Remy doesn’t respond. His hands clench at his sides and his jaw tightens like it’s been wired shut. But he nods.
I drop into the nearest chair. My limbs feel too heavy, my chest too full. Parker sits across from me, still watching me like I might run, and Remy paces behind him like a caged wolf.
I press my palms into my eyes and force the tears back down. I don’t know how to navigate this. I don’t even know what this is.
Parker reaches a hand over the island as if to cover mine, and I flinch back. Not because I don’t want him to touch me, but because of how much I want it. How much I want him to take my hands in his and show me how good things could be if I just gave in.
None of us say another word.
Remy paces the kitchen like he might collapse if he doesn’t keep moving. Parker watches him, arms folded tight across his chest and his jaw locked. Every so often, one of them will shoot a look at the other, or gesture with their hands, which makes it obvious they are using their wolfy magic to communicate. I can only guess what they’re talking about.
I sit there, staring at the pattern on the marbled tabletop like it might tell me what the hell I’m supposed to do next.
Then the door opens. Ryder steps inside, and everything else fades.
He looks like he’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. His eyes lock on mine and soften, just a little. Exhaustion radiates from him, but there’s relief there, too.
“He’s stable,” Ryder says. “Still weak, but the antidote’s holding. He’s breathing easier. He’s healing.”
A sob rises in my throat, but I swallow it before it can escape. I cross the room and wrap my arms around his waist. He’s warm, solid, and mine. I bury my face against his chest as he exhales and holds me.
“I was so worried,” I whisper.
“I know,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “Me too.”
Behind us, I sense both Parker and Remy move subtly, pulling back, giving us space, and I’m grateful. I don’t have room for anything else right now, just Ryder. Just the man who’s almost bled himself dry for his brother and still came home to hold me like this.
Ryder pulls back to look at me, brushing hair from my face with the gentlest touch.
“Is Jaxon asleep?” he asks.
I nod. “He’s out cold.”
“You okay?”
No. Not even close, but I nod again. “Yeah.”
He doesn’t push. Just touches his forehead to mine with a sigh. “I need about a year of sleep.”
“Let’s go to bed,” I say. “You don’t need to do anything else tonight. Just… let me take care of you now.”
He swallows hard as he nods, and I lead him down the hall, not looking back. I don’t tell him about the mate bond that feels like it’s ripping my chest apart. I don’t tell him about Parker’s confession or Remy’s revelation.
I don’t tell him because I can’t. Not tonight. Not after what he’s been through today.
I crawl into bed beside him and his arms wrap around me like I’m the only safe thing left in his world. His breathing evens out fast, his exhaustion dragging him under the second his head hits the pillow. I lie there beside him in the dark, one hand resting against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.
I should sleep, but all I can think about is Callen, alone and in pain. Remy and Parker, confused and probably hurt at my reaction.
I close my eyes and pray for silence. For my thoughts to give me a damn break. But the pull towards the three men that are not here hums, loud and insistent, and I know this is just the beginning.
I wake up before the sun. The world outside is quiet, suspended in that strange stillness that only happens just before dawn. Ryder is curled around me, one arm draped over my waist, his legs tangled in mine. It should feel perfect, and in some ways, it does, but my chest is tight with things I haven’t said.
His warmth is a familiar kind of safety I never thought I’d have again, but even with his body pressed against mine, I feel split. Torn between the man lying next to me, his injured brother, and the two others still asleep down the hall, one of whom dropped to his knees last night just from feeling the bond for the first time.
I haven’t stopped thinking about it… About them. About what it means. Remy’s voice replays in my mind. ‘
She’s mine.’
Then there’s Parker… sweet, steady Parker… looking at me like he’s been waiting a lifetime just to tell me the truth. That he felt the bond the second he saw me in the woods and kept it to himself so I wouldn’t feel cornered.
I didn’t ask for any of this, but that doesn’t stop it from being real.
Ryder shifts behind me, fingers twitching at my hip like he’s reaching for me in his dreams. I turn slowly to face him, brushing his hair back from his forehead. He’s still out cold, breathing slow and deep, the worry lines on his face softened in sleep.
He looks younger like this. Lighter. Like the weight of the world isn’t crushing him for once, and then the guilt hits hard.
He gave blood to his brother until he nearly collapsed. Came home with nothing left and still held me like I was everything he needed, and I couldn’t even tell him the truth… I’m fated to two more of his pack.
I close my eyes.
Not yet. I’ll tell him. I will. But not yet. Not until I’ve come to terms with it myself and we have Callen home.
I slide carefully out of bed, doing my best not to wake him. He stirs a little, mumbling something under his breath, but he doesn’t move. I press a kiss to his temple and tuck the blanket back around him before slipping into one of his T-shirts and padding barefoot into the kitchen.
**Paige’s POV **
Parker is already up, sitting at the table, with a cup of coffee in his hands. He looks up as I enter, his jaw tight, but his expression softens when he sees me.
“Did you sleep?” he asks.
“A little,” I say honestly, grabbing one of the mugs from the shelf. I pour myself a coffee and lean against the counter, suddenly unsure what I’m doing.
He watches me for a minute, then says, “Is Rye okay?”
I nod. “He’s still out cold. He needed it.”
“I’m glad he came to bed with you,” Parker says quietly. “You both needed that. Some kind of normalcy.”
I flinch at the word because normal feels like a fantasy right now.
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