**Paige’s POV **
I wake up to warmth.
Surrounded by body heat. It’s everywhere.
I blink, and it takes a second for my brain to catch up.
Callen is behind me, one arm around my waist, his warm breath on the back of my neck. Ryder <b>is </b>in front of me, one leg thrown over mine.
I’m sandwiched, naked, and sore in all the best ways.
My cheeks me as I’m hit with the full memory ofst night. The things they said. The way they touched. me. The way I let them.
Crap!
What did I do?
Panic flutters in my chest, but under the awkwardness and the ‘what now?… there’s something else.
A sense of rightness. Like I’ve crossed some invisible line and found solid ground here between these
men… or shifters. Christ. This is all still insane.
Ryder stirs, inhaling deeply before his eyes open. For a long moment, he just looks at me. As if he’s scared
that if he blinks, I’ll disappear.
Then he smiles. “Morning, beautiful.”
I make a noise that could be <b>a </b>greeting, or a cry for help.
Heughs softly and leans in, kissing my forehead. “Still alive?”
“Barely” I snort. “I don’t know if I should thank you or yell at you.”
“Hey, if you’re going to yell, yell at Callen. I took it easy. He’s the one that went feral,” he says.
“She loved it though,” Callen mumbles behind me,
I elbow him yfully, and they both <b>chuckle</b>. It’s lighthearted, but underneath theughter is a question no one’s saying out loud. What happens now?
I sit up, wincing a little. Ryder props himself up on his elbows, watching me, while Callen runs a hand through his hair and tries to pretend <b>he’s </b>not studying me.
I pull the nket up over my chest and clear my throat. “So…. this might be normal for you two, but it’s kind
of weird for me.”
Callen raises a brow. “Weird–hot? Or weird–regret?”
I nce between them, two dangerous men who somehow made me feel more seen in one night than I
ever have.
“I don’t regret it, but I also have no idea what I’m doing.”
“For the record,” Ryder says. “This is not normal for me. Beforest night, I’d only had s*x one time… and
you know how that turned out.”
He had told me there had been no one else since me, but I thought he meant rtionships, not sexually. I’m not sure how to feel about it. A part of me is pleased, but I also feel sorry for him, guilty even. His only experience was a first time fumble in a tent that resulted in…
“Crap. I’m not on contraception,” I admit.
“You’re okay,” Callen says. “Our kind can’t carry diseases, and you’re not fertile, so there’s no chance of
pregnancy.”
I nod, desperate to believe him, and then I frown. “Wait… how do you know I’m not fertile?”
“Because if you were, we’d smell it, and it would have sent us so wild that I doubt you’d be able to walk
today,” he halfughs.
“Oh, I’m not sure how to feel about that. What else do you know by scent?”
“A lot. We know if you’re scared, unwell, aroused, that kind of stuff,” Callen shrugs.
I
“Wow, privacy is not a thing around here then,” I huff, my cheeks flushing as my mind shes back to the
kitchenst night.
It’s no wonder Remy lost his appetite if he could smell Ryder’s effect on me. This is so humiliating.
“Don’t worry about any of that,” Ryder squeezes my hand. “We ignore it mostly, unless it’s our mate.”
“So what happens now?” I finally dare to <b>ask</b>.
“Whatever you want to happen. You’re in <b>control </b>here, and you don’t have to figure everything out today.” Rye says gently “This wasn’t a transaction. We didn’t do this to lock you in”
“No pressure,” Callen adds. “Just be honest with us”
I swallow hard My emotions feel too big right now “I think I’m terrified because it was good. Like, unbelievably good, <b>and </b>if I let myself want <b>more</b>, I won’t know how to stop.”
sin
Ryder leans in and brushes his lips <b>on </b>my shoulder “Then don’t stop <b>Just </b>feel it One moment at a time”
No one speaks then We just sit there figuring out these emotions
Callen stretches, tosses the nket off and stands, unapologetic in all his naked glory “I’m making coffee before I weep from emotional intimacy
I choke on a <bugh</b>, burying my face in my hands “Please put some clothes on first”
“Fine, but only because there’s a child in the house,” he huffs, grabbing his boxers from the floor before
heading out the door.
Ryder groans and flops back down on the bed. “He’s the worst.”
kissing my
I shake my head, smiling, and Ryder pulls me down with him, wrapping his arms around me and shoulder again. As Iy there warm in his arms, I can’t help but think <b>that </b>maybe the worst <b>thing </b>is how
night it all feels
By the time I’ve dragged myself out of bed and thrown on one of Ryder’s hoodies, Callen’s already <b>got </b>coffee brewed and half the kitchen destroyed.
I lean against the kitchen ind, watching him while fighting back memories ofst night.
“You’re not wearing clothes,” I say.
I’m wearing boxers,” he says, flipping a pancake with one hand and sipping from a mug with the other. That’s like… eighty percent dressed.”
hat’s what I do.”
Ryder appears behind me, kissing the top of my head. “Ignore him. That’s
Callen blows Ryder a kiss. “You wish you could ignore me.”
