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
As the dark patches along his chest begin to fade, the colour returns slowly to his skin. The beeping on the monitor steadies, climbing higher with every second.Tears spill down my cheeks as the warmth peaks, a rush that feels like sunlight after years of shadow. I whisper his name like a plea. “Ry
“I couldn’t sleep,” I admit. “My wolf needed to let off some steam, it should have been safe.”She studies me, her eyes searching mine, and I know she can see the truth. She knows I wasn’t trying to be a hero. It was a pleasure run, but I’d barely made it back to her. That’s the worst part of it. I
He breaks the kiss just long enough to whisper against my lips, “You held it together out there. Even with all those eyes on you.”“I had to,” I breathe. “If they saw…”“They didn’t.” His voice is a growl now, low and possessive. “But I did. I always do.”He kisses me again, slower this time, deeper
** Parker’s POV **The rain has passed by the time afternoon rolls around. The air smells of wet pine and smoke from the cabins’ chimneys. There’s a strange calmness to the pack. It’s the kind of stillness that always makes my skin crawl. It’s what comes right before something breaks.I push open th







