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
“Paige,” he breathes, “You don’t have…” his words trail off, turning into a moan as I wrap my lips around his tip.Remy’s hands move to the back of my head, his fingers threading through my hair as I glide his length in and out of my mouth. He doesn’t take control of my movements though, just gently
Parker closes the folder with a thud. “That’s enough for tonight,” he says. “If you keep going, you’ll burn out before you even step in the room.”“I’m fine,” I protest, though my eyes sting from reading.He leans across the island, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “You don’t need to prove an
The room goes still, and then, slowly, Josh exhales, leaning back in his chair. “She’s got fire,” he mutters.Ryder’s lips twitch, pride flickering through the bond.Marcus looks at his beta, exchanging a long glance before nodding once. “If you’re willing to share intel, we’ll contribute a rotation
His eye catches mine, and my chest tightens. “You don’t need to either,” I say softly.He gives a little shrug, eyes flicking to the window. “Old habits. You spend enough years being told to keep everything hidden away, eventually you forget how to let it out.”“Remy…” I whisper. “You can, though. W







