** Paige’s POV **
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“That was so much harder than I expected,” I admit, my eyes meeting Ryder’s.
“You held your ground,” he says, voice low, pride and fury mixed in his tone. “<i>You </i>didn’t back down once.”
“I wanted to,” I admit, my throat tight. “The way they looked at me… like I didn’t belong. Like I was some… mistake. I wanted to turn and run.”
“You’re not a mistake.” Callen soothes. “You’re the one thing they don’t know how <i>to </i>handle. You are a change, and that terrifies them.”
I feel Remy’s need to touch me, but he doesn’t know if it’s the right time. I decide for him, catching his hand and squeezing it. His shoulders drop slightly, his jaw unclenching. “Let them talk,” he says, softer now. “They’ll see who you are soon enough. I’ll make sure of it.”
Parker clears his throat, stepping closer. “They’ll fight it. Some harder than others. But the pack isn’t blind, Paige. They saw the way Jaxon carries Ryder’s blood. That you were strong enough to produce such a powerful alpha. I don’t think you realise how big of a deal that is, even for a she–wolf. They also saw how we stood for you. That matters.”
Jaxon lifts his head from my chest, looking between all of them with wide, innocent eyes. Are they going to stop being mean now? It’s not her fault she doesn’t have a wolf.”
<i>” </i>
The question hits me like a punch to the gut. He shouldn’t have had to see me torn down like that; it’s too much for him. Before I can answer, Ryder pulls him into his arms again. “If they don’t, they’ll answer to me.” His voice is hard. Then he softens, kissing Jax’s temple. “But most wille around, pup. You don’t need to worry about it.”
I rise slowly, my legs trembling as the adrenaline fades, and the four of them shift closer like
they’re afraid I might crumble, and maybe I would, if they weren’t here.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” I whisper honestly. “They hate me for being human. They don’t want me as their Luna, and…” My voice breaks. “They think I’ll destroy what you have here.”
“You won’t,” Ryder says immediately, his tone fierce.
“You can’t,” Callen adds, quieter but no less certain.
“You’ll save them, the way you saved me,” Remy murmurs, eyes locked on mine like a vow.
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Parker takes my hand, lifting it to his lips in a gesture so tender it makes my heart swell.‘
You’ll save all of us.”
”
The words ease something inside me. Tears roll down my face without permission, but none
of them look away. They let me cry, each reaching for me in their own way. Ryder’s hand rests
on the small of my back, Callen brushes hair from my face, Remy’s fingersce through mine,
and Parker takes my other hand.
Jaxon squeezes between us, wrapping tiny arms around my legs, and standing there,
surrounded by the four men fate tied me to and the little boy who’s the best piece of me, I almost believe I might make it through this. As long as the people right here ept me, then the rest doesn’t matter, not really.
Later, I sit on the edge of the bed, Jaxon curled against me, his soft breaths warm against my side. The men are downstairs, voices low and sharp, probably working out how to handle the pack’s attitude towards me. I should be down there with them, but I don’t feel like facing anymore right now.
My mind keeps reying the images. The way some of the pack had bowed to me, but others had refused outright. The whispers and sneers about me being a weak human. The usation about the hunters. The way eyes locked on Remy’s mark on my neck, turning something intimate and confusing into evidence against me.
My hands tremble as I grip the duvet, attempting to relieve some of the tension swirling inside of me. What if they’re right? What if I don’t belong here?
I’ve seen how Ryder takes control with ease, how Callen steadies everyone with his calm presence. Remy has earned their trust through his unwavering protection, and Parker, with his quiet confidence, feels like he’s always been a part of this ce in a way I never will.
Then there’s me. I’m just… Paige. A human woman who stumbled into this world, who didn’t even know what her son was. A woman already carrying scars from the life she left behind. What if I really am the weak link? What if their faith in me is the very thing that gets them
hurt?
Jaxon moves, his little hand clutching my T–shirt in his sleep, as if even in his dreams, he needs to know I’m here.
They bowed to him so easily. No hesitation, no suspicion. Just eptance. Because he’s one of them, he’s Ryder’s blood. Their Alpha’s son. But Jaxon is mine too. He wouldn’t exist without me, and if they epted him, then they’ve already epted a piece of me too.
< Chapter 61
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The thought flickers like a spark of hope, and I clutch onto it. Parker’s words about me being strong enough to carry an alpha pup didn’t go unnoticed. He was right. I’d got through that pregnancy and birth alone, without knowing my tiny baby was such a powerful wolf shifter. I’d grown and fed their future alpha with this weak human body.
I look down at my son, his messy hair, his pouty lips, the strength he holds in his tiny body, and a fierce determination rises inside me. This boy is everything good I’ve ever done, and he is my proof that I belong here.
Then there are the men. My mates. My soulmates. Fate didn’t just tie me <i>to </i>one of them; it tied me to all four. That isn’t an ident or a weakness. That’s power.
The pack might hate me now. They might doubt me. But they’ll learn. They’ll see me stand beside Ryder, Callen, Remy, and Parker. They’ll see me raise Jaxon into the Alpha he is going to be, and they’ll realise I’m not going anywhere.
Whether they like it or not, this is my pack now too. My family.
I lean down, pressing a kiss on Jaxon’s head. “I’ll make them see, for you, for all of us,” I
promise.
The voices downstairs grow quiet. Then I hear footsteps on the stairs, before the door creaks open and Ryder’s frame fills the doorway.
He doesn’t speak at first, just leans against the doorframe, watching me. Even in the dim light, I can see the tension in his shoulders, but his eyes are soft.
Jaxon is still asleep, curled against my side. I run a hand over his hair and then carefully shift him <i>to </i><i>the </i>pillows, tucking the nket up to his chin. My chest aches at how peaceful he looks, how untouched by the chaos surrounding us.
When I stand, Ryder is already moving toward me. His hand finds my waist, pulling me against him, his forehead dropping <i>to </i>mine like he needs the contact to breathe.
“You were incredible today,” he whispers. “You’re so much stronger than you know.”
“I didn’t feel strong. I felt like they were tearing me apart just by looking at me.” “They don’t matter.” His jaw clenches. “They’ll fall in line. What matters is you, us, and him.” His gaze flicks briefly to Jaxon. “And I’ll never let anyone touch you. You’re mine.”
The words send a shiver through me, not because I doubt them, but because I need them. I need to believe them.
:
< Chapter 61
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“I don’t want to be something they tolerate,” I whisper. “I want to be… yours. Fully. I want them. to see it, to know it.” My heart pounds with fear and determination. I lift my chin, meeting his gaze. “I’m ready, Ryder. For you to mark me.”
For a heartbeat, he goes deathly still. Then he lets out a breath.
“Paige…” my namees out like half a plea and half a growl. His handes up to cup my face. “Do you know what you’re asking? Once I mark you, there’s no going back. You will be tied to me until yourst breath.”
“I know.” My voice doesn’t shake this time. “And I want it.”
Something inside him snaps. His mouth crashes onto mine, fierce and desperate, like he’s been starving for this. His other hand fists in my hair, pulling me closer until there’s no space left between us.
Every ounce of doubt I’d carried today burns away in the heat of his kiss. Because this, us, it’s undeniable. When he finally pulls back, his eyes are wild. “Then I’ll im you. Not for the pack, or to prove anything, but because I love you.
“I love you too, Rye,” I smile and look up at him through teary eyes.
I know without question that when his mark brands my skin, there will be no room left for doubt. Despite our circumstances and our time apart, I’ve always been his.
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