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 ** I wake up to warmth. Surrounded by body heat. It’s everywhere. I blink, and it takes a second for my brain to catch up. Callen is behind me, one arm around my waist, his warm breath on the back of my neck. Ryder is in front of me, one leg thrown over mine. I’m
They both go quiet. The only sounds are the usual ones you’d expect to hear in the woods at night and the steady thrum of my pulse in my ears. Callen looks like he wants to touch me, but he doesn’t. “You’re right, Paige,” he says finally. “You didn’t ask for this. You didn’t choose us.” “But
** Callen’s POV ** I find Remy where I knew I would. Not far into the woods, just beyond the clearing where we used to meet up to be alone. He’s sitting on a fallen tree, elbows on his knees, head down. The hoodie he wore earlier is bunched around his arms, like he pulled it off in frustration.
His eyes flick away, jaw tightening. “That’s not what this is.” “Then what is it?” I demand. “Because if you’re going to tell me to go and leave my son behind again, it’s never going to happen. There is nothing that would ever make me leave him.” He doesn’t speak, and that silence makes me a







