LOGIN“Because we didn’t,” Jake grumbles.“Why, is something wrong?” I sit up, needing to be able to see them both. Neither of them answers right away, which tells me everything and nothing. “It’s nothing you need to worry about,” Leo says, sitting up and rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “We ju
** Poppy’s POV **For the most part of the day, I hold myself together, the way I always have. Showing weakness and crying helps no one. I have been through loss before, and I made it out the other side. This isn’t as bad as then. I’m older now, and my sister isn’t dead; I just can’t be around her
“I’ve got you,” I whisper softly.She makes another noise that sounds remarkably close to my name as she turns to face me. She doesn’t wake up, not fully, but she knows I’m here. Her breathing evens out again, and I feel nothing but peace through the bond from her.I’m not sure how long I lay there,
** Jake’s POV **Today was not the happy, carefree day I had hoped for. I thought mating with Poppy would stabilise her the way it had with Paige, but we are very quickly learning that the sisters may be similar, but they are not the same.Seeing the devastation on her face when she realised there w
Mate.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
“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
He nods, his eyes softening. “Yeah. It is.”I laugh softly, shaking my head. “You always did make things complicated.”He grins. “And you always loved me for it.”“Still do,” I admit.We start walking again, the silence between us lighter this time. The tension that’s been building in my chest for d
**Paige’s POV **When I wake up, the world is quiet.The faint grey light of early morning seeps through the curtains and spills over the bed. For a second, I can’t remember how I got here. Then it comes back in pieces… the vision, the fear, the sound of Ryder’s voice shouting my name. He must have







