LOGIN“Hey,” Paige says softly.“Hey,” I reply, my voice cracking. Her smile fades and her eyes narrow as she studies me. “What happened?”“Nothing, I’m okay.”Callen snorts a laugh, and I shoot him a look. “Callen, get out,” Paige orders.“Well, that’s rude.”“Out,” she demands, and he wisely retreats,
** Poppy’s POV **The door closes behind us with a soft click, and I finally take my first real breath in hours. I want to freak out. I want to shout that this isn’t supposed to be happening. But allowing myself to get worked up is not good for anyone or anything. Stuff will break, people will pani
“I was trying to figure you out,” he shrugs.“You were lurking.”Callen gasps. “Shadow boy was lurking?”Bastian’s eyes narrow. “Shadow boy?”“Oh, don’t worry,” I say. “It suits you.”For one strange moment, his expression softens. Not much, but enough that I see it. Enough that my heart skips a bea
** Poppy’s POV **The branch is still lying where it fell. I try not to look at it as we walk away, but my eyes keep finding it anyway. Split wood, torn bark, and leaves scattered across the ground as if it had exploded from the inside out. Because of me.One stupid argument. One moment when everyth
“At least she didn’t pass out this time.”Poppy groans. “Callen.”“What?” he shrugs innocently. “That’s personal growth. I’m proud of you.”“Pass out?” Bastian frowns. “Yeah, when she found out Leo was her mate, she tried to run. But she ran right into Jake, who immediately told her she was his mat
** Leo’s POV **“No, seriously, humour is my thing,” Callen says enthusiastically. “True,” Ryder nods."Aww, thanks, Rye. It's nice to finally be appreciated.""Last week you got stuck in a camping chair," Ryder continues. "I have to admit that was pretty funny."Callen's face drops immediately. “
** Paige’s POV **When we finally dress and head back downstairs, we find Parker sitting at the kitchen island nursing a bottle of beer. His gaze lifts to look at us as we walk into the kitchen, a small, knowing smile on his lips.“How long have you been back?” I ask him.“Long enough,” both he and
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
“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
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







