His expression softens, a flicker of awe in his eyes. “That kind of empathy… I’ve never seen anything like it. Has it faded now that you can’t see them?”
Before I can answer, I catch the sound of footsteps behind us-boots crunching against gravel. When I glance back, Callen and Remy are walking briskly toward us.
“What happened?” Callen asks, eyes darting between us.
Parker opens his mouth to respond, but Remy beats him to it. “We could feel you,” he says quietly, gaze fixed on me. “Both of us. It wasn’t just through the bond either. When we got hit, it was like you were right there with us. Cal felt it too.”
Callen nods slowly, frowning in thought. “It was strange. The pain dulled for a moment, then this warmth hit me, like a surge of energy building inside just before you looked like you might pass out.”
I swallow hard, unsure what to say. “I didn’t mean to do anything. Parker was just…”
“Testing a theory,” Parker admits, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “And it looks like we’ve got our answer. I’m sorry-I didn’t expect it to be this strong.”
Remy steps closer, his voice softer now. “Don’t apologize. We’re fine. But you, Paige… you’re glowing.”
My brow furrows in confusion. “Glowing?”
He gestures toward my hands. I look down, and my breath catches. Beneath my skin, faint lines of silver and gold light pulse gently, tracing the veins like delicate threads woven from moonlight and sunlight. It’s subtle, almost invisible unless you’re searching for it, but it’s unmistakably there.
Callen exhales slowly. “There it is-the same light that showed up when you healed Ryder.”
I cross my arms instinctively, tucking my hands under my arms to hide the glow, even though I know it’s pointless. “What does it mean?”
Parker’s hand brushes mine, his expression tender. “It means whatever happened that night didn’t just heal Ryder. It changed you, too.”
For a long moment, silence falls between us. The only sounds are the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze and faint laughter drifting from the pack somewhere behind us.
Finally, Parker breaks the quiet, his voice low and thoughtful. “We’ll figure this out together. But for now, no more tests. You need to rest.”
I want to protest, but when Callen’s arm slides gently around my waist and Remy’s steady gaze meets mine, the fight drains from me. They’re not just worried-they’re genuinely scared.
“Okay,” I whisper.
As we turn back toward the house, I can still feel that pulse of light beneath my skin-alive, restless, waiting.
By the time we reach the porch, the world seems sharper, almost too bright around the edges. The faint hum in my hands hasn’t faded. It’s still there, like static beneath my skin, and I can’t shake the feeling that if I stop focusing, it’ll burst out of me in a rush I won’t be able to control.
Callen doesn’t let go as we step inside. His hand rests firmly at the small of my back, steady and grounding, but I sense the tension radiating off him. He’s trying not to show it. He always does.
Remy moves ahead with purpose, but I notice the tight set of his jaw. Callen follows silently, watchful, his presence a quiet shield against the chaos swirling inside me.
Ryder looks up from the couch as soon as we enter. Jaxon has fallen asleep beside him, curled under a blanket with one arm draped protectively over his wolf teddy. Ryder’s eyes flick between the three of us, instantly sensing the shift in the air. “What happened?”
Before I can answer, Parker steps forward. “We were doing a small test outside,” he explains carefully. “Looks like Paige’s energy reacts to pain-or maybe to the bonds themselves.”
Ryder’s brow furrows. “What do you mean, reacts?”
“She was feeling what Remy and I felt when we got hit,” Callen says quietly. “Pain, adrenaline, everything. Then she started glowing again.”
Ryder’s gaze snaps to me, concern creasing his forehead. “Glowing?”
I nod faintly, curling my fingers tighter against my palms. “It’s fine. I’m fine. It just… happened.”
He studies me for a moment, the Alpha in him weighing every detail, every heartbeat. Then his shoulders relax just a little, and he gestures toward the couch. “Sit. All of you. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I want to tell him I’m okay, that he doesn’t need to fuss, but the truth is, I’m not sure what I am. The light still flickers faintly beneath my skin, and there’s a heaviness in my chest-a feeling both foreign and oddly familiar.
Callen helps me settle onto the couch, and Remy crouches in front of me, resting his hands lightly on my knees. “Can you still feel it?” he asks softly.
I take a deep breath, closing my eyes. “It’s there. Like it’s waiting. It doesn’t hurt-it just feels… alive. Like something inside me wants to move, to reach out.”
Ryder’s voice softens, but there’s a careful edge to it. “Is that how your healing started the first time?”
I nod. “Yeah, but back then it was desperation, sheer willpower to keep you alive. This time, it feels like the instinct has a pulse of its own.”
Parker leans against the wall, arms crossed. “I think it’s tied to emotion, to empathy. You don’t just feel what others feel-you absorb it. Mirror it. Maybe even rewrite it.”
I open my eyes, meeting his gaze. “Rewrite?”
He hesitates. “If you can take their pain and dull it… what if you can also change it? Not just heal it, but transform it. That’s not empathy, Paige. That’s transference.”
The word sends a chill down my spine. “That sounds dangerous.”
Ryder’s expression darkens. “It could be. Especially if it drains you.”
Before I can respond, Jaxon stirs on the couch, mumbling softly in his sleep. Ryder’s attention shifts instantly, instincts kicking in as he pulls the blanket higher around our son. Watching him so gentle, so protective, grounds me in a way nothing else does.
Remy follows my gaze, voice low. “Maybe that’s the key. You’re not just reacting to pain or danger-you’re reacting to us. The people you love.”
His words strike a deep chord. I look at him, then at Callen and Parker. “You think the bonds triggered it?”
“Maybe not just the bonds,” Callen says thoughtfully. “The connection, the trust. It’s emotional. Feelings awakened your power, and now your power feeds off them-off loyalty and love.”
Love. The word hangs in the air like a quiet spark, charged and alive.
I swallow hard. “So what happens if I can’t control it?”
Ryder straightens, voice firm. “Then we make sure you learn how. You’re not alone in this, Paige. We’ll figure it out together.”
His words should comfort me, and they do-at least a little. But beneath that reassurance lies a deeper fear. Because if what they’re saying is true, then every flicker of emotion I feel could trigger something. Every fear, every pang of pain, every heartbeat that isn’t my own might become dangerous.
The thought terrifies me.
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