Masuk“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
I clear my throat. “I don’t want Poppy anywhere near Greg. Jaxon can stay with her today with the Twiceborn guarding them both.”Ryder considers this, then nods once. “Leo and Jake stay with them then.”Callen stretches his neck. “Great. So what are the rest of us doing? Because watching Greg eat av
Greg scoffs. “What are you talking about? You should be in prison for what you’ve done to her and for kidnapping my son. This is clear abuse. She even has the scars to prove it. You are all insane.”A deadly kind of anger flows through the bond from Ryder, and I place a hand on his arm to calm him.
** Ryder’s POV **I never thought I’d see these roads again. Not in this lifetime. Not in any life.The tyres hum steadily beneath us, carrying us straight into the past I thought I’d buried. Old scars itch under my skin. Wolves don’t get phantom pain, not really, but I swear I feel it now. Memories
** Callen’s POV **I have never knelt for anyone, not truly.I’ve bowed my head in respect. I’ve lowered my stance to calm a pack fight. I’ve submitted in strategy and diplomacy. But kneeling… offering my throat, my power, my will, that has never belonged to anyone but me. Until her.Paige stands in







