ANMELDENMate.The word rolls heavily through me from my wolf.Mine.Beside me, Leo adjusts slightly in his seat, closer to me. It’s small enough that he probably doesn’t realise he’s done it, but I notice. His body language remains tense, but he’s no longer actively rejecting our proximity.Callen and Ryder
** Bastian’s POV **The silence inside the car should feel uncomfortable, but it doesn’t. Which is odd. I sit in the back with my arm pressed against the door, one boot stretched beneath the seat in front of me whilst Leo sits in the space beside me like a trapped storm. He’s irritated enough that I
No. Absolutely not.“We’re heading to the same place,” he continues before anyone answers. “And apparently it’s easier to get between here and your territory by vehicle, which we didn’t bring.”I stare at him blankly. “Then hire one.”Callen snorts loudly. Traitor.Alaric just grins wider, as if he
** Leo’s POV **The meeting drags on for hours. By the time the sun starts dipping lower outside the lodge windows, every Alpha in the room smells like stress, exhaustion, and brewing aggression. Arguments spark at least every twenty minutes before Alpha Josh, or Ryder manage to drag things back und
The discussion around the table shifts toward territorial alliances and emergency response plans, but my attention keeps dragging back toward them despite myself. Catching Alaric’s amused stare and Bastian’s unsettling calm.“Alpha Ryder, Alpha Callen, I have spoken to everyone here, and we each agr
** Leo’s POV **Alpha Josh finally calls for the meeting to start officially, but I can barely focus on what’s being said because the twins keep watching me. They’re not doing it openly enough for anyone else in the room to notice, but I feel it every damn time I look up.Bastian lounges against the
** Paige’s POV ** Parker kisses me again, this time with less hesitation. His hands find my waist, then slide down to my thighs as he lifts me effortlessly. I gasp against his mouth, legs wrapping around his hips without a second thought as he carries me up the stairs. He pushes open his bedro
“Breathe in through your nose,” Ryder says gently, his voice barely above a whisper. “Feel your chest rise. Count to four in your head. Now let it out slow through your mouth.”Jaxon obeys, a steady breath escaping his lips.I blink, surprised by the calm stillness in my normally fidgety son. His ch
** Paige’s POV ** I’m still shaking when Parker pulls me in closer, his arms wrapping around me and Jaxon. The blanket is warm, but it’s not doing much to stop the way I’m trembling. Jaxon’s little hands clutch my shirt, and he presses his damp cheek against my chest. I keep imagining him out the
**Paige’s POV **Callen’s home. He’s right here, looking as if nothing ever happened, but it still doesn’t feel real.He’s sitting beside me on the couch, his thumb tracing lazy circles against the inside of my wrist like he’s been doing it for years. Like he didn’t almost die. Like I haven’t spent







