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
** Paige’s POV **The knock on the door is urgent. I’m already on my feet before it comes a second time, with my heart hammering so hard I can feel it in my throat.I peek through the spy hole and then wrench the door open to find Parker standing there, dried blood crusted down one side of his face.
It suddenly feels colder out here than it did before. When I reach Callen’s room again, my chest is tight, and my eyes sting with unshed tears. I forget about needing the toilet. I just walk straight back in, close the door softly behind me, and sink back into the chair beside him. His hand is
Parker’s mouth curves into a faint smile, a little less guarded now. “Right. Sorry. I forgot this is all still new to you.” He taps the side of his head. “Mind link. Pack members can talk to each other telepathically.”I stare at him for a second, trying to wrap my head around it. “Like… you can hea
His words strike something in me. Has Ryder really been suffering that badly all this time? Has he been missing me as much as I’ve missed him? “You have no idea how important you are to us, Paige, but I promise, if you give us a chance, we will make sure you understand.” I nod, unable to speak







