LOGINAlaric presses his lips together, giving a small wave towards the phone, and Bastian bows his head slightly. “It looks like Ronnie found something, we thought you might want to hear it,” Callen says. “Hang on.” Muffled voices come through the speaker, and something thumps before Paige speaks agai
** Jake’s POV **The silence that settles after Ronnie’s words is uncomfortable. For a long moment, no one moves. The forest seems unnaturally still around us, as though even the birds have decided this isn’t a conversation they want any part of. Ronnie clears his throat. “So,” he says, his gaze d
** Jake’s POV **A minute later, the cabin door opens again. Callen steps out with far too much satisfaction written across his face. Poppy follows a second later. The moment she sees all four of us waiting, she hesitates, her steps faltering. Her gaze lands on me, then Leo. Then it drifts to Alaric
** Jake’s POV **My wolf practically whines in my head as my eyes track Poppy walking inside with Callen. Every second I spend with her makes every second away from her more difficult. “I know this is difficult,” Ryder says, pulling our attention back to him. “But for Poppy’s sake, you all need to
“Hey,” Paige says softly.“Hey,” I reply, my voice cracking. Her smile fades and her eyes narrow as she studies me. “What happened?”“Nothing, I’m okay.”Callen snorts a laugh, and I shoot him a look. “Callen, get out,” Paige orders.“Well, that’s rude.”“Out,” she demands, and he wisely retreats,
** Poppy’s POV **The door closes behind us with a soft click, and I finally take my first real breath in hours. I want to freak out. I want to shout that this isn’t supposed to be happening. But allowing myself to get worked up is not good for anyone or anything. Stuff will break, people will pani
I swallow. “What about? Is Jax okay?”“He’s fine,” Remy answers. “It’s Nina.”A cold ripple of tension ghosts down my spine.Nina, the suspected traitor.My stomach knots. “What about her?”“We need to speak with her,” Callen says.Blaine stiffens in front of me, instantly alert. He rises slowly unt
Paige looks down at her hands, and I can see the tremor in her fingers.“They’re… tethered,” she whispers. “Like someone pulled them back from death with a thread that’s too thin. Like it’s fraying. Like it’s going to snap.”A growl rumbles in my chest before I can stop it. “Snap how?”“Snap, meanin
** Callen’s POV **The first thing I feel is the bond.It’s not the usual background hum, or the distracting warmth Paige always radiates when she’s close. This is something else… something sharp, bright, electrifying, like she’s a live wire pressed directly against the inside of my ribs.And then a
** Paige’s POV **Nina draws a slow breath, as if bracing herself. “There’s something else,” she says softly.The forest seems to freeze around us, and I feel everyone around me tense, waiting for the blow.Jake stands just behind Nina with a steadying hand on her shoulder. “What else?” he whispers.







