LOGIN** 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 was trying to figure you out,” he shrugs.“You were lurking.”Callen gasps. “Shadow boy was lurking?”Bastian’s eyes narrow. “Shadow boy?”“Oh, don’t worry,” I say. “It suits you.”For one strange moment, his expression softens. Not much, but enough that I see it. Enough that my heart skips a bea
** Poppy’s POV **The branch is still lying where it fell. I try not to look at it as we walk away, but my eyes keep finding it anyway. Split wood, torn bark, and leaves scattered across the ground as if it had exploded from the inside out. Because of me.One stupid argument. One moment when everyth
** Parker’s POV **The moment Ryder, Remy, and Callen head out for the night patrol, the cabin feels too big. Too hollow.Paige stands by the window, her arms wrapped around herself as she watches the silhouettes of the rest of her mates disappear into the tree line, Ryder leading, Remy already shif
** Paige’s POV **The world narrows to a single point of pressure in my chest.I don’t mean in a painful way. It’s more like… a pull. A thread tethered to something outside of this room, outside of me. A distant storm I can feel but not see. Every time I try to blink, my eyes don’t want to close all
** Parker’s POV **We reach the country road just as the first headlights cut through the mist. Wolves rush to load the kids and the injured. Poppy and Jax climb into the back of the lead truck, which is some kind of old military vehicle. Ryder goes next with Paige in his arms. Jake follows, securin
“Jax is still sleeping.”I nod, glancing at the clock. It’s barely 8 AM, and so much has happened already.Poppy studies me quietly for a moment. She’s never needed words to see through me; she just knows. It’s both comforting and infuriating sometimes.“What happened out there?” she asks finally. “







