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
I catch myself smiling. Jax and I watched a movie yesterday while he was feeling ill, one of those old ones with fairies and pirates. He’d fallen asleep halfway through, but I’d stayed up watching it just to see how it ended. There was a scene where the fairy lit up the dark, fierce and stubborn and
** Paige’s POV **Parker exhales slowly, some of the worry leaving his face. “I’ll talk to Jake. Maybe he can run some scans, check your energy levels. Make sure this isn’t doing you any harm.”I nod, though the thought of being poked and prodded by a healer makes me uneasy. “How are we going to kee
“I get that, but I hope with time you’ll be able to rely on us to take some of the mental load too.”“I’d like that,” I smile.I look out the window, still craving the feeling of the sun on my face.“Do you want a coffee?” Parker asks.I think about it for a moment before shaking my head. “Not yet,
His face softens, and he exhales slowly, the tension draining from his shoulders. “You always make it sound so simple.”“It’s not simple,” I admit, “but it’s true.”He looks away, staring into the water. “You think he knows that? That I still…” His voice falters. “That I still want him?”“Yes,” I sa







