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
I sit there, staring at the pattern on the marbled tabletop like it might tell me what the hell I’m supposed to do next. Then the door opens. Ryder steps inside, and everything else fades. He looks like he’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. His eyes lock on mine and soften,
I close my eyes and push through the haze, throwing everything I have into the mind link.“Danger. North woods. Hunters. Wolfsbane. Ambush.”It’s like yelling underwater, but this time I feel the pack stir, voices overlapping, questions surging into a jumble of sound I can’t comprehend.“Callen?!” R
“So you already feel it that strongly?”Parker nods. “From the minute my wolf scented you.”“And how does that feel?” I dare to ask.Parker sets his beer down and leans forward slightly, his voice quieter now, more thoughtful. “It’s hard to explain, but I’ll try. It’s a pull. Like your soul recognis
The silence between us stretches, but it isn’t uncomfortable. It’s full of everything we’re both thinking but not saying. Ryder glances at me now and then, and I can feel the weight of his gaze even when I’m not looking back. I let out a breath. “He’s really okay?” “He’s still healing,” Ryder







