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
“They’re calling to me,” I whisper. “Like… like something inside of me knows I’m supposed to go.”Ryder swallows audibly.“Paige…”“Ryder, Ronnie told me to listen to my instincts,” I remind him gently. “And this is instinct. Whatever happened to them, whatever is happening now, I can feel it. Somet
“No,” I say firmly. “Paige doesn’t need more stress, and, like it or not, Greg is using the human authorities as a layer of protection. If anything were to happen to him whilst he has an open court case, Paige would be the first person they’d look into. We need to deal with the hearing the regular h
** Paige’s POV **Breakfast almost settles me, almost, but not quite.The guys keep trying to act normal, but the bond is a mess of tangled emotions. Curiosity, awe, worry, and something sharper threading through all of them… fear.Not fear of me but fear for me, and it’s Ryder who keeps glancing at
Another silence settles, comfortable and familiar. It feels like being teens again, sitting outside after dinner, talking about crushes.“Hey,” I say softly, nudging her. “How are things with Leo and Jake?”She chokes on her coffee.I blink. “Um. Is that… a bad sign?”“No!” she squeaks, voice too hi







