<b>** </b>Paige’s POV **
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By the time we make it back home after dinner with Poppy, I’m exhausted. I love my sister so
much, but she can be hard work, especially if she thinks there is a mystery to solve. I can’t
me her, though. If the roles were reversed, I’d be the same. I know she is only looking out
for me and Jax, but for her own sake I wish she would just drop it.
I’d love to tell her everything, of course I would. She’s one of the most important people in my
life, but if sharing this with her can put her in danger and make people in the pack distrust me
even more, then it’s best to keep it from her, at least for now.
On the way home, Jax had convinced all the guys to have one game on the Xbox with him before bed. I don’t like his new obsession with the games console, but he did so well today
that I agreed to it. Plus, it seems to be a good bonding tool for him and the guys.
Within minutes, they’re all glued to the TV screen, cheering Jax on as he races Callen.
“I’m going to shower,” I say, excusing myself.
The guys all give me a look, one that says they know I just need a few minutes alone to process everything.
Upstairs, the house is quiet. I drop my bag on the bed, kick off my shoes, and flop down beside it. That’s when I remember the pile of mail I shoved inside earlier.
I debate leaving it until the morning, but curiosity wins. It’s my first mail at that address, so I
know most of it will be bills, but there could be something interesting.
Most of it is what I expected: electricity bill, water bill, broadband setup confirmation,
medical forms from the vige doctors. I sort them into a neat pile as I go through them,
ready to deal with tomorrow.
Then, two official–looking envelopes catch my eye, giving me a sense of dread before I even
open them.
The first one is a petition for divorce.
My name, his name, a list of signatures and demands. My throat closes up as I stare at it. It shouldn’t hurt. I don’t love Greg, but something about seeing it there in ck and white feels more like a threat. I doubt he cares about rushing a divorce, he just used it as a way to let me
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know he has my address.
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I drop it on the bed. I don’t care what his demands are; he can have the house and everything in it. I was already prepared to let it all go, now I’m even more sure I want nothing from him apart from never seeing him again.
When I rip the second envelope open, it nearly slips from my fingers as I read the header.
The Family Court in Somerfield County.
Re: Application under Section 8 of the Children Act 1989
I hold my breath as my eyes skim over the important parts.
Dear Ms Thompson,
Please be advised that the Court has received an application made by Mr Gregory Thompson in rtion to your child, Jaxon Wilson.
Mr Thompson has applied for:
A Child Arrangements Order seeking joint custody and contact with the child.
The Court has issued proceedings, and a copy of Mr Thompson’s application is enclosed
with this letter. You are named as the respondent in this matter.
A First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment (FHDRA) has been scheduled as follows:
Date: 14/11/2025
Time: 10:30AM
You are required to attend. The purpose of this hearing will be to identify the issues in
dispute, consider safeguarding information, and determine how the case should proceed.
Failure to attend may result in decisions being made in your absence.
“No,” I whisper, clutching the paper tighter. My heart stutters, my stomach flips. He can’t do
this. He can’t be anywhere near Jax.
I shove it aside before panic can overwhelm mepletely. I can’t even bring myself to read the second page.
The letter sits on top of the stack, mocking me. Greg wants ess to Jaxon. He wants to drag us into court<b>, </b>into the human system, where words like werewolf and hunter mean nothing. This is going to risk everything, and worse, it’s going to put Jaxon right in the middle.
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Thoughts of running, taking Jaxon and fleeing the country fly through my mind, but I quickly dismiss them. Jaxon needs a pack, his ce is here.
I swallow hard, shoving the papers back into the envelope just as I hear footsteps rushing towards me.
I press the envelopes against my chest, my heart racing and my hands trembling. I can’t hide this from them. But right now I don’t know how to tell them without destroying this fragile peace we have. Since I arrived, I feel like I’ve brought them nothing but stress and danger.
The bedroom door swings open. Ryder’s worried gazending straight on me as he strides
across the room with Remy right behind him. The bond between us hums like a live wire,
carrying my fear and panic straight to them.
“Paige,” Ryder’s voice is cautious, like he’s afraid I’m about to break. He’s on me in seconds,
crouching in front of the bed, his big hands on my knees. His eyes search mine. “What happened?”
Remy is quieter, but just as intense. He leans against the wall with his arms crossed, his
gaze fixed on me like he’s trying to read my mind. “You’re scared, tell us why so we can fix it.”
