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 **I wake to the sound of footsteps. Heavy, quick, and urgent.For a moment I think I’m dreaming it, but then I hear the whisper of voices from downstairs. They’re low and serious, definitely not the usual morning chatter. My stomach tightens. Something’s wrong.Sliding out of bed, I
** Paige’s POV **The first time I saw him, we were sixteen. He stood at the back of the classroom, hood up, headphones in, all in black, like the world had done him wrong, and he wanted everyone to know it. Everyone was afraid of him back then. He was the angry one, the troublemaker, the boy with e
As the dark patches along his chest begin to fade, the colour returns slowly to his skin. The beeping on the monitor steadies, climbing higher with every second.Tears spill down my cheeks as the warmth peaks, a rush that feels like sunlight after years of shadow. I whisper his name like a plea. “Ry
“I couldn’t sleep,” I admit. “My wolf needed to let off some steam, it should have been safe.”She studies me, her eyes searching mine, and I know she can see the truth. She knows I wasn’t trying to be a hero. It was a pleasure run, but I’d barely made it back to her. That’s the worst part of it. I







