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
** Paige’s POV **The world narrows to a single point of pressure in my chest.I don’t mean in a painful way. It’s more like… a pull. A thread tethered to something outside of this room, outside of me. A distant storm I can feel but not see. Every time I try to blink, my eyes don’t want to close all
**Paige’s POV **For a heartbeat, I forget how to breathe. The faint glow isn’t fading. It’s sinking into him.Parker’s skin is warm, and the symbol over his heart is unmistakable. It’s a delicate pattern of gold, two shapes intertwining as if they were always meant to fit together.“Oh god,” I whis
** Parker’s POV **We reach the country road just as the first headlights cut through the mist. Wolves rush to load the kids and the injured. Poppy and Jax climb into the back of the lead truck, which is some kind of old military vehicle. Ryder goes next with Paige in his arms. Jake follows, securin
“Jax is still sleeping.”I nod, glancing at the clock. It’s barely 8 AM, and so much has happened already.Poppy studies me quietly for a moment. She’s never needed words to see through me; she just knows. It’s both comforting and infuriating sometimes.“What happened out there?” she asks finally. “







