Jaxon studies me, his eyes looking far too wise for his age. “But I can count on you, right?”
A lump forms in my throat, and I reach out to scruff his hair. “You can always count on me, Jax. No matter what. I promise I will always protect you and your mum.”
I hold out my pinky to him, and he wraps his around mine before he snuggles down deeper. By the time I finish the story, his breathing has evened out and his body has gone heavy against me.
I stay for a while, holding him close and listening to the soft sighs he makes in his sleep. My heart feels too big for my chest.
This kid.
He’s not just Ryder’s son. Not just Callen’s nephew. Not just a pack responsibility. He’s… mine too. In every way that matters. I love him. Fiercely and protectively, like I’d tear down the world if it ever threatened him again.
I love his mum, too. Goddess, do I love her. Paige doesn’t even realise half the time how she’s undone me. It’s not just her smile or the way she looks at me like I’m her saviour. It’s the way she’s fought for Jax, the way she’s carried everything alone when she didn’t have to, the way she finally let us all in, especially Remy. The brother I was worried was too far gone to ever find peace. She broke down his walls and pulled out the man he was supposed to be before the world tried to crush him.
I’m already in too deep. It’s more than just being in love. She’s it for me, and because she’s it, this boy asleep beside me is it, too.
I lean down, pressing the gentlest kiss to Jaxon’s head. “Sleep tight, little man,” I whisper, my voice thick. “I’ve got you, always.”
When I slip out of the room, I pause in the doorway. For a second, I let myself imagine every night like this. Paige at my side, Jax looking at me like I’m his dad too. A family that feels whole.
I head downstairs, but I don’t go straight to the others. Their voices drift from the living room, but I go into the kitchen instead. It’s quieter in here. I lean against the counter, running a hand over my face. My chest is still tight, full to bursting with everything I felt up there. I love that kid. There’s no two ways about it.
My wolf is unsettled, growing more insistent with every interaction with Paige and Jaxon. He wants me to lock this in. To make Paige ours, to give her my mark and seal us together the way the Moon Goddess intended. To make Jax our son.
Ryder has had his night with her, his fate unfolding the way it should. Remy has too, not in the way anyone expected, but it’s done. He’s tied his soul to hers for eternity, but I haven’t yet.
Not because she doesn’t want me, at least, I pray that’s not it, but because it’s all too much too soon for her. She’s been through hell, and she’s trying to navigate this new world with new rules and multiple mates.
I hope she asks soon, though. I hope she looks at me one night, with those soft eyes of hers, and decides she’s ready for me. And when she does… I want to make it unforgettable.
I can see it already. It won’t just be a tumble into bed, or rushed in the dark. She deserves so much more than that. She deserves a night that tells her exactly how much she means to me, that she isn’t just a bond I’m fated to, but the woman I choose, over and over, every single day.
We are limited in what we can do right now, though. It’s not like I can sweep her off for a romantic night away somewhere. We need to stay here with the pack where it’s safe. Ryder had his picnic and fancy tent, and while it was perfect for them, I want something that’s uniquely ours. Something that makes her feel wanted and adored. Because she is. More than she’ll ever know.
I glance toward the stairs, where I hear her humming something familiar whilst she works. My heart kicks hard in my chest. She’ll be ready soon, and when she is, I’ll be waiting.
I’m still standing there, lost in my thoughts, when footsteps come from the living room. Remy walks in, his eyebrows raising when he sees me.
“You look like a man about to rob a bank,” he says dryly.
I snort. “Not quite.”
“Then what’s with the plotting face?” He tilts his head, curious.
I hesitate, but this is Remy. My twin, who is annoyingly perceptive when it comes to me, and someone I trust the most. I rub the back of my neck. “I want to do something for Paige.
Something special for when she’s ready.”
“You mean when you mate with her?”
“Yeah,” I nod. “She deserves more than just… a fated mate thing. I want her to know it’s a choice. My choice.”
For a moment, Remy just studies me, and I wonder if I’ve insulted him over the way he mated with her. Then he exhales, slow. “Okay. What do you have in mind?”
That’s the problem. I don’t, not really. “I was thinking… candles, music, maybe something outside under the stars, anything but just throwing her on a bed and hoping for the best.”
He leans against the counter beside me, folding his arms. “So, what do you need from me?”
“Ideas… help to make it happen,” I admit.
“Fine. I’ll help, but if you think I’m carrying beds into the woods, stringing fairy lights or picking flowers again, you’ve lost your mind.”
“Fair enough,” I grin. “I’ll handle the sappy stuff. You just… make sure the timing’s right and keep Paige distracted.”
“Keep Paige out of the way?” Remy asks with a smirk. “That I can do.”
“You sure you can manage it?” I tease.
He gives me a look that could cut steel. “Please. I can manage anything.”
I believe him.
Soon, when Paige is ready, she’ll have a night that tells her everything I haven’t said out loud yet.
**Paige’s POV **
I wake up alone… again. You’d think having four mates would mean I’m never in bed alone, but it happens more often than not. I know they have patrols, and they like to be up before Jaxon, but I think mostly they’re trying to give me space.
I do need my own space, but I need their company just as much. I was hesitant at first. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have this many partners to try to keep up with, but this feels wrong. Like they’re avoiding me.
I drag myself into the bathroom, turn on the shower and wait for the water to heat. The water soothes me, washing away the restless sleep, but the strange ache in my chest only grows. It’s not loneliness exactly, because they’re all around, it’s just a lack of connection. Or maybe it’s just me being needy and insecure after my stale marriage with Greg. I lean my head against the tiles, letting the spray soak through my hair, while I think. This can’t keep going. If I don’t tell them how much this is getting to me, they’ll keep assuming I’m fine. Or worse, that I need more distance.
By the time I step out of the shower, I’ve made up my mind. I need to be more open. We need conversations and honesty to make this work. I can’t just stay silent and wait for t’ 1 to figure me out.
I tug on a bathrobe and open the bathroom door, only to find Ryder leaning against the wall, arms crossed, his eyes dark and watchful.
I blink. “You scared me.”
“You’re upset.” His voice is low.
It’s not a question, it’s a statement. His wolf must have been nagging at him the whole time I was in there having a mini internal meltdown.
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