**Paige’s POV **
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Leo groans, his body twitching under the nket. Poppy startles, her nails digging into her knees as her gaze flies to him. His head rolls weakly to the side; his eyes remain shut, but his hand twitches, reaching blindly toward her again.
Poppy’s breath hitches. “Why does he keep…”
“Because the bond doesn’t let go,” Callen says simply.
Poppy squeezes her eyes shut, her whole body trembling. “This is too much. I can’t handle this.”
“You don’t have to handle it all tonight,” I tell her, desperate to stop the rising panic in her voice. “Just breathe. One step at a time.”
She hugs her knees tighter, whispering, “I had a n. I was going to finish school. Get into vet training. Work with animals. Not… not be mated to some stranger who turns into one.”
Her words sting, but not because she means them harshly. It’s because I know exactly what it feels like to have your life ripped away and rewritten without your consent.
“You can still be that,” I say quietly. “Being part of this world doesn’t erase who you are. If anything, it makes you stronger, gives you more to fight for.”
Her eyes snap open, wet and furious. “Easy for you to say. You’ve already epted it. You already<i>…</i><i>” </i>She stops herself, her lips pressing into a thin line.
I know what she almost said. You already have them. Ryder, Callen, Remy, Parker. The mates that make my world bothplicated and unbearably full.
She doesn’t yet. She just has Leo, an unconscious stranger.
The silence between us stretches again. Then, softer than a whisper, she says, “What if I can’t do this?<b>” </b>
“You can,” Callen says without hesitation. “You’re stronger than you think, and you’re not alone. None of us will let you be.”
Poppy doesn’t respond. She just presses her forehead against her knees, hiding her face. But she doesn’t pull away when I slide my arm around her shoulders. For now, that has to be enough.
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Leo lets out another rough exhale, the sound tearing through the silence. I nce at him, imagining the fragile bond forming between him and my sister, and I know this is only the beginning.
I’m still not sure whether I should be terrified or grateful.
The silence stretches, heavy and suffocating, when the front door bangs open. My heart lurches before I catch Ryder’s familiar frame. Relief crashes over me so hard it makes my head spin.
Ryder strides into the kitchen with Remy right behind him, both of them stripped down to only shorts, their chests streaked with dirt and blood. They look wild from the fight, a feral green in their eyes. My gaze flicks over them instinctively, broad shoulders, tense muscles, the subtle cuts and bruises still healing before my eyes. They don’t look like men who just walked through hell. They look like predators who survived it.
Ryder’s eyes scan the room,nding on me first before dropping to Leo’s unconscious form on the floor. His jaw tightens. “We need to move. It’s not safe here anymore.”
Remy’s gaze lingers on Poppy, who’s curled in against the counter like she’s still trying to disappear into it. She flinches under the weight of his attention, and I can almost feel her panic spike. Remy softens, his voice steady but firm. “We’re taking everyone back to the cabin. Pack enforcers are already sweeping the area, and our territory is secure, but we can’t risk staying here; it’s too open.”
“The cabin?” Poppy blurts, her eyes darting between the bloodied men like she’s only just realising how deep into this nightmare she’s fallen. “I’m not… I have to go home. Annie will be here to pick me up soon. Oh, Christ, I need to clean myself up. I can’t let her see me covered in blood; she will…<i>” </i>
“Annie can’t know about any of this, Poppy,” I cut in gently. “You need to call her. Tell her you’re staying with me tonight.”
Poppy looks at me as if I’ve betrayed her. “I can’t just…”
Ryder interrupts, his voice low and carrying that Alpha authority. “You can, and you Hunters might know <i>you </i>were here with us. That makes you a target.”
will.
Her face goes pale at the word, hunters.
I take her hand, squeezing it. “Please, Pops. Just for tonight. We can figure everything else out in the morning, but I have to know you are safe.”
For a second, I think she’s going to refuse, but then she nods stiffly, swallowing hard. “Fine.”
215
<Chapter 102
Ryder doesn’t waste time. “Callen, take Leo. Parker…”
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“I’ve got him,” Parker says quietly, stepping into the kitchen with Jaxon limp in his arms. My son’s head is buried against his shoulder, his little face peaceful in sleep, unaware of the blood, the chaos, the world that’s shifted around him tonight. My heart squeezes painfully at the sight.
Callen bends down, slipping his arms under Leo’s body with practised ease, careful not to disturb the nket covering him. Leo groans faintly but doesn’t wake, his weight sagging against Callen like a rag doll.
Ryder looks at me next. “You and your sister stay together. It’s safe for now, but we need to move fast. I don’t want any of you out there a second longer than necessary.” His tone leaves no room for argument, not that I would argue with him on this right <i>now</i>. I know our safety is his priority.
I nod, linking my arm through Poppy’s before she can try to back away. She’s stiff beside me, her face pale and her eyes wide, but she doesn’t pull away. That’s something.
