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
**Paige’s POV ** Much to my disappointment, Ryder had a late-night patrol. Which meant he didn’t mark me, just kissed me softly and sent me off to bed. I can’t deny I needed the rest, though. Even without him, I’d ended up curling into his sheets, deciding to spend the night in his bed, anyway.
** Paige’s POV **Callen leans down, pressing a slow kiss against my inner thigh, deliberately taunting him. “Not a game,” he murmurs against my skin. “A reminder.” He grins wickedly as he looks up at Remy. “She’s ours, Rem, and we are hers. You can’t keep running from it.”Something inside Remy sna
I think about his words, not sure if they make me feel better or worse. “So what you’re saying is, I’m not the problem. His instincts are.”“Exactly.” His eyes go distant before glittering with mischief, and a smirk forms on his face.I eye him suspiciously. “What?”“Come with me,” he says, the smir
After stripping down to their boxers, one by one, the men step back. Parker first, then Ryder, then Callen. Remy lingers at the edge of the field, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. My stomach clenches when our eyes met, but he didn’t look away. Parker moves first. His body shimmering, b







