Ryder’s eyes scan the room, landing on me first before dropping to Leo’s unconscious form on the floor. His jaw tightens. “We need to move. It’s not safe here anymore.”
Remy’s gaze lingers on Poppy, who’s curled in against the counter like she’s still trying to disappear into it. She flinches under the weight of his attention, and I can almost feel her panic spike. Remy softens, his voice steady but firm. “We’re taking everyone back to the cabin. Pack enforcers are already sweeping the area, and our territory is secure, but we can’t risk staying here; it’s too open.”
“The cabin?” Poppy blurts, her eyes darting between the bloodied men like she’s only just realising how deep into this nightmare she’s fallen. “I’m not… I have to go home. Annie will be here to pick me up soon. Oh, Christ, I need to clean myself up. I can’t let her see me covered in blood; she will…”
“Annie can’t know about any of this, Poppy,” I cut in gently. “You need to call her. Tell her you’re staying with me tonight.”
Poppy looks at me as if I’ve betrayed her. “I can’t just…”
Ryder interrupts, his voice low and carrying that Alpha authority. “You can, and you Hunters might know you were here with us. That makes you a target.” will.
Her face goes pale at the word, hunters.
I take her hand, squeezing it. “Please, Pops. Just for tonight. We can figure everything else out in the morning, but I have to know you are safe.”
For a second, I think she’s going to refuse, but then she nods stiffly, swallowing hard. “Fine.”
Ryder doesn’t waste time. “Callen, take Leo. Parker…”
“I’ve got him,” Parker says quietly, stepping into the kitchen with Jaxon limp in his arms. My son’s head is buried against his shoulder, his little face peaceful in sleep, unaware of the blood, the chaos, the world that’s shifted around him tonight. My heart squeezes painfully at the sight.
Callen bends down, slipping his arms under Leo’s body with practised ease, careful not to disturb the blanket covering him. Leo groans faintly but doesn’t wake, his weight sagging against Callen like a rag doll.
Ryder looks at me next. “You and your sister stay together. It’s safe for now, but we need to move fast. I don’t want any of you out there a second longer than necessary.” His tone leaves no room for argument, not that I would argue with him on this right now. I know our safety is his priority.
I nod, linking my arm through Poppy’s before she can try to back away. She’s stiff beside me, her face pale and her eyes wide, but she doesn’t pull away. That’s something.
We step out into the night, the cool, damp air a welcome break from the coppery scent of blood that we’ve been surrounded by. I’m not looking forward to coming back to clean the house up.
Shadows shift at the edges of the trees, glowing eyes watching from the dark. The enforcers are already here, massive wolves moving out of the treeline, their hackles raised and their movements predatory.
Poppy stiffens, pressing closer to me. Her voice is a trembling whisper. “Doesn’t this… doesn’t this scare you? Being surrounded by them?”
I glance at the wolves, watching their bodies ripple with muscle under thick fur, and their eyes catching the moonlight. Then I look at Ryder and Remy, already shifting mid-step. Bones crack, fur bursts across their skin, and then two more wolves stand among the others, larger and more imposing than the rest.
The sight makes something warm flicker in my chest, not fear. It feels like safety, like home. “No,” I tell her honestly. “Not anymore. They’re my family.”
Her expression twists, like she doesn’t know whether to be horrified or jealous. Maybe both.
We move in formation, the wolves circling us as we follow the narrow trail back through the trees. Parker carries Jaxon ahead of me, his steps careful so he doesn’t jostle him. Callen walks behind us with Leo cradled against his chest, his face hard with concentration. I keep my arm looped firmly through Poppy’s, even when she tries to loosen it.
The forest is alive with sound, the crunch of leaves under feet, the soft huff of wolf breaths, the distant call of an owl, but underneath it all is a heavy tension. The pack is on edge, ready for another attack. It sends a chill down my spine.
Poppy leans close, her whisper shaky with nerves. “They’re huge… and their teeth… Paige, how can you just… walk like this, like it’s normal?”
I squeeze her arm. “Because it is normal for me now. You get used to it quicker than you expect; you’ll see.”
She doesn’t answer, but she doesn’t pull away again.
By the time the cabin comes into view, my legs ache with exhaustion from everything that’s happened tonight. Warm light spills from the windows, cutting through the dark. It looks like safety, even if I know better than to believe in something that fragile.
“Poppy can take my room tonight; I’m taking Leo straight to the healer. I’ll be back as soon as I know he’s stable,” Callen says before we make it to the front porch.
Remy moves to stand beside Callen, making his intention to escort him clear.
I nod. “Be careful and make sure you both come home to me.”
“Always,” Callen grins, but I can see how much of an effort it is for him.
Remy’s eyes lock on mine before he dips his head. “I’ll make sure he makes it back,” his voice floats into my mind.
I take one last look at Leo. His breaths are shallow, his skin still too pale, but he’s alive.
“I should…” Poppy starts, then cuts herself off. Her gaze follows Leo’s limp body as Callen turns to leave, and her face pales. Her mouth opens again, firmer this time. “I’m coming too.”
Everyone stops, even Ryder. The silence stretches a beat too long.
“Poppy,” I say carefully, “you don’t have to…”
“Yes, I do.” Her voice cracks, but her chin lifts. “If what you said is true-if he’s… if he’s really…” She swallows, her throat bobbing. “He’s my patient; I have to see this through.”
Callen turns back and meets her gaze for a long moment, his eyes unreadable, then he nods once. “Then come.”
Remy looks like he wants to argue, but he doesn’t. Ryder stays quiet too, watching with his wolf-bright eyes.
I stand frozen, torn between pride at my sister’s strength and terror at what she’s walking into.
Poppy squares her shoulders and follows after them, leaving me with Parker, Ryder, and a sleeping Jaxon.
“She’ll be okay, they’ll keep her safe,” Parker says softly.
I don’t look at him, but I nod as I watch my sister disappear into the darkness. I know she will be okay. I trust Remy and Callen with my life and hers; they will protect her with everything they have. I’m just not sure which version of my sister will return. I still remember the first few days of adjusting to this new knowledge. How my thoughts spun and my moods flipped in an instant. It’s not something you can easily accept and carry on.
Ryder nudges my hand, drawing me back from staring at the empty path where Poppy just disappeared.
“Come on, let’s get inside. I’ll take Jaxon up,” Parker says quietly. “I’m going to put him in our bed so he’s close to us.”
I glance at my son in his arms, his face slack with sleep. He looks like an angel when he sleeps. My throat burns as I brush a kiss over his hair.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
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