading. It’s sinking into him.Parker’s skin is warm, and the symbol over his heart is unmistakable. It’s a delicate pattern of gold, two shapes intertwining as if they were always meant to fit together.“Oh god,” I whis
“You don’t get to just walk back into my life, Rye. I’m not the same girl you left almost seven years ago. I don’t need you. We don’t need you.” I shake my head. “Jaxon needs me. Please don’t try to take him away. Don’t make him go through what I did, with no idea who or what he is. Stay with me,







