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
The pages are old, discoloured, cracked parchment; the ink faded to near-invisible brown. The lighting in the scans is also not great. But it’s all I have.I zoom in on one section, squinting at the looping script. It’s written in a mix of Latin and something even older that is apparently a dialect
“She’d call it a hobby,” I say with mock seriousness. “One that doesn’t come with private healthcare.”That earns another round of laughter until we’re both wiping tears from our eyes. It feels good, like letting sunlight into a dark room.When we finally calm down, I lean my elbows on the counter a
** Paige’s POV **Through the glass, I see them… Ryder and Remy. Their bodies tense, eyes glowing faintly gold in the darkness. Even from here, I can feel their energy, wild and alive, humming through the air like static before a storm.Relief slams through me so hard my knees almost give way. They’
** Poppy’s POV **It’s been a nice, slow morning at the clinic, no one bleeding, no one screaming, and no one trying to leave this world before their time. Just peace, coffee, and the large delivery of medical supplies to sort through.I’m halfway through stocking the herb cupboard when the door cre







