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<b>** </b>Paige’s POV <b>** </b>
The air in the living room is cooler, and I breathe it in, pressing a hand to my chest, trying to slow the frantic beat of my heart, but the images won’t leave me alone. Hunters smiling at my table. Raising sses to toast my marriage. Leaning down to pat Jax on the head, their hands inches from his tiny throat.
A sob escapes before I can swallow it. I press my hand to my mouth, trying to muffle the sound, but it’s useless. The panic floods through me until I feel like I’m drowning.
I don’t hear Parker until he’s right behind me. “Paige,” he murmurs, his voice low, careful.
I shake my head, unable to face him, unable to face anyone. “I let them in. I let them near
him. What kind of mother…”
“Don’t,” he cuts in, moving around to look at me. “Don’t you dare me yourself. You had no idea any of this existed.”
I drop onto the sofa, burying my face in my hands. “But I should have known. I should have
seen something.”
Parker kneels in front of me, pulling my hands gently away from my face. “How, Paige? How could you have known? Hunters don’t walk in wearing uniforms. They blend in. They smile and shake hands and look like everyone else. You couldn’t have known, because you weren’t supposed to. They wanted you blind.”
Tears blur my vision. “They touched him, Parker. They touched Jax. What if they’d… what if they’d hurt him?”
He cups my face in his big, steady hands, his thumbs brushing away the tears I can’t stop. ” They didn’t. And they never will. Not while I’m breathing. Do you hear me?”
I nod, trying to push down the guilt and all the ‘what ifs?‘.
Parker leans closer, his forehead resting against mine. “You and Jax are mine to protect. You’re ours. There is nothing we wouldn’t do to keep you both safe. There’s no line we
wouldn’t cross.”
The words break something inside me. I let out a sob and lean into him, my arms wrapping around his shoulders. He pulls me against his chest, holding me so tightly it feels like he’s
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trying to anchor me to the earth. I cling to him, breathing in his scent, which is warm and uniquely Parker.
“I hate him,” I whisper against Parker’s neck. “I hate Greg for everything he’s done. For what he put me through. For what he risked with Jax.”
Parker’s arms tighten around me. “Good. Hold on to that, because we’re going to use it. We’re
going to find out exactly what he’s been doing with the hunters, and then we’re going to end <ol><li>it. He won’t hurt you again.” </li></ol>
Parker always has a way of cutting his way through my chaos, of being solid when I feel like
I’m shattering. He has no idea how much I need him, how much he has helped me through
everything since I arrived.
We stay like that for a long time, my tears soaking into his shirt, his arms never loosening.
Eventually, the tears slow and my breathse easier.
When I finally pull back, his shirt is damp, and he just smiles at me softly like it doesn’t
matter. “Better?<b>” </b>
I nod, “A little.”
He brushes a strand of hair from my cheek. “That’s enough for now. We’ll face the rest
together.”
I let out a breath and managed a smile, shifting to get up. “I should wash my face and go
check on Jax.”
“He’s fine. We knew you wouldn’t want him seeing you upset, so the others are keeping him
busy.”
“Thank you, I really appreciate you all,” I breathe, and I truly mean it.
I love how they have all stepped up for me and Jax. Not just in our protection, but in our physical and emotional needs.
“You don’t need to thank us, ever.” He shakes his head. “This is what mates do, what a pack does. Now rx for a while. We can join the others when you’re ready.”
“Shouldn’t the three of you be sleeping? You’ve been out on patrol all night.”
“No, we’re fine. We don’t actually need much sleep unless we are injured. We can sleep on
patrol when it’s quiet too.”
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I raise an eyebrow at him. “Wait… you can nap while you’re supposed to be protecting the
pack?”
Parker huffs augh and looks like he’s trying to suppress a grin. “Only when it’s safe, I
promise. We’re not reckless. Our wolves are very alert, even when we sleep.”
“Hmm.” I narrow my eyes at him. “And how does the pack earn money? Do you all just… live
on wolf magic?”
