LOGINAlaric presses his lips together, giving a small wave towards the phone, and Bastian bows his head slightly. “It looks like Ronnie found something, we thought you might want to hear it,” Callen says. “Hang on.” Muffled voices come through the speaker, and something thumps before Paige speaks agai
** Jake’s POV **The silence that settles after Ronnie’s words is uncomfortable. For a long moment, no one moves. The forest seems unnaturally still around us, as though even the birds have decided this isn’t a conversation they want any part of. Ronnie clears his throat. “So,” he says, his gaze d
** 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
** Paige’s POV **Morning comes softly. Not with alarms or panic or the edge of fear that’s lived under my skin for days, but with light filtering through the curtains and the quiet sound of breathing around me. The cabin smells like coffee and earth and clean air, like the forest itself has forgive
“Take your clothes off for me, beautiful,” I say softly, trying not to let her hear how close I am to completely losing control.I had planned to undress her slowly, to unwrap her like the gift that she is, but I’m too keyed up for this. There’s no way her clothes will come off in one piece if I do
The words hit me like cold water.“Poppy,” I breathe, not pleading, but careful. “You don’t have to run.”“I’m not running. Running would mean I’m afraid.”“And you’re not?”For the first time, something flickers across her face, an emotion she can’t quite hide.“I’m terrified,” she admits, and her
** Paige’s POV **The forest doesn’t explode into chaos. That’s the strangest part. The wind doesn’t rise. The hunters don’t burst through the trees, and the shots don’t come, but they will. It’s just a matter of time.Everything is silent, too silent as we wait for something, anything to happen.I







