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
“She’d call it a hobby,” I say with mock seriousness. “One that doesn’t come with private healthcare.”That earns another round of laughter until we’re both wiping tears from our eyes. It feels good, like letting sunlight into a dark room.When we finally calm down, I lean my elbows on the counter a
** Ryder’s POV **For a heartbeat, no one speaks.Then I look up at Callen. “Say that again.”He meets my eyes, jaw tight. “I think I just worked out who our traitor is.”The words hang there like a live wire.Jake straightens from where he’s been crouched beside Paige, his expression flickering bet
** Paige’s POV **Through the glass, I see them… Ryder and Remy. Their bodies tense, eyes glowing faintly gold in the darkness. Even from here, I can feel their energy, wild and alive, humming through the air like static before a storm.Relief slams through me so hard my knees almost give way. They’
** Poppy’s POV **It’s been a nice, slow morning at the clinic, no one bleeding, no one screaming, and no one trying to leave this world before their time. Just peace, coffee, and the large delivery of medical supplies to sort through.I’m halfway through stocking the herb cupboard when the door cre







