**Callen’s POV **


    I try not to listen in on Ryder and Paige upstairs. I really do.


    They’re whispering, probably so as not to wake Jaxon, but my hearing is too damn good to ignore thempletely. I tell myself to focus on the dishes, on the ttering of the cutlery in the sink. But clearly, I have zero self–control, because I’m focusing so hard on their conversation that I’m going to give myself a


    headache.


    When Ryder says he wants to kiss her, I wince, bracing for her rejection. i***t. He’s going too fast, pushing her too soon. He’s going to ruin all the progress we’d made with her in thest few hours. It goes quiet, too.


    quiet.


    Are they kissing?


    I freeze midway through washing a fork, the soap bubbles running down my arm. I strain to hear any sign of what is happening. When they breathlessly whisper each other’s names, it sounds like something out of


    a chick flick.


    A stupid grin spreads over my face. That smooth son of a gun pulled it off! I almost whoop and fist pump


    the air like an i***t, but then a bitterness twists in my chest.


    Is this jealousy?


    I frown, staring down at the soapy water like it’s personally offended me. Why the hell am I jealous<b>? </b>


    I wanted this. I knew Rye had to be the one to win her <b>over </b>first. She can’t even entertain starting


    something with me until she has forgiven my brother. She is our mate, but he is her first love, her


    childhood sweetheart and the father of her child. Until those two unpack all that baggage, I need to be


    patient.


    I can’tpete with the history between them. My n is to be the funny one, the one that makes her


    pressure or expectations. I want to earn my ce with her.


    I need to find a way to make things right with her and Remy, too. I’d been terrified earlier that she had


    worked out there was more to me and Remy than pack brothers. I thought she was about to out us in front


    of Parker too, which would have been awkward as hell. I’m not <b>sure </b>that <b>we </b>could ever admit to our brothers what we’ve been doing.


    As if summoned by my thoughts of him, Remy mind links with me. “Your human is calling you,” he says bitterly.


    I frown, straining harder to listen for her. Surely I’d have heard if she had called me.


    “I don’t hear her, she is with Rye,” I respond.


    Is this some kind of game for him? Just a way to tease me somehow?


    “I mean your phone. Paige is calling your phone, unless you know any other Paige’s,” he says dryly.


    I pat my pockets with my wet hands. I know I don’t have my phone, so I’m not sure why I even checked, but I’m already moving up the stairs.


    “Why do you have my phone?”


    “I didn’t steal it, if that’s what you are insinuating. You must have dropped it here when you shifted earlier,


    you know… <b>right </b>after you punched me,” he huffs and a pang of guilt hits me.


    I shouldn’t have hit him, not like that, but he was trying to get rid of my mate and I snapped.


    “I’m sorry, Rem. I didn’t mean tosh out, I just…”


    “You were protecting your mate. I got the message <b>loud </b>and clear,” he says as he opens his bedroom door and holds out my phone.


    The screen shes with Paige’s name and I frown, looking towards the door I know she is behind. She


    doesn’t have her phone. We checked her for it while she was unconscious.


    I hit answer and bring it to my ear. “Hello,” I say cautiously.


    “Oh… hi, erm… I’m looking for Paige. Your number was in her recent history, and I was just wondering if you’d seen her,” a hesitant female voice says through the speaker.


    “Who is this?” <b>I </b>ask.


    “I’m Poppy, Paige’s sister. I can’t find her, and she left her house and car unlocked. Her keys were inside


    the car along with her phone, and I’m just… I’m so worried about her,” Poppy says, her voice bing choked as she speaks<b>. </b>


    Remy raises his brows at me, able to hear her, and I grimace. Ryder will hear her, too.


    “Oh, hi, Poppy. Paige and Jax are fine. They’re here with us.”


    “They are? Oh, thank <b>goodness</b>. Can you put her on the phone, <b>please</b>?”


    “She’s actually putting Jaxon to bed right now. Can <b>I </b>get her to call you back tomorrow?” I lie.


    A long silence stretches before she speaks again. “Look, no offence, but I have no <b>idea </b>who you are, and


    my sister wouldn’t take Jax and stay at <b>some </b>guy’s house that she just met. Now either you put her on the phone, or I’m calling the police to report her and my nephew missing


    “Okay, <b>okay</b>, <b>calm </b>down. There’s no need for that. I assure you, they are both safe and <b>well</b>. Just give me a second,” I say, and then hit the mute button just as Parkeres out of his room to see what the fuss is


    about.


    “Humans,” Remy <b>scoffs</b>, rolling his eyes as Ryder <b>opens </b>the door to Paige’s bedroom.


    “What’s wrong?” Paige whispers <b>as </b>she follows Rye out of the door, gently closing it behind her.


    ΤΗ


    10upte 21


    “Your sister is looking for you. She has your phone. Can you speak to her? <b>Because </b>she is threatening to call the police,” I say, before unmuting the call and holding the phone out to her.


    Paige’s eyes go wide as she steps forward and takes the phone from me. “<b>Pops</b>, hey. Sorry if I worried you.


    I’m fine.”


    “What the hell is going on, Paige? And who’s Callen? You scared the sh*t out of me! <b>You </b>can’t do this to me, I thought Greg… I thought… I’d lost you. I can’t lose you.”


    “I’m not going anywhere, I promise,” Paige says, her tone soft. “I’ll exin everything tomorrow…”


    “No. Not tomorrow. For all I know, you are being forced to say you’re okay. I’m not going anywhere until I’ve


    seen you with my own eyes. You have thirty minutes to get here, or I’m calling the police.” Poppy snaps.


    Paige looks at me and then at Ryder with worried eyes.


    “Looks like we are taking a walk, Ryder sighs, running a hand over the back of his neck.


    “Okay, Poppy. We will be there soon.”


    “Thirty minutes, Paige. I mean it,” she demands before the line goes dead.


    “Well, she sounds like a firecracker,” Iugh, trying to break the tension. “I can take her if you want to stay


    here with Jax,” I offer, looking at my brother.


    “No.” Paige shakes her head. “She still won’t believe that <b>I’m </b>okay. She knows I’d never do something like


    this, not unless she sees Ryder. I think she might understand then.”


    “Why don’t both of you go with her? Me and Remy can watch Jaxon,” Parker says.


    Paige looks at him with a smile. I can see the fondness in her <b>eyes</b>, the trust she has in him already. Parker smiles back at her, and it’s not a smile I’ve ever seen from him before. It’s softer somehow, hopeful maybe.


    Interesting.


    “Don’t sign me up for babysitting.” Remy huffs. “I’m sure you can manage on your own,” he adds before


    stepping back and closing the door on <b>us</b>.


    “Are you sure?” Paige asks, her eyes still on Parker. “I doubt he will wake up, but if he does, you can just tell him I’ve gone to get his teddy. If you tell him a story, he will go back to sleep.”


    *Of course. Don’t worry, I will keep him safe,” Parker nods.


    “Parker can be trusted,” Ryder adds, clearly unaware of what I see between our mate and our beta.


    I nce towards Remy’s <b>door</b>. Could our betas be hers too? Four mates are not unheard of, especially <b>when </b>the <b>mates </b>are twins. If I’m right, this could either get real messy or work out perfectly.


    After a quick change of clothes for me <b>and </b>Ryder, we head down the stairs with Paige. I open the cupboard by the door to <b>grab </b>some shoes <b>and </b>I hand Paige hers. She looks at them like I’ve just given her the greatest gift and drops them, shoving her feet into them. Then we leave, ready to go face her feisty