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
Remy grumbles something I don’t catch, but I laugh anyway, though it comes out more like a sob.“Sorry,” I say again, embarrassed at how much of a mess I feel.“Stop apologising. You have nothing to be sorry for. You’re going to be up and down for a while, and that’s okay,” Ryder lifts my gaze up to
Callen lets out a groan. “Fuck, look how wet she is for us already.”I can’t think. I can’t stop myself. Every instinct, every nerve, is screaming for them all to connect with me, and for Callen and Parker to claim me.I let out a moan of bliss as finally, someone touches me right where I need it, a
** Ryder’s POV **The certificate rests in my lap, the edges crinkled where my fingers have been gripping it too tightly. I can’t stop staring at the damn thing, as if I blink it’ll vanish, and I’ll wake up back in those years when I longed for Paige and had no idea our son existed.Jaxon Madden. My
** Paige’s POV **I try to shift subtly, pressing my thighs together, but they notice.Ryder’s arm tightens around me, his muscles tensing. He brushes his nose against my hair, and a low growl rumbles from his chest.Callen stiffens at my side, his grip on my thigh tightening almost to the point of







