Chapter 172

** Paige’s POV ** The little house Midnight Pack assigned us is warmer than it looks from the outside, all old brick and papered walls, with thick rugs thrown over the creaking floorboards. It smells a little musty, but it’s clean and safe, and that’s all that really matters. Poppy and Jake left a little while ago to help with the injured pack members still recovering from last night’s chaos. Remy, Ronnie and Leo were gone before I woke up, and Callen and Ryder have gone to meet with Josh. So it’s quiet here with just me, Parker and Jax. I kneel beside the bathtub in the small but fully functioning bathroom. Jaxon sits inside. He’s small and quiet, knees pulled to his chest as I run warm water over his hair with a cup. He hasn’t said more than a handful of words since he woke up. The silence crushes my heart. Jax is usually such a chatterbox. “Are you okay, baby?” I ask softly. He nods, but it’s that too-fast nod kids do when they don’t want to talk, don’t want to cry, don’t want to wo