We step out into the night, the cool, damp air a wee break from the coppery scent of blood that we’ve been surrounded by. I’m not looking forward toing back to clean the
house up.
Shadows shift at the edges of the trees, glowing eyes watching from the dark. The enforcers are already here, massive wolves moving out of the treeline, their hackles raised and their movements predatory.
Poppy stiffens, pressing closer to me. Her voice is a trembling whisper. “Doesn’t this… doesn’t this scare you? Being surrounded by them?”
I nce at the wolves, watching their bodies ripple with muscle under thick fur, and their eyes catching the moonlight. Then I look at Ryder and Remy, already shifting mid–step. Bones crack, fur bursts across their skin, and then two more wolves stand among the others,rger and <i>more </i>imposing than the rest.
The sight makes something warm flicker in my chest, not fear. It feels like safety, like home. “No,” I tell her honestly. “Not anymore. They’re my family.”
Her expression twists, like she doesn’t know whether to be horrified or jealous. Maybe both.
We move in formation, the wolves circling <i>us </i>as we follow the narrow trail back through the trees. Parker carries Jaxon ahead of me, his steps careful so he doesn’t jostle him. Callen walks behind us with Leo cradled against his chest, his face hard with concentration. I keep my arm looped firmly through Poppy’s, even when she tries to loosen it.
< Chapter 102
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The forest is alive with sound, the crunch of leaves under feet, the soft huff of wolf breaths, the distant call of an owl, but underneath it all is a heavy tension. The pack is on edge, ready for another attack. It sends a chill down my spine.
Poppy leans close, her whisper shaky with nerves. “They’re huge… and their teeth… Paige, how can you just… walk like this, like it’s normal?”
I squeeze her arm. “Because it is normal for me now. You get used <i>to </i>it quicker than you expect; you’ll see.”
She doesn’t answer, but she doesn’t pull away again.
By the time the cabines into view, my legs ache with exhaustion from everything that’s happened tonight. Warm light spills from the windows, cutting through the dark. It looks like safety, even if I know better than to believe in something that fragile.
“Poppy can take my room tonight; I’m taking Leo straight to the healer. I’ll be back as soon as I know he’s stable,” Callen says before we make it to the front porch.
Remy moves to stand beside Callen, making his intention to escort him clear.
I nod. “Be careful and make sure you bothe home to me.” <fn6> Find the newest release on f?ndnovel</fn6>
“Always,” Callen grins, but I can see how much of an effort it is for him.
Remy’s eyes lock on mine before he dips his head. “I’ll make sure he makes it back,” his voice floats into my mind.
I take onest look at Leo. His breaths are shallow, his skin still too pale, but he’s alive.
“I should…<i>” </i>Poppy starts, then cuts herself off. Her gaze follows Leo’s limp body as Callen turns to leave, and her face pales. Her mouth opens again, firmer this time. “I’ming too.”
Everyone stops, even Ryder. The silence stretches a beat too long.
“Poppy,” I say carefully, “you don’t have to…”
“Yes, I <i>do</i><i>.</i><i>” </i>Her voice cracks, but her chin lifts. “If what you said is true–if he’s… if he’s really…” She swallows, her throat bobbing. “He’s my patient; I have to see this through.”
Callen turns back and meets her gaze for a long moment, his eyes unreadable, then he nods once. “Thene.”
Remy looks like he wants to argue, but he doesn’t. Ryder stays quiet too, watching with his wolf–bright eyes.
I stand frozen, torn between pride at my sister’s strength and terror at what she’s walking
< Chapter 102
into.
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Poppy squares her shoulders and follows after them, leaving me with Parker, Ryder, and a sleeping Jaxon.
“She’ll be okay, they’ll keep her safe,” Parker says softly.
I don’t look at him, but I nod as I watch my sister disappear into the darkness. I know she will be okay. I trust Remy and Callen with my life and hers; they will protect her with everything they have. I’m just not sure which version of my sister will return. I still remember the first few days of adjusting to this new knowledge. How my thoughts spun and my moods flipped in an instant. It’s not something you can easily ept and carry on.
Ryder nudges my hand, drawing me back from staring at the empty path where Poppy just disappeared.
“Come on, let’s get inside. I’ll take Jaxon up,” Parker says quietly. “I’m going to put him in our bed so he’s close to us.”
I nce at my son in his arms, his face ck with sleep. He looks like an angel when he sleeps. My throat burns as I brush a kiss over his hair.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
Parker dips his head, then pushes the door open and carries Jaxon up the stairs with careful, even steps. I follow him in with Ryder at my back, and when the door clicks shut behind us, I let out a breath that I feel like I’ve been holding for hours. I stand there for a moment, listening to the soft creak of the boards overhead, until the faint sound of the bedroom door closing reaches me.
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