LOGINMate.The word rolls through me, low and possessive, but tonight it doesn’t feel overwhelming. It feels certain. Poppy swallows hard.“You calm it too,” she whispers suddenly.I frown slightly. “Calm what?”“That feeling.” Her eyes lift back to mine. “The pressure. The noise in my head. It gets quie
** Jake’s POV **The second Leo leaves the cabin feels wrong.It’s quieter and colder, even though the fire still crackles softly in the corner. Rain still taps steadily against the roof, and Poppy is still standing only a few feet away from me.But something shifted when he left. I felt it immediat
“I’ll be okay,” she whispers.I wish I believed that.Instead of answering, I lean forward until our foreheads touch, and for a second, everything else fades away. It’s just her breathing against me and the warmth of her hands on my face.“What if this thing isn’t new?” she asks quietly. “What if it
** Leo’s POV **“It’s not staying silent anymore.”The words have been stuck in my head for the last two fucking hours since Jake explained what happened at the clinic.I tighten my grip on the strap of the knife sheath sitting across my chest harder than necessary, checking it for the third time si
Of course, the voice remains completely silent. Coward.“So what am I?” I ask.No one answers quickly enough. Jake steps closer, crouching in front of me so I have to look at him and not the horror show printed on the paper in my hands.“We don’t know yet,” he says. “But we will.”I want to believe
** Poppy’s POV **The room feels too small and too hot.I swallow. “Not the same how?”Jake exhales slowly, reaching for another sheet. “Paige’s blood showed abnormal energy markers, mostly consistent with what Ronnie later connected to Dawn energy, cleansing, regenerative and life-based.”“Sounds l
It suddenly feels colder out here than it did before. When I reach Callen’s room again, my chest is tight, and my eyes sting with unshed tears. I forget about needing the toilet. I just walk straight back in, close the door softly behind me, and sink back into the chair beside him. His hand is
Parker’s mouth curves into a faint smile, a little less guarded now. “Right. Sorry. I forgot this is all still new to you.” He taps the side of his head. “Mind link. Pack members can talk to each other telepathically.”I stare at him for a second, trying to wrap my head around it. “Like… you can hea
His words strike something in me. Has Ryder really been suffering that badly all this time? Has he been missing me as much as I’ve missed him? “You have no idea how important you are to us, Paige, but I promise, if you give us a chance, we will make sure you understand.” I nod, unable to speak
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