I fight off a smile as I sit down at the breakfast bar. This feels so normal. Afterst night’s intensity and the emotional rollercoaster of yesterday, it feelsforting to watch Callen burn pancakes and argue with his brother like this is just any other morning.
Ryder hands me a mug of coffee and I sip it, rxing as I imagine how easy it would be to have every morning like this.
“I’ve got him,” Ryder says, moving towards the stairs seconds before Jaxon’s small voice calls for me from
upstairs.
“Hey
Jax. Did you sleep okay?” I hear Ryder ask as he walks up the stairs.
“Yes, but I can’t find my mummy,” Jaxon says sleepily.
I get to my feet as guilt eats at me. I left him to wake up alone in a strange house.
“She’s downstairs watching Uncle Cal burn breakfast,” Ryderughs,
Ryder walks down the stairs, carrying our son. Jax has arms wrapped around his neck and his head resting. on his shoulder. Ryder has this look of pure love on his face. The sight does something to me, breaks something in me.
“Hey, sleepyhead,” I say softly.
“Hi, mummy,” Jazon says with a yawn, not even lifting his head.
He’s content to be in his dad’s <b>arms</b><b>, </b>cuddling him, and I feel a strange sense of loss. I love he has his dad. now, but I also feel like I’m losing a part of him. I’m not quite ready to share him after all these years of <b>having </b>him to myself.
I step closer and push to my tiptoes, pressing a <b>kiss </b>to Jaxon’s cheek, brushing his messy hair away from
his face. “You hungry, baby?”
He nods against Ryder’s shoulder, still too sleepy orfortable to lift his head.
“Let’s go get you some food then,” Ryder says.
He sits Jax at the ind and Callen sets a te in front of him, humming some ridiculous tune as he does.
“Breakfast is served, your tiny majesty.”
“Thanks,” Jaxon giggles, his eyes lighting up at the pancakes on his te. “I love pancakes.”
“Me too, buddy,” Ryder says, settling into the seat beside him.
I move around the ind, sitting opposite them, giving them some space to bond.
Callen and Ryder talk to Jaxon, making him giggle around mouthfuls of pancakes.
Is this how it will be from now on if I stay?
Is this the start of our family forming?
There’s an ache in my chest that I can’t quite ce, and I have this creeping fear that all this could be
taken away in a blink.
Called brushes his hand across my lower back as he walks by, dropping a te of fresh pancakes in front of me. He doesn’t say anything, but I feel like he knows where my thoughts were headed and knew I
needed his touch, a reminder that he’s here, and I’m not alone anymore.
I know I’ll have to tell them about Greg soon, especially if he’s going to be a problem. He messaged
mest night after Poppy reached out to him, looking for me. The message unsettled me. It didn’t sound like him at all. My guess is he was drunk when he sent it, convinced he had some right to demand my address and will request ess to Jaxon during the divorce. He’s never shown much interest in Jax before, and while Jaxon loves him, I’m notfortable letting him back into my son’s life<b>. </b>
The sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs pulls me from my thoughts, and momentster, Parker walks
Into the kitchen.
“Morning,” Parker says brightly, his eyes flickering between <b>us</b>. “Everyone sleep well?”
His smile looks <b>forced</b>, polite, but ufortable.
“Morning,” I say cautiously. “You okay?”
“Fine. Totally fine.” He clears his throat. “Just… long night. Weird dreams.”
Remy walks in not far behind him, tension rolling off him. His <b>eyes </b>lock on Callen first, then drift towards me, and finally settle <b>on </b>Ryder. His jaw ticks.
“d to see everyone’s having <b>a </b>great morning,” he says, but there’s venom in his tone.
Ryder stiffens but doesn’t rise to the bait. He reaches over to cut Jaxon’s second pancake into smaller
¤ Chapter 26
pieces, saying nothing.
“Can I get you some coffee?” Callen offers him.
“I can take care of myself, thanks,” Remy snaps.
Callen leans back against the counter, arms folded. “Problem, <b>Remy</b>?”
“Nope,” he says bitterly. “Just came to see how things were… progressing<b>.</b><b>” </b>
“Well,” Callen says with a smirk, “as you can see, we’re all fine. Nobody’s marked or imed, if that’s what
you’re sniffing for.”
“Not yet,” Remy mutters to himself.
Callen and Remy seem to enter a silent conversation then. Staring at each other, their <b>fists </b>clenched, jaws
tight. Remy takes a step towards Cal, his mouth opens as if he’s about to say something, but Parker stops him with a hand on his arm.
“Not now,” Parker says quietly. “Let it go.”
Remy exhales and turns away, heading for the back door like he needs air before hebusts.
“I’m sorry,” Parker says softly. “He’s… struggling. This isn’t easy for him.”
“What isn’t?” I ask, my voice sounding gentler than I feel.
Parker’s gaze meets mine, and for a second he seems to hesitate, trying to find a valid excuse for his brother’s behaviour. “Change,” he says finally.
He gives me a faint smile, then turns and follows Remy.
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