LOGIN“For a bit.”“A bit?”“Ten minutes.”“You said you’d shift!”“I lied.”“I hate you.”“No, you don't.”“I'm reconsidering.”I grin and head into the forest. For the first few minutes, Poppy complains about the incline and the mud and the fact that nobody thought to mention her new home required ‘fuck
** Alaric’s POV ** Leaving Phoenix was harder for them than I expected. There were tears. Too many hugs. Several threats about how often Paige intended to visit, and one from Callen that sounded suspiciously like he planned to move in if Poppy didn't come back often enough. Eventually, we got in th
I pick up the bag. Leaving Phoenix still hurts, but Poppy was right. Leaving doesn't always mean running away. Sometimes it means choosing where you're going next.“Please tell me that's not all you're taking.”Poppy stands in the doorway to her room, a bag hanging from her shoulder and a suitcase b
** Jake’s POV ** I have absolutely no idea how to pack up a life. My first attempt involves three medical textbooks, two pairs of jeans, my stethoscope, four chargers, a first-aid kit, and my lab coat. I stare into the open bag on my bed. This is ridiculous.The cabin feels different already, but n
“You absolutely have,” Leo laughs.I point at him. “You're still my patient.”“Terrifying.”I look back at Alaric.“What equipment does he have?”“I have no bloody idea. Medical shit.”“Of course you don’t,” I sigh.“I can ask him.”“Don't bother. I'll see when I get there.”The words leave my mouth
** Jake’s POV **A knock sounds at the clinic door.“Come in,” I call. The door creaks opens, and Alaric steps inside.Leo groans. “Oh good. Another Alpha, we just got rid of the other two.”“Nice to see you alive too,” Alaric smirks.“Everyone keeps saying that. It’s getting old.”“Probably becaus
** Callen’s POV **We all feel the shift in Paige, the way she’s checking out now that she has rested, and the adrenaline has worn off. Her power pushes at her, threatening to consume her. I can see it in the way her eyes are glazed and how she seems to look through things rather than at them. They’
** Ryder’s POV **I feel it the moment I cross the threshold. The bond tightens, sharp and alert, and my wolf lifts his head inside me like he’s just scented a deer on the breeze. The cabin feels different, steadier somehow, but also charged, like the air itself is holding its breath.Parker feels i
** Ryder’s POV **We don’t celebrate. We don’t howl with victory cries or shake ourselves clean of blood and fear. We simply settle, our shoulders relaxing after carrying too much weight. Maybe all that will come later.The pack moves quietly. Not in shock or grief, but in assessment. Enforcers regr
Callen sits beside her on the couch, arm draped loosely around her shoulders. She leans into him without hesitation, and I see the way his presence steadies her.Parker catches my eye from across the room and gives a small nod.“She’s stable,” he says through the mind-link.I nod back.Later, when t







