The tension in the room spikes, and Jaxon looks up from his truck, frowning at the raised voices. My heart twists.
“Enough,” I say sharply, louder than I meant to. All four of them turn to me, startled. I square my shoulders, swallowing down my own fear. “Take your emotions out of it. If this weren’t me and Jax, how would you handle this?”
Ryder closes his eyes, taking slow deep breaths. His wolf is pacing close to the surface; I can feel how restless it is.
After a long moment, he opens his eyes again and nods once. “We split up. Two of you stay here with Jax and the pack; the rest of us go to the registry office with a couple of enforcers.”
Callen nods in agreement. “Which means now we decide who goes, and who stays.”
The room goes quiet again.
“Well, I’m going obviously, I need to sign the new birth certificate,” Ryder says immediately.
No surprise there.
“I’m going with you,” Remy says firmly.
“What about me?” Callen asks. “I want to be there.”
“You stay,” Ryder says.
Callen’s jaw tightens. “The hell I do.”
“Yes, you do,” Ryder growls. “If anything happens to us, you are Jaxon’s guardian and Alpha of the pack. You will be needed here.” His gaze flicks to Jaxon, who’s now humming to himself, oblivious. “And there’s no one I trust more than you to protect our son.”
“Well, s**t,” Callen sighs, a mix of honour and disappointment coming from him through the bond.
“I’ll stay too,” Parker says, his voice calm but certain. “We can handle things here. Between me, Callen, and the pack enforcers, nothing touches him.”
For once, there’s no argument. We all know Parker’s steady presence is exactly what Jaxon will need if something goes wrong.
I exhale slowly, letting the plan settle into place. “So… me, Ryder, and Remy go to the appointment. Callen and Parker stay with Jaxon. We take two enforcers with us, maybe three.”
“Four,” Ryder says.
I arch a brow. “We’ll draw too much attention if we turn up with an army.”
“Three,” Remy cuts in. “I will go inside with you, and the enforcers will be stationed outside the building.”
Ryder glares at him again, but this time he doesn’t say anything.
Parker leans forward, folding his arms on the table. “We’ll run drills with the pack before you go, Make sure everyone knows the plan if things get ugly. Jaxon won’t be left unguarded for a second.”
The others nod, and I almost laugh at the situation. Not because it’s funny, but because it’s so unbelievable. Who would have thought that a simple trip into the city would become a dangerous mission that needs military-level planning? What has my life become?
Jaxon suddenly looks up from his truck. “What’s happening?”
I swallow, forcing a smile. “Daddy’s going to put his name on your birth certificate next week, so everyone knows he’s your dad.”
Jaxon’s eyes go wide. “Like… forever?”
“Forever,” Ryder says, his eyes shining.
Jaxon grins so wide that it melts me. Then he goes right back to his truck, playing a little more loudly than before.
We sit there in the messy kitchen that we’ve not cleaned from breakfast yet, making plans like generals before a battle, but under the tension, there’s something stronger thrumming through us too. Hope. Because in one week, my son will no longer be just mine. He’ll be ours in the eyes of the law.
The rest of the week passes in a haze. Ryder had arranged for Jaxon to start going to the little makeshift school that he asked Regina to run for the pack kids until it is safe for them to attend their usual school. He came home the first day with grass in his hair, mud on his shoes, and a huge smile on his face, chattering nonstop about his day.
Seeing him so happy and carefree fills me with a joy I can’t even begin to describe. He’s making friends, learning in a way I couldn’t give him on my own, and it’s all I’ve ever wanted for him. But at the same time, it gnaws at me. The thought of him out there without me watching, without me close enough to snatch him up if something went wrong. I find myself constantly fighting the urge to go and check on him.
My heat claws at me in unpredictable waves, dragging me under until I can barely remember my own name. But I’m never left to face it alone. Ryder, Callen, Parker, and Remy keep me sated, each of them taking their turn with a kind of tenderness that makes me ache in ways that have nothing to do with heat.
They’re attentive to the smallest details too. Ryder always has water waiting for me after, Callen massages my legs when they cramp, Remy makes sure I eat something even when I’m too exhausted to lift a fork, and Parker keeps my pillows perfectly arranged, so I never have to wake up sore. It’s overwhelming, being cared for like this, being loved like this. It’s not something I’ve ever had before. When the heat’s last flames finally fade, I feel as though I’ve rebuilt myself from the inside out. Like I’m a different version of myself, and maybe my mates are too.
The heat seems to have bound us tighter. In the quiet moments between the waves, I felt something shift between us all. Ryder’s steady strength, Callen’s quiet care, Remy’s protectiveness, and Parker’s endless patience… they all seem more certain now, like they’ve all found their role in this relationship. I’m just not sure what mine is yet.
One thing I am sure of though, is that what was once fragile and new, now feels steady and unshakable. This is love, fierce and undeniable, and it’s only growing stronger each day.
** Paige’s POV **
I wake up tucked between Ryder and Parker, both of their bodies warm against me. Ryder has his arm draped over my waist, but I can tell by his breathing that he’s already awake. He doesn’t open his eyes when I shift, just pulls me closer, his lips pressing against my temple.
No one will say it out loud, but we all know this morning is different.
By the time we make it into the kitchen, Callen already has coffee ready. He passes me a cup with a soft smile, but his eyes flick towards Ryder immediately. Both of them have a look that tells me they’re having a silent conversation. Remy joins us last, his hair still damp from his shower.
Jaxon, of course, is the only one blissfully unaware of the gravity of today. He’s perched on a chair at the kitchen island, swinging his legs as he shovels scrambled eggs into his mouth like he hasn’t eaten in days. “Mummy, guess what? Miss Regina said I read faster than everyone in class. Faster than her, even,” he beams.
I smooth his hair back and kiss the top of his head. “I believe it, baby. You’re so clever.”
“You must have got that skill from your mum,” Ryder laughs, but I can hear the tension in his voice.
After breakfast, Jaxon goes to watch his cartoons, and we gather around the table like we’re going over a battle strategy instead of a trip to the registry office. In a way, we are.
“Paige and I will go together,” Ryder says firmly. “Rem, you’re coming in with us. We post two enforcers right outside the building, and one stays with the cars.”
Remy nods, his expression unreadable, but his jaw is tense, and I’m pretty sure he’s running through worst-case scenarios.
Callen leans back in his chair, arms crossed. “Don’t worry about anything back here. If anything goes sideways here, we’ll be ready.”
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