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
Two men. Both completely unaware that I’m one flustered heartbeat away from self-combusting. This mate bond pull is no joke.Jake and his quiet, careful hands. Leo, and his watchful eyes and easy smile.If this is what working at the clinic is going to be like, I might need to start keeping smelling
** Ryder’s POV **Warmth. That’s the first thing I feel. It rolls through my chest like a slow tide, heavy and consuming. For a second, I don’t even remember what pain feels like.Then air rushes into my lungs in a violent gasp. The sound tears through the silence, followed by a cough, and the sharp
“Let it rise,” Ronnie says. “Don’t fight it. You’re not trying to silence the power; you’re trying to hear what it’s saying. When it swells, don’t push it down; visualise it. It’s not a wolf, but if it helps, imagine it as that or something you feel fits. Describe it, name it, embrace it.”I try clo
** Callen’s POV **The walk back from the creek is quieter than it should be.Even the forest feels quiet. Birds are still singing somewhere above, and the wind rustles through the trees, but it’s all background noise. The real silence is with us. Paige hasn’t said a word since Ronnie’s last comment







