LOGINHis mouth twitches slightly, but he doesn’t quite smile.“Good,” he says.Good? I stare at him.“That’s not an answer.”“No,” he agrees. “It isn’t, but you also didn’t ask a question.”My hands clench at my sides, which is more Leo’s style than mine. I force them to relax.“Ronnie…”“When something
** Jake’s POV **That baby should have died. The thought swirls in my mind, no matter how many times I try to push it aside. I’ve seen enough births to know the difference between a close call and a miracle. That wasn’t a close call; it was impossible.I stand at the end of the bed, watching as the
“Poppy,” Jake’s voice calls, softer than before.I glance over at him. He’s watching me now.A flicker of unease slides through me.“Yeah?” I call back, forcing a small smile.His gaze narrows slightly, as if he’s trying to piece something together that doesn’t quite fit.“Are you sure you’re okay?”
Jake watches me closely.“I’m fine,” I insist, before he can say anything. I know he doesn’t fully believe me, but he doesn’t argue.We step out into the corridor together, and I hear a few voices drift in the distance. “Jake,” Leo says quietly beside me. “What’s going on?”Jake exhales slowly as
** Poppy’s POV **Spending my first night after completing the mate bond back in the clinic was not on my bingo card, but here we are. I wake up stiff. Like I slept too heavy for too long. Jake and Leo insisted we spend the night here, which makes no sense. Yes, I had a bit of a funny turn, but I r
The baby cries a second later, strong, clear, alive. Relief floods the room. I hand the baby to my assistant, who quickly runs through checks before passing him to Mum.My chest tightens at the sight, but it’s tainted by an uneasy feeling, because I just witnessed a miracle, and in my experience, th
He breaks the kiss just long enough to whisper against my lips, “You held it together out there. Even with all those eyes on you.”“I had to,” I breathe. “If they saw…”“They didn’t.” His voice is a growl now, low and possessive. “But I did. I always do.”He kisses me again, slower this time, deeper
** Parker’s POV **The rain has passed by the time afternoon rolls around. The air smells of wet pine and smoke from the cabins’ chimneys. There’s a strange calmness to the pack. It’s the kind of stillness that always makes my skin crawl. It’s what comes right before something breaks.I push open th
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







