Jaxon.”
“Okay,” I nod and stand. I take one last look at Callen and lean over, pressing a gentle kiss on his forehead.
**Paige’s POV **
Ryder and I walk the woodland path in silence, our steps in sync, the guards keeping a respectful distance behind us. It feels strange being back here after yesterday. I’d been so worried, so stressed that I’m surprised I hadn’t left a track on the floor from all my pacing. Now it feels welcoming again, as if nothing ever happened.
Ryder waits in the kitchen as I move through the house, collecting a few things, my laptop, some paperwork, toys, a few changes of clothes for both Jaxon and me. I linger in my bedroom for a moment, just staring at the bed. I don’t think I’ll sleep here again, it’s not safe to bring Jaxon back here.
We’re only here for twenty minutes, but when we step outside again, it feels like closing a chapter, even if it was only a really short one..
We make it back to the cabin by noon, and the mood shifts the moment we walk through the door. Jaxon comes hurtling toward us the second he hears us, his little arms flinging around his dad’s legs before Ryder can even crouch down to his level. Parker follows closely behind, leaning against the door frame.
“I have a surprise for you,” Ryder grins, reaching into one of the bags and pulling out the Lego box.
Jaxon’s eyes go huge. “A new Lego set?! This is the one I wanted!”
He squeals so loudly I wince. Ryder is beaming, and crouches beside him as Jaxon tears into the box like it’s Christmas morning.
“Slow down, or you’ll lose the pieces,” Rye laughs.
I try to slip away, but Jaxon insists I help. So the four of us sprawl out in the living room with Lego pieces scattered across the floor. I feel as if we’ve made a temporary bubble of joy. Ryder shows Jaxon how to build the spaceship. Parker is put in charge of the stickers, while I read out the instructions.
Eventually, Ryder sighs. “It’s time for me to go to work,” he says softly, brushing a hand through Jaxon’s hair.
Jaxon pouts but nods. “You’ll be back soon?”
“Before you know it,” Ryder promises, pressing a kiss to his son’s forehead. Then he looks at me. “Don’t wait up.”
I nod, even though I probably will.
Once Ryder leaves and Jaxon is tucked into bed, sleeping peacefully with one of his new Lego figures clutched in his hand, I head back downstairs.
Parker is in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, with a bottle of beer in one hand and a book in the other.
“Want one?” he asks, gesturing to the bottle.
“No, thanks, I need to get some work done this evening.” I slide into the seat across from him, grateful for the calm he brings me.
“Tea then?”
“Yes, please,” I nod.
He boils the kettle and pours me a cup, then passes it over without a word, but I don’t drink it yet. Instead, I look at him.
“Can I ask you about the mate bond now?”
His eyes lift to mine. “Of course.”
I fidget with the edge of the mug. “How does it work? The mate bond. Will I become like you?
His expression softens instantly. “If you mean, will you turn into a wolf? No, but there will be some changes.”
“What changes?” I ask. you
“I’m no expert on this. We’ve only had one human mate in our pack before, but I know some of what u can expect. First of all, after the mating, you’ll feel different, and I don’t just mean emotionally. You’ll be stronger and faster than a regular human. You’ll age slower and live longer like us. I have heard that some humans develop the ability to mind link, although I don’t think that’s a certainty,” he explains, and I nod as I process.
So far, none of that sounds bad. Actually, it’s all a pretty good perk, but the mind-link thing worries me.
“How does the mind link work? Like you all just hear each other’s thoughts?”
“No,” he shakes his head. “Think of it more like a built-in walkie-talkie. I can talk to any member of my pack right now just by thinking my thoughts directly at them. They only hear what I want them to hear.”
“Okay 1 not so bad. So how does the actual mating happen?”
Parker drops his gaze, and I swear I see a blush on his cheeks as he smirks.
He clears his throat. “So it’s usually done through a bite during s*x. It doesn’t necessarily need to happen during s*x, but as it brings intense pleasure, it makes sense to combine the two. It’s also something a male has to actively resist when being intimate with his mate. The need to claim our mates at that moment is so strong, although I have no experience of that, as you know.”
“Oh,” is about all I can manage, because that’s a lot.
I know Callen had mentioned something about hot s*x and a bite, but it seemed more like a taunt when he said it. To hear it now, so calmly from Parker, makes it so much more real.
“I know that completes the mate bond, but how? Will it feel different afterward?”
“Yes, the bond completes. You’ll carry the mating mark, and your scent will change. All other wolves will know who you are mated to by scent. The bond will intensify for you rapidly after that, and you’ll feel the way we do. It’s like this invisible force. This thread that’s always there.
You feel each other, even when you’re apart.”
“So you already feel it that strongly?”
Parker nods. “From the minute my wolf scented you.”
“And how does that feel?” I dare to ask.
Parker sets his beer down and leans forward slightly, his voice quieter now, more thoughtful. “It’s hard to explain, but I’ll try. It’s a pull. Like your soul recognises theirs as home. There’s this heat in your chest. When they’re close, everything settles. When they’re far, you ache for them. Not just metaphorically, your whole body will miss them. When they’re hurting, you’ll know. You’ll feel it.”
He pauses as if searching for the right words. “But it’s not just pain. The joy is stronger too. Their happiness becomes yours. It’s intense, even overwhelming at times, but it never feels wrong.”
He leans back, exhaling slowly. “It’s not just love, Paige. It’s fate. There’s nothing stronger han that.”
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