The more I discover, the more truth begins to unravel in threads I can’t ignore. It’s as if I had been blind to all his faults until I stepped away, the distance giving me clarity. Greg never raised a hand to me, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t cruel.
He chipped away at me in subtle ways, making me doubt my own memory, my own worth.
Every time he dismissed my feelings, every time he laughed at my dreams, every time he told me I was overreacting when something felt wrong… it was all control. I see it now, clearer than ever.
Then the worst thought hits me… if he did it to me, what was he trying to do to Jax? Did he already start trying to control him, to turn him into a weapon?
The room has fallen quiet, just the distant sounds of Jaxon’s animated noises coming from upstairs as he plays, completely unaware of how much danger I’d let near him. The weight of it all presses down harder and harder until I feel like I can’t breathe. Hunters at my wedding, around my son, around me, and maybe even in my bed. The thought gnaws at me until I can barely sit still.
“I need a minute,” I whisper, pushing back from the table. My legs feel unsteady, but I force myself upright and walk out of the kitchen before any of them can stop me.
** Paige’s POV **
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 glasses 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 blame 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 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 it. He won’t hurt you again.”
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 breaths come easier.
When I finally pull back, his shirt is damp, and he just smiles at me softly like it doesn’t matter. “Better?”
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 relax 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.”
I raise an eyebrow at him. “Wait… you can nap while you’re supposed to be protecting the pack?”
Parker huffs a laugh 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 him laughing 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 live comfortably.”
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.
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