Jaxon climbs off the chair and wraps his arms around my legs. “Are you leaving me, Mummy?”
My chest tightens as I kneel to his level. “Just for a little while, sweetheart. Your dad’s going to take me to check on Uncle Cal.”
“Can I come?”
“Not this time, baby. He needs lots of rest, and we don’t want to disturb him. But Parker’s going to stay with you, okay?”
Jaxon pouts but nods, leaning in for a hug. I hold him tight, pressing a kiss to his forehead before standing again.
“Shall we play on the X-Box?” Parker asks, and Jaxon instantly forgets he was sulking a second ago as he bounces up and down excitedly.
Ryder picks him up and carries him back into the living room with Parker trailing behind them. I run upstairs to dress back in yesterday’s clothes. I’m going to need to go home today to pick up some more stuff for me and Jax if we are staying here again.
When I come back downstairs, Ryder is waiting by the door, one hand resting on the frame, the other running through his still-wet hair. Jaxon cheers from the living room, and I glance his way. I catch Parker watching us. Something flickers in his expression before he looks away. I can’t tell if it’s jealousy or something else. Maybe regret?
I grab my coat and follow Ryder outside. The air is warmer now, the sky a soft blue streaked with clouds. He doesn’t say much as we walk down a dirt track, and I’m grateful for the silence. My mind is already churning.
Parker’s touch still lingers on my skin, his words echoing louder now that I’ve had time to breathe. Let me hold the pieces until you’re ready.
I wasn’t ready to kiss him, but I was close. Too close. Now I’m walking hand in hand with the man who still holds a large part of my heart, no matter how badly he once broke it.
I glance at Rye and see the tight set of his jaw. I should say something, but I stay quiet. Because underneath everything else, there’s a part of me that’s afraid of what I’ll feel when I see Callen. I’m afraid of the guilt. Afraid that I’ll cry and won’t know how to stop.
“You okay?” Ryder asks, breaking the silence.
I nod. “I just… I need to see him.”
The road winds through the forest. It’s so peaceful out here, like the world is pretending nothing happened. Like there aren’t hunters out there who nearly killed someone I care about, and would just as quickly kill my son, or the three other men I’ve been fated to.
The silence between us stretches, but it isn’t uncomfortable. It’s full of everything we’re both thinking but not saying. Ryder glances at me now and then, and I can feel the weight of his gaze even when I’m not looking back.
I let out a breath. “He’s really okay?”
“He’s still healing,” Ryder says. “But yes. He’s going to make it.”
“I was horrible to him,” I whisper. “Right before it happened. I shut him out, pushed him away…”
“He’ll understand,” Ryder says without hesitation. “You were overwhelmed. That doesn’t cancel out what you feel for him.”
I look at him. He’s grown since I last knew him, and not just physically, but as a person. He’s more patient, calmer, but the storm behind his eyes hasn’t vanished, it’s just buried deeper now.
The trees thin as we follow the winding path, and then suddenly, it opens up into something out of a storybook. I take a deep breath and prepare myself to face Callen, to apologise, to see with my own eyes that he’s okay.
Ryder stops, pulling on my hand, so I’m facing him. He looks down at me and smiles as his eyes search mine. He reaches up to brush a thumb over my cheek.
“I know you’ve already met a few of the pack, but you’ll likely see more around here. They are going to look, they’ll assess you, and you may feel uncomfortable. But I promise you they won’t hurt you. They are just curious about you. You are the mother of their future alpha, which makes you very important, even more so if you accept the mate bond with me and Callen.”
Awesome.
“So no pressure,” I half laugh, but nerves twist in my belly.
What if they hate me?
“No pressure,” Ryder shakes his head. “You have already made a good impression on Ronnie and my enforcers. Regina likes you, and somehow you have Parker wrapped around your finger already. The rest will love you when they get to know you.”
My heart skips a beat at the mention of Parker. If only he knew why Parker liked me so much.
“Okay,” I breathe. “Let’s just get to Callen, the rest doesn’t matter right now.”
Ryder nods and gives my hand a squeeze. “The healers’ cabin is this way.”
We walk through a small group of cabins. It’s a small village, warm and quiet. Hidden by the tall trees that surround it like guardians. The cabins are all wooden with stone chimneys. Wildflowers and moss-covered stones line the path. It’s beautiful.
Children are laughing faintly from somewhere deeper in the village, and a few people glance up as we pass. They bow their heads to Ryder and look at me with curiosity, but none seems unkind.
“This is our home,” Ryder says quietly beside me. “It’s usually a bit more lively than this, but most of the pack are either out, running extra patrols, or keeping the kids safe indoors.”
I don’t say anything, just nod as I take it all in.
Ryder leads me into a quiet cabin. The scent of antiseptic hangs faintly in the air. Someone’s done their best to clean and sterilise, but the sharp tang of blood still lingers. A young woman nods to us as we enter.
“Good morning, Alpha. We moved him into the room at the back. He’s awake,” she says softly. “But he’s tired, so try not to stay too long.”
“Thank you, Nina,” Ryder nods and leads me down a short hall.
He pushes open a door and pokes his head inside before stepping in fully. I hesitate. It’s just Callen, with his ridiculous jokes and cocky smirk. Callen, who makes Jaxon laugh until he wheezes. Callen, who kissed me like it meant something… and then nearly died without me getting the chance to tell him why I was pushing him away. No matter what his condition, I can handle it.
I take a breath and quietly step inside.
The room is dim, blinds pulled halfway down against the morning sun. The light falls in a soft glow across the bed and the man lying in it.
He looks pale and unusually still.
There’s faint stubble across his jaw, and shadows under his eyes that weren’t there before. His shirt is off, bandages cover his chest and one shoulder, dark spots seeping through near his ribs. An IV is taped to his hand, and there’s deep bruising in blotchy patches over his chest and face. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he’d been in a horrific car crash.
My hand flies to my mouth, and before I can stop myself, tears well up.
His eyes flutter open as the door clicks shut behind me.
“Hey,” he says, his voice hoarse and scratchy. But it’s him.
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