LOGIN“Hey,” I say, dropping to my knees in front of her, not caring about the glass. “Look at me.”Her eyes snap to mine, and for a second, they’re not right. There’s something deeper in them. Something darker flickering beneath the surface like a storm trying to break through. The hairs on my arms lift.
** Jake’s POV ** The thought that I shouldn’t have left hits me hard and sudden, but I don’t know why. I’m halfway down the corridor in the clinic, the faint hum of the lights buzzing overhead, when something in my chest pulls tight. Not the mate bond exactly, but close enough that every instinct
** Poppy’s POV **Things have changed. Not just around me, but inside too. The voice has remained silent. Its presence is still there, watching, waiting, but somehow it’s more settled now. Content even. Which is surprising; I was sure it would be complaining about how close we were to completing th
** Jake’s POV **My eyes close for half a second, grounding myself the way I do when my wolf fights for control, or trying to.“You’re…” I start, then stop, because I don’t have a word for what she is right now.I move to stand directly behind her, both of my hands on her hips now. So close, just on
** Jake’s POV **My mate is unreal. She tastes like heat and something softer beneath it, sweet, with a bite that keeps pulling me back for more. And the way she responds, every breath, every sound, it hits heavier than anything I’ve ever known.Hard enough to drop me to my knees, not that I’d choos
** Poppy’s POV ** I don’t remember deciding to move. One second I’m breathing both of them in, and the next I’m acting on it.Heat coils low and tight inside me, sharper than before, impossible to ignore now that I’ve stopped pretending I can. This isn’t hesitation anymore. This is choice. Jake do
Another silence settles, comfortable and familiar. It feels like being teens again, sitting outside after dinner, talking about crushes.“Hey,” I say softly, nudging her. “How are things with Leo and Jake?”She chokes on her coffee.I blink. “Um. Is that… a bad sign?”“No!” she squeaks, voice too hi
A sick feeling churns in my stomach as a thought comes to me.“Poppy,” I whisper, “what’s Annie’s full name?”She looks up with a frown. “What? Why does…”“Please,” I say, voice trembling. “Just tell me.”Something in my tone must convince her, because she swallows and hesitates. “Leanne. Leanne Moo
“I don't have a name, but I just know. I think… I’m something that shouldn’t exist,” I admit.Callen swears. “Fantastic. I love that for us.”Jake clears his throat shakily. “Paige, the visions could be a trauma response or magical memory bleed-through. You need to breathe.”“I am breathing,” I whis
** Paige’s POV **The walk back to Phoenix feels nothing like the one we made leaving it.Leaving was panic, chaos, running, then darkness for me. Going back feels heavier.Every step feels like wading through a swamp of last night’s fear, the fear of every member of our pack who fled in the dark wi







