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 **The front door clicks shut behind them, and the silence left in its wake is thick enough to choke on. Outside, the cold wind whistles through the gaps in the trees, making the walls seem thinner than they were ten minutes ago.Parker’s arm tightens around my shoulders like he can f
** Callen’s POV **The woods look different today, quieter, too still.The air is heavy with the memory of last night’s chaos. We move in a staggered formation, Phoenix wolves up front, Midnight marksmen on the ridgeline to our right, keeping pace from a distance. Ryder leads, Remy just behind him,
** Paige’s POV **The world comes back in pieces. First, it’s the sound… a slow, steady beeping somewhere close to my head, steady as a heartbeat. Then warmth, heavy and suffocating, wrapped around me like a blanket I can’t quite move beneath. My throat burns when I swallow, and the back of my neck
** Parker’s POV **The moment Ryder, Remy, and Callen head out for the night patrol, the cabin feels too big. Too hollow.Paige stands by the window, her arms wrapped around herself as she watches the silhouettes of the rest of her mates disappear into the tree line, Ryder leading, Remy already shif







