“He’s our mentor, the only living member of our original pack that was old enough to know what really happened,” Rye says.
“What happened? How did you two end up separated?”
“Hunters,” Ryder sighs. “They attacked our pack in the middle of the night. Our mother was the Luna. She was pregnant with us and went into labour right as the ambush began. She managed to give birth to one of us before the chaos fully hit. Our father, the Alpha, ordered his Beta to run with the newborn to get at least one of us to safety. He left the baby at a human hospital and tried to make it back in time to help defend the pack.”
Ryder pauses, and Callen picks up where he left off. “But by the time he returned, both of our parents were dead, and he thought the second twin was gone. There was no sign of a body, so he thought the hunters must have taken the other one as some kind of twisted trophy or pet.”
“We still don’t know how we both survived,” Ryder says. “The kids that were old enough to run did. Parker and Remy were just three and don’t remember any of it. They were found after the attack, hidden with a few other young ones. A teenager kept them safe, tucked away until it was over. Ronnie was the one who came back for them.”
“That’s awful. I’m so sorry” I say, slightly stunned and horrified. “So these hunters? What happened to them?”
“They’re still out there. Still looking for us. That’s why we live the way we do, blending with humans but hidden away,” Callen explains.
“So they’re s still a threat to you?… to Jaxon?” I ask, my heart rate spiking at the thought of Jax being hunted like an animal.
“Yes, but we are very cautious. We don’t trust humans with our secret, not unless there are exceptional. circumstances, like a human mate,” Ryder says, his tone lighter now.
“Makes sense,” I nod. “Are human mates common, then?”
“No, very rare actually, but with our population getting so small, it’s becoming more common,” Callen answers.
Rare.
I’m rare.
“What happens if your mate doesn’t want to… be our mate
“You mean if you reject us?” Callen asks with a sigh and Ryder lets a low, barely audible growl. “Well, first we would feel the mate bond sever, which is agony. Then we would have the emotional impact to deal with. Unless we are exceptionally lucky and find a second chance mate, which is a very rare occurrence, we’ll never be the same.”
I stop walking, frozen mid-step. The word agony echoes in my head.
“So you’re saying that if I decide I can’t do this…. if I can’t give you what you want, you’ll be in pain?”
Callen glances at Ryder before stepping in front of me. “We’re not trying to guilt you into this, Paige.”
“You sure about that?” I ask, folding my arms across my chest. “Because it kind of feels like I’m being told if I say no, that it would ruin your lives.”
Ryder moves in closer now, too. “It’s not about guilt or pressure. It’s just the truth of what we are. You deserve to know what it means for us if you walk away,” he says softly.
“But what about what it means for me?” I ask, louder than I mean to. “Do you have any idea how insane all this is? I have a kid. A human kid, who, apparently, isn’t as human as I thought. I’ve been lied to, abandoned, abducted, and now I’m supposed to… what?… Fall into your arms because fate says so?”
They both go quiet. The only sounds are the usual ones you’d expect to hear in the woods at night and the steady thrum of my pulse in my ears.
Callen looks like he wants to touch me, but he doesn’t. “You’re right, Paige,” he says finally. “You didn’t ask for this. You didn’t choose us.”
“But I did,” Ryder adds, stepping even closer. “I chose you, Paige. Before I even knew what I was, what your were to me. I chose you, and I never stopped. There’s been no one else since you. It’s always been you. I left to protect you from all this, but if I’d known that you would end up back in my world, anyway. I’d have crawled through fire to get back to you.”
My eyes sting, and my throat tightens. I hate how much I want to believe him. I hate how honest he sounds. And I hate I feel like I’m fighting against something that’s already inside of me.
“I’m scared,” I admit. “This bond thing… it’s terrifying. I’ve just left a marriage and I don’t even know who I am anymore, let alone who I’m supposed to be with you.”
“You’re just supposed to be you, Paige,” Callen says gently.
I close my eyes, tipping my head back, and breathing in the pine-scented air. There’s so much for me to figure out and consider, but right now there’s a more pressing matter.
I open my eyes and look through the trees ahead of us. I can just make out the lights of the street that I know leads straight to my house, where my sister waits. I should feel relieved, but all I feel is anxiety curling in my stomach.
This feels like a line I’m about to cross. Bringing these two men, these wolves, into the only stable part of my life is a big step. It’s bigger than I’m ready for. It feels like the start of something new and permanent, and it’s terrifying.
I just hope Poppy doesn’t figure me out and see right through my lies.
“We should get going before my sister calls the police,” I say, and both men nod.
The rest of our walk is silent, each of us likely lost in our own thoughts. We step out of the woods and onto the quiet residential street. My house isn’t far now, and I can see the lights are on from here. I walk faster, my heart rate picking up as we approach. Ryder and Callen stay close beside me, quiet but alert, as if they’re bracing for something, too.
I barely make it to the door before it’s yanked open and Poppy’s face appears in the doorway. Her eyes are wide and bloodshot, and her hair pulled up into a messy bun. She looks so stressed.
“Paige!” she gasps, grabbing me and pulling me into a tight hug. “Oh my gosh, never do that to me again. I’ve been going crazy.”
“I’m so sorry, Pops, I’m okay. I didn’t mean to scare you,” I say, guilt heavy in my chest.
She lets go and takes a breath, brushing away a stray tear from her cheek. “Well, you did scare me, and…” she stops as her gaze shifts to the men behind me and her eyes go huge. “Wait, a second…”
“Hello, Poppy, it’s good to see you again,” Ryder says with a small, nervous-sounding laugh.
Her mouth opens, then closes again. Then she notices Callen standing beside him. “Holy shitballs! Why are there two of you?”
“That’s Callen,” I say quickly, stepping between them. “He’s Ryder’s twin.”
Her eyes snap back to me. “Twin? Since when does Ryder have a twin?!”
“Since birth,” Callen offers with a shrug.
“Oh my gosh,” she breathes, her hand flying to her chest. “I need to sit down.”
We follow her inside, and she sits on the stool in front of the kitchen island looking dazed.
“I know it’s a shock. That’s why I left the way I did,” I half lie.
“Actually, she passed out,” Callen laughs and Poppy shoots me a worried look.
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