And then there was Remy-quiet, watchful Remy. He lingered near the window, arms crossed, eyes scanning the horizon as if willing the world to stay at bay. But beneath that steel exterior, he was gentler than anyone I’d ever known. He reminded me there was always a light at the end of every darkness, that even broken things could hold beauty.
**Ryder’s Perspective**
A knot of unease tightens in my chest.
No matter how many times Paige insists she’s fine, that she’s got everything under control, I can’t shake the image of a power coursing wildly beneath her skin-an energy that shouldn’t exist, raw and untamed. If we don’t figure out what it is soon, it could consume her from the inside out.
Right now, she stands by the stove, Parker’s arms wrapped gently around her waist. Jax is munching away at breakfast, oblivious to the tension that hums beneath the surface. For a fleeting moment, I almost convince myself this is just a normal morning.
Almost.
Because I can sense it-the electric charge in the air that isn’t wolf, isn’t human. The atmosphere around her vibrates with something alive and otherworldly. She glows with a strange light, radiating warmth like the sun and the cool serenity of the moon all at once. My instincts scramble, torn between awe and caution.
No one should carry such a contradictory force. Yet, she does. And it’s the most breathtaking and terrifying thing I’ve ever witnessed.
I watch her closely, catching a gesture I’ve seen countless times before-one that never fails to unravel me.
She tilts her face toward the sunlight pouring through the kitchen window, eyes closed, lips curved in a faint, peaceful smile. The light spills over her skin like a gentle caress, and in that moment, she looks untouched by the chaos swirling around us.
But then I notice it.
That subtle shimmer moving across her skin, like a quiet pulse responding not just to the sunlight, but almost drawing from it. She’s not merely basking in the warmth; she’s absorbing the light itself. Threads of gold seem to weave into her flesh as if they belong there.
For a heartbeat, the whole room seems to brighten with her presence. The air hums with energy, stirring something deep in my chest-a mix of wonder, reverence, and a flicker of fear.
She’s not just standing in the sun. She’s becoming it. And, Goddess, she’s stunning.
Not in the fragile way mortals are beautiful, or how sunlight glints off skin, but like fire-wild, consuming, and divine all at once. It’s both mesmerizing and frightening, and I can’t tear my eyes away.
A part of me wants to reach out, to touch her, to anchor her back to the world before she slips too far away. But another part knows better. Whatever this force is, it’s not something I can handle with a touch.
I’ve spent so long trying to protect her-from myself, from my world, from hunters, from the crushing weight she carries. But this… this is something else. Something I can’t shield her from. This isn’t a threat I can fight with teeth or claws. This is her.
The realization settles quietly, heavy in my chest. The woman I love is transforming-evolving into something beyond any pack, beyond legends, maybe even beyond me.
Still, when her eyes open and meet mine, the glowing light softens. The hum in the air fades away. For a brief moment, she is my Paige again-stubborn, fierce, beautiful, the mate who laughs too easily and worries too much.
The power might be growing, but the heart beneath it is still hers. And I swear, I’ll be damned if I let the world take that away.
I take a small step back, careful not to disturb the fragile calm she’s found, and I open the mind-link. The connection flickers to life at the back of my skull, that familiar static signaling Ronnie’s presence.
“Are you busy?” I ask.
“Define busy,” he replies, a hint of dry humor in his voice. “I’m staring at water samples after your mate’s handiwork, trying to convince myself I’m not losing my mind.”
I chuckle softly. “Then you might want to add this to your list. I’m pretty sure I just saw her absorb sunlight.”
There’s a pause. Then, sharply, “She what?”
“You heard me right. She wasn’t just standing in it, Ronnie. It was like the light was fueling her. I could see it, feel it. The shimmer from the creek? Same thing, but this time she was pulling it in, not pushing it out.”
Silence follows, then a long exhale. “Well, that’s new. But actually, it might line up with what I’m seeing here. Not that I have any clue what it means.”
“You think?” I press.
“No wonder my readings are all over the place,” he mutters. “A solar connection would explain the creek’s results. The water is as clean as it gets-like it’s been highly filtered and treated. I had a theory but didn’t want to sound crazy without proof.”
“Consider this your proof.”
He’s quiet again for a moment before his voice returns, low and serious. “Alright. That helps. A lot, actually. I still don’t know what we’re dealing with, but at least now I know where to start looking.”
“And where’s that?”
“The oldest records I can find. I’ve called in a favor from one of Josh’s researchers-she specializes in pre-lunar mythologies. If this ties into the solar readings, we might be dealing with something ancient. Something that predates the Moon Goddess entirely.”
My gut tightens. “Older than the Moon Goddess? That can’t be.”
“Neither can your mate glowing like a sunrise,” Ronnie says dryly. “Yet here we are.”
I run a hand through my hair, exhaling heavily. “Whatever this is, we need answers fast. She’s strong, but this power is changing her-I can feel it. If there’s a risk…”
“I know, Ryder,” he says gently. “I’ll work as fast as I can. And you should prepare her. Whatever this turns out to be, it won’t just be rare-it’ll be unprecedented. We won’t be able to keep it hidden much longer. I’m already raising eyebrows with my sudden interest. I doubt they’ll buy the excuse of updating a manuscript for much longer, especially once people start noticing what she can do.”
The link fades, but his words linger in my mind.
I glance back at Paige, still standing by the window. The sunlight catches her hair, turning it into a cascade of red and copper. Jaxon giggles as he toddles to her side, and she leans down to wipe chocolate from his chin. To anyone else, she would look like a mother sharing a quiet breakfast with her son.
But I know the truth.
She’s no longer just part of this world. She’s becoming something greater-half sunlight, half moonlight, both impossible and divine. And for the first time in a long while, I feel how small even an Alpha can be.
Callen breaks the silence, tossing a piece of pancake into his mouth. “Well,” he says with a grin, “if the world ends in chocolate syrup and butter, at least we’ll die happy.”
Remy snorts. “You’d still find a way to complain about the toppings.”
Parker rolls his eyes, but their bickering eases some of the tightness in my chest. I watch Paige laugh softly, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of Jaxon’s head. Her smile looks effortless, but I know better-she’s holding it together for him, for all of us.
When she catches me staring, she offers a small, tired smile-the one that says, “Don’t worry, I’m okay.”
I nod, though there’s so much I want to say, so much I need to tell her. Later. I’ll tell her what Ronnie said when Jax is asleep. Hopefully, by then, we’ll have more answers.
Stepping outside, I let the door close quietly behind me. The morning air is cool and crisp, damp with dew. I can still hear their voices faintly through the open window-their laughter, the clatter of dishes-and I hold onto that sound for a moment as I catch my breath.
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