The paper crinkles in my hands as I exhale and hold out both envelopes. “You’re not going to
like this.”
Ryder doesn’t hesitate, he takes them from my hands. His brow furrows as he scans the divorce paperwork first. The tension in his shoulders eases, and he huffs out a humourless
“Well, that’s one thing settled,” he says, tossing it onto the bed. “You’re almost free of him for
good.”
Then, Ryder opens the other envelope and his entire body goes still. I hold my breath, waiting for the explosion.
“What the hell is this?” Ryder growls, his voice so low it vibrates through me.
He flips to the second page and reads it out loud.
“I am applying for a child arrangement order so that I may have joint custody of my son, Jaxon Wilson. I believe it is in Jaxon’s best interest to have a meaningful rtionship with both of his parents. Since separating from Ms Thompson, I have had limited involvement in Jaxon’s life. I am concerned that I am being deliberately excluded from decisions regarding his upbringing, and that my parental responsibility is not being respected. I am seeking
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regr contact with Jaxon, including overnight stays. Joint decision–making regarding Jaxon’s education, medical care, and general welfare. Recognition as Jaxon’s father on official records. I wish to stress that my intention is not to disrupt Jaxon’s stability, but to ensure he has the benefit of a consistent and loving rtionship with both parents. Signed, Gregory Thompson.”
Remy takes it from him before Ryder rips it in half. He reads it with his jaw clenched. By the time he finishes, his eyes are zing with his wolf. “That bastard’s actually trying to im
Jaxon?<b>” </b>
I nod, throat tight. “He filed for ess through the courts.”
Ryder surges to his feet, pacing the room like a caged wolf. His anger is like a storm, rolling
off him in waves. Seeing him like this makes my chest ache.
“He has no right. No right! Jaxon is my son,” he growls.
Remy’s eyes flick to me. “We can’t let him anywhere near Jaxon, but if we ignore this, it’ll draw more attention. Judges, solicitors, people poking into your lives. Into our town. One way
or another, we need to shut this down, and fast.”
The thought makes my stomach churn. He’s right.
Callen and Parkere in then. “What’s going on?” Callen demands, his eyes narrowing.
Remy holds out the letter. “Greg filed for custody.”
Callen curses under his breath, pacing like Ryder. Parker’s jaw flexes as he reads the letter,
his voice t but deadly. “He’s painting a target on all of us, using the human authorities to
get to us.”
I grip the mattress, forcing myself to breathe evenly. “So what do I do?”
No one answers me, the room falling silent. Then Ryder stops pacing. He crouches in front
of me again, his expression fierce. “We don’t hide, we don’t run. We fight and prove the truth.”
Remy nods. “A DNA test.”
My eyes widen. “What?<b>” </b>
“Ryder takes one,” Parker exins. “We have it processed through the human system,pletely legal. Then we file to have him added to Jaxon’s birth certificate. When the court datees, we’ll walk in with the proof that Greg has no im. No judge will give ess to
a man proven not to be the father.”
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Ryder’s hand finds mine, strong and unshakable. “Once I’m on the record as his father, there’s no loophole. Greg will be finished.”
Emotion swells in my chest, a mix of fear, relief, and hope. “You’d really do that?”
“Paige,” Ryder says, squeezing my hand. “He’s my son. Of course I would. Even without this threat, I’d still do it. I want it to be official, I want to be on his birth certificate. Jaxon belongs
with us, always.”
The others nod in agreement.
“But isn’t it a risk to put your DNA into the system?” I ask.
“Not for this, it’s a basic test, not an in–depth analysis looking for abnormalities. Besides, I’m
sure it’s already in the system after they found me as an abandoned baby. They would have
run tests to try to trace my family.”
“My games finished!” Jax calls from downstairs.
“Okay, I’ll be down in a minute!” Ryder says over his shoulder before turning back to look at <ol><li>me. “Don’t worry about this, he’s not got a leg to stand on. Tomorrow we’ll find a solicitor and </li></ol>
get the ball rolling. We will make him look like a fool in the courts, and then we will take down
his band of hunters.” He rests his forehead on mine and then kisses me before turning to
leave.
I watch him go. The fear is still there, but it’s no longer as suffocating. I know I’m not alone in
this fight. Greg may have the courts, the hunters, and the arrogance to think he can im
Jaxon, but I have Ryder, Remy, Callen, and Parker. And Jaxon has a whole pack ready to
defend him. Together, we’ll make sure Jaxon is untouchable.
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