Chapter 213

** Paige’s POV ** Morning comes too fast and slow at once. I don’t think I ever actually fell asleep, not fully. I drifted, floated, hovered somewhere between exhaustion and adrenaline. Between fear and hope. Between the things I lost… and the things I might be gaining. A child, a possibility. My hands rest over my stomach without me realising it again. The warmth there answers me with a soft flutter that steals my breath. It’s not a kick or a movement. Just… awareness. As if something inside me is whispering back. ‘I’m here.’ The bed creaks as Ryder shifts behind me, and a moment later his arm comes around my waist, pulling me into the heat of his chest. “You’re awake,” he mumbles, his voice rough from sleep. “So are you.” He huffs a soft laugh into my hair. “I don’t think any of us slept much.” My heart stumbles a little. “Are the others back from patrol?” He goes silent for a moment, listening to the house. “Remy is pacing the kitchen,” Ryder says quietly. “Parker’s making tea and t