That gets himughing properly, the sound healing something in me. “We’re not that
mystical, Paige. Some of us run businesses, some work in town, some do online stuff. The
pack has investments too, thanks to Ronnie. We make it work and livefortably.”
I sink back onto the sofa, deciding to distract myself with more questions. “Another thing I
don’t get… why do you all barely look at me when you’re in your wolf form?”
That catches him off guard. He scratches the back of his neck, suddenly awkward, his eyes
darting away. “Because Jax is usually with you.”
I frown. “What’s that got to do with it?”
His gaze flicks back to mine, heated now, and something in my stomach flips. “Our wolves don’t hold back, Paige. They’re… intense and possessive with their mates. Too intense for little eyes. Especially in the first meeting. The mate bond is something we have never experienced before, we don’t know how much control we will have.”
Heat creeps up my neck. “Intense, how?”
Parker studies me for a moment, then pushes to his feet and offers me his hand. “Come
outside. I’ll show you.”
My pulse picks up as I let him lead me through the back door into the early afternoon sun.
“Remember, I won’t hurt you,” he says, and I see a hint of vulnerability in his eyes.
I smile at him and nod. “I trust <i>you</i>.”
Parker lets go of my hand and steps back to strip off his shirt and pants, his eyes never
leaving mine <b>as </b>the shift ripples over him.
Bones crack, muscles stretch, fur blooms across his skin, and in seconds the man is gone, reced by a massive wolf, dark and imposing, his amber eyes fixed on me with a raw
intensity that steals my breath.
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This time he doesn’t look away; he holds my gaze.
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I take a cautious step forward, my heart hammering in my chest, but he lowers his head, a
soft whine escaping him as if urging me closer. I finally lift my hand to touch his thick fur; a
deep rumble vibrates through him. Not a growl, it’s something softer, almost like a purr.
“Parker,” I whisper, even though I know he can’t answer.
He presses his muzzle against my chest, nudging me gently, then circles around to brush his
body against mine, marking me with his scent, staking a im that is both primal and
protective. My breath catches, tears filling my eyes again, but this time they’re not from fear
or grief. They’re from the overwhelming certainty that I belong here, with him, with all of
them.
I bury my hands in his fur,ughing through the wetness in my eyes. “Okay,” I breathe. “I get it
now.<i>” </i>
His fur is softer than I expected, warm under my fingers, carrying a wild, earthy scent. He
leans into my touch, his massive body pressing against my side as though he wants to crawl
right under my skin.
I let out a shakyugh. “You’re beautiful.” I tilt my head back to meet his glowing eyes.
His tail wags at thepliment, and my chest squeezes. I slide my hands up his neck,
burying my face in the thick fur. His body vibrates with a low sound. A half growl, half rumble,
and I realise its contentment.
He nudges me insistently with his nose, pushing until I stumble a step back. Iugh, and he
tilts his head, watching me with a look that is too intelligent for an ordinary wolf. When I
don’t move, he pads closer, lowering himself onto his belly at my feet. I wait to see what he
will do next, but when he doesn’t move, I drop to sit on the grass beside him. Then, with a
huff, he drops his great big head into myp as if to say you’re not going anywhere.
A rush of something close <i>to </i>love runs through me, warming me from the inside out. I stroke his ears, trace the strong line of his jaw, and he closes his eyes as if in bliss, huffing out a soft breath. I feel like I’m living in a fairytale. One where a human befriends an animal they should run from. The gentleness of him is overwhelming. The same animal who can level an
enemy with one strike is now sprawled across the grass, clinging to me like he’ll die if I walk
away.
“You really don’t hold back, do you?” I hum. “No wonder you all avoid me when Jax is around.
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His eyes open, big and intense. I lean down until my forehead rests against his, fingers tangling in his fur. “I’m yours,” I whisper, and the answering rumble in his chest sends a shiver
through me.
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** Ryder’s POV **