“Yes, Alpha.”
Greg might think he can hide behind his human laws, but he’s not the only one who knows how to play dirty. If there are skeletons in his closet, and I’m betting there are, I’ll drag every last one of them into the light.
We make the short walk through the woods, and as we approach the cabin, the front door opens before we even step onto the porch. Jaxon barrels out with Callen and Parker trailing behind. He’s grinning, his cheeks flushed from whatever they’ve been up to, and for a second the whole world narrows to just him. My son.
“Mum! Dad! Remy!” he shouts excitedly.
I crouch as he races toward me, and I catch him easily when he launches into my arms. I hold him tight, pressing my nose into his hair and breathing him in. My wolf settles instantly, pride swelling in my chest until it’s almost painful.
“Hey, little man,” I smile. “Did you miss us?”
“Yeah,” he says, muffled against my shoulder. Then he pulls back, eyes bright. “Did it work? Am I yours now?”
The innocent hope in his voice nearly undoes me. I glance at Paige and see her eyes shining and then look back at him. “You’ve always been mine, Jax,” I say firmly. “But today we made it official. Nobody can ever take that away.”
He grins wide and hugs me again so hard it knocks the breath out of me. Callen claps a hand to my back as we head inside; Parker makes a beeline for Paige, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. We’re home, all together and in one piece, exactly how it should be.
In the kitchen, Jaxon rushes to pick something up off the kitchen island, then he turns back and thrusts a crooked card at me. I crouch to look at it. It has a green handprint across the front, and a wobbly stick-family drawn inside, each one labelled with a name. Mummy, Daddy,
Jaxon, Callen, Remy, and Parker.
I turn it over to find a small note on the back.
‘I love you, Daddy. From Jaxon.’
My chest tightens, and he climbs into my arms, his small arms wrapping around my neck, and for a beat the court, Greg, and everything ugly slides away. I slip the card into my jacket next to the birth certificate, keeping both of them close.
“Thank you, Jaxon. I love it,” I say, squeezing him.
** Paige’s POV **
The card looks so small compared to Ryder’s big hand, but the way he holds it like it’s as fragile and priceless as glass makes my chest ache. His whole world is right here, wrapped in the arms of a six-year-old who has no idea how much power he holds over us both.
Ryder tucks the card into his pocket where I’d put the birth certificate earlier before Jaxon’s squeals of laughter echo through the cabin as Ryder swings him up into his arms. I watch the way Ryder presses his cheek into our son’s hair, the way his whole body softens when Jax tightens his grip. My throat tightens, because I’ve waited so long to see this, Jax being loved the way he always deserved, and Ryder not as the boy who left me, or even the Alpha I’ve had to learn to trust again, but as a father, and he’s perfect at it.
I force myself to blink away the tears stinging my eyes before Jax can notice them and start worrying. He’s too young to understand how precious this moment is, too young to know how many sleepless nights I spent wondering if this day would ever come. That homemade little card with its messy green paint and stick figures means more than all the official paperwork in the world.
I lean into Parker, slipping my hand into his. His thumb brushes over my knuckles, soothing me, while Callen leans casually against the counter, a grin tugging at his mouth as he watches Ryder and Jax. Remy stands a little apart from us, his expression neutral, but his eyes are warm. I love this, having all of them, my mates and my son, together under one roof.
We might have hunters on our backs, and our future is uncertain, but right now I feel safe. Not just hopeful, not just clinging to survival, but happy, safe and so full of love I could burst.
Ryder catches my gaze over Jaxon’s shoulder. There’s a shine in his eyes that he doesn’t try to hide, and I feel the silent vow in it. He’s not letting go of either of us again, and I fully believe him.
I decided not to tell Jaxon about the name change until tomorrow. It’s already been a lot for him today, and I want to figure out a way to make it special for him.
By the time the dishes are cleared away after dinner, Jaxon is yawning into his hot chocolate, and the air in the cabin feels charged. It isn’t obvious, at least not if I’d not been paying attention, but I’ve been watching them all day. Ryder with that secretive little smirk, Callen and Remy with their knowing glances, and Parker… Parker with his eyes on me like I’m the only thing in the room.
It’s him that unsettles me the most. Not in a bad way, just… in a way that makes my skin tingle whenever he’s near. He doesn’t touch me more than usual, but when he does, it’s charged. A hand on my waist as he passes behind me sends shivers down my spine, the softest brush of his thumb over my wrist when I hand him a plate almost makes me drop it, the slow way his gaze drops to my mouth when I speak has my mind playing out all sorts of scenarios. It’s enough to set my nerves on fire and leave me wondering what he isn’t saying.
Jaxon fights sleep for as long as he can, but Ryder eventually scoops him up with a laugh and disappears toward the back room where we keep the laundry. I expect Ryder to get him into his pyjamas before taking him up to bed, but a few minutes later Jax comes sprinting back out in his pyjamas, clutching a pillow.
“We’re camping outside tonight!” he announces proudly with a wide grin.
I blink. “Camping?”
Ryder follows behind him, carrying blankets and looking smug. “Just in the garden. He wanted a tent, and I figured… why not?”
Jax bounces on his toes, practically vibrating. “Mum, can I please? Dad says it’s just for one night, and he’ll stay with me, and we are going to make a fire!”
I give Ryder a look, the kind that’s supposed to silently communicate, ‘You could’ve maybe discussed this with me first, but he only shrugs and gives me an awkward smile. Jax’s eyes are wide and hopeful, and I already know the answer before I even open my mouth.
“Okay,” I sigh, ruffling his hair. “But only because your dad’s staying with you, and you’d better brush your teeth first.”
“Yes!” He shoots off towards the bathroom, leaving me alone with Ryder.
“You planned this?” I ask, folding my arms over my chest.
His mouth quirks. “Guilty.”
“Why?”
He leans down, close enough that his breath brushes my ear. “Because I have a lot to make up for with him, and because sometimes, Paige, a little space is exactly what you need.”
Before I can ask what that means, Parker appears at my side, his hand warm on the small of my back. The contact is barely there, but it sends a ripple of heat down my spine.
“Let them have their fun,” Parker says smoothly. “I’ll make sure you’re not lonely.”
The way he says it makes my breath catch. Ryder claps him on the shoulder as he passes, not a trace of jealousy in his grin. “Don’t keep her up too late,” he teases before disappearing out the door with Jax trailing behind him, chattering excitedly about roasting marshmallows.
Callen and Remy exchange a look, then both stand from their seats. “Patrol duty,” Callen says, his tone light but his eyes unreadable. “We’ll be out most of the night.”
And then it’s just me and Parker.
The cabin feels impossibly quiet now that everyone else has left. Parker doesn’t rush to fill the silence. He just watches me, his eyes heated and his thumb tracing slow circles on my hip.
My heart thuds in my chest. “So it’s just the two of us tonight.”
His smile is small, secretive. “I just wanted you all to myself for one night.”
The way he says it makes heat curl low in my stomach. Right now, the only thing I can think about is Parker, and the way he’s looking at me like he’s about to break down every last one of my defences.
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