Werewolf

** Paige’s POV **
For a second, I can’t breathe. Everything in the room stills, even the air feels frozen. My sister is limp in the arms of a man I barely know, and the sound of that one word, “mine,” still echoes in my head.
No one moves. Not Leo, who’s standing there like the ground has been ripped out from under him. Not Remy, who looks ready to throw himself between them. Not even Parker, though I can feel his tension from across the room, assessing and ready.
Then, my body finally remembers how to move.
“Poppy!” My voice cracks as I push forward, shoving past Remy to reach her. Jake doesn’t let go, he just holds her tighter, one arm supporting her back, the other cupping the side of her face like she’s something precious. His expression is fierce, protective, and completely calm.
“What did you do to her?” I demand, panic spiking so fast my hands shake.
Jake lifts his gaze to mine. “

** Paige’s POV **
When the door closes behind them, silence falls again. It feels softer this time, less dangerous, but still heavy. Poppy looks up at me, her voice barely audible. “Paige… what’s happening to me?”
I hesitate. I don’t know what to tell her that will make this any less scary for her. It’s one thing to hear about the effect of the bond, but to feel it is not something you could prepare for. I remember those first few days; my head was all over the place.
“I don’t know exactly, but I do know this feeling will pass. It just takes some time. I think I cried for a few days, and I thought I was losing my mind before I stopped fighting against it.”
Poppy stares at me, wide-eyed and pale, like the words aren’t quite sinking in. “You make it sound like giving up,” she whispers.
“It’s not,” I say softly. “It’s letting yourself breathe. The bond doesn’t go away just because you want 

** Paige’s POV **
After breakfast, Poppy is still grinning with amusement. Parker excuses himself to shower, giving me a smile that threatens to melt me.
Callen goes back upstairs to nap before it’s time to check on Leo, and Ryder and Remy take Jax to play in the living room.
I gather up the plates to wash, and Poppy bounces up to help.
“I have to admit, I like this for you and Jaxon,” Poppy says quietly.
I turn to look at her over my shoulder. “What do you mean?”
“This life you have, it suits you.” She smiles softly. “This place is beautiful, and the guys are so good with Jax. Even after everything that happened last night, you’re all able to laugh and smile together. You are different here, Paige, and it suits you.”
“Different how?”
“I don’t know, it’s like when you look at them, you light up in a way I’ve never seen before, and it’s clear they adore you. Jax is obviously happy here too. Watching you all together gives me a good feeling, you are everything a family should be,” she explains.
Her words warm me, and a weight I hadn’t even realised I’d been carrying lifts from my shoulders. If Poppy, my sister and my best friend, the person whose opinion has always mattered most, can look at my life here and see something good, then I don’t need anyone else’s approval. The people I love are happy for me, and that is all that matters.
“Thanks, Pops, that means a lot,” I manage, keeping my gaze fixed on the sink as it fills with warm soapy water.
Before Poppy can say anything else, I hear footsteps on the stairs and glance over my shoulders to see Parker, fresh from the shower.
His eyes meet mine, and he gives me that panty-melting smile again that makes my cheeks heat.
“See, that’s exactly what I’m talking about,” Poppy laughs.
I shoot her a ‘shut up’ look, but Parker is already grinning.
Parker makes a beeline straight for me, his hands wrapping around my waist and his face dropping to my neck, breathing me in.
“Why don’t you and Poppy have coffee on the porch? I’ll finish the dishes,” he murmurs.
“It’s okay, I can…”
“Sounds like a good idea to me. I have so many questions,” Poppy cuts me off, and Parker chuckles, guiding me away from the sink.
“Go spend time with your sister,” he insists.
I give in, knowing I won’t win against the two of them.
Five minutes later, I’m sitting on the back porch with a fresh cup of coffee in my hands and my sister at my side.
I watch her as she takes in the view. It’s stunning out here, and I can tell by her expression that she thinks the same. It almost feels like a different world here, and I suppose, in a way, it is. It’s like our own little slice of the world.
The difference is in how it all fits together. Outside the woods, people construct everything on top of nature, burying it under layers of concrete and steel. Cities stretch upward, blocking out the sky, while the ground is carved up for roads and car parks. Here, it feels the opposite. The cabins don’t fight against the land; they rise out of it like they were always meant to be here. Even the paths wind around the trees instead of cutting them down.
There’s a balance here, a respect for nature in every detail. The air smells cleaner; the sounds are softer, and even the quiet feels alive. It makes me wonder if this is what the world could have been if people had remembered how to live with the earth instead of forcing it to bend around them.
I blink, wondering where that thought just came from. I’ve always loved nature, but I’ve never felt that passionate about it. Maybe living out here has given me a new perspective.
“Last night, the trees seemed scary, but now, in the light of day, they feel like a protective shield,” Poppy says, her voice soft.
I nod, following her gaze to the forest that borders the pack lands. The morning sunlight streams through the branches, making the leaves glow like stained glass. “That’s exactly what they are,” I tell her quietly. “A shield. They keep us hidden, keep us safe.”
She hums, pulling her knees up to her chest on the bench, cradling her coffee. For a while we just sit there, breathing in the morning air, the sound of birds blending with the faint laughter from inside the house.
Eventually, Poppy breaks the silence. “Can I ask you something? About… all this?”
“Of course.”
Her eyes flick to me, then back out to the trees. “The whole mates thing. How does it work? I mean, how does it feel for you? Do you feel you had a choice? Because it all seems crazy to me right now.”
“Yeah, it sounds insane when I try to explain it. But when you’re living it… it’s different. Mates aren’t just some random idea of romance. It’s… a connection. You feel it like gravity pulling you toward them. And once you seal the bond, it’s like your soul finally clicks into place.”
Poppy tilts her head, her brows pulling together. “So it’s always mutual? Both mates feel it?”
“Yes,” I say firmly. “Always. Though sometimes, some try to fight it.” I half laugh. “Ask Remy about that, he’s an expert in running from fate.”
Her lips twitch. “So, you didn’t exactly get a choice?”
I shake my head. “Not in who, but I had a choice to stay, to open myself to it. That part is free will. It isn’t easy, Pops. Being with them all, figuring out how we fit together, it takes work. But they make me feel seen, and safe, and loved in ways I didn’t even know I needed.”
She’s quiet for a long moment, chewing her lip. “So how do you seal a mate bond?”
I blow out a breath, not sure how much truth I should give her. “Werewolves mark their mates. It’s an intimate moment, and the feeling of the bond completing is indescribable in the best way, plus it comes with some perks,” I smirk.
“Perks?” she asks, sitting up a little straighter.
“Yep,” I nod. “I’m faster, like super fast, and I can hear more if I focus. My instincts are enhanced too. I’m not sure what else yet as we are just figuring this out. A human mate is rare, so we are all learning as we go.”
“Seriously? So you’re like some superhero now? I can’t wait to see this.” She laughs, shaking her head. “If human mates are rare, then do we have some special blood that makes us compatible?”
Her question catches me off guard, because I hadn’t even thought of the chances of both of us being werewolf mates. “I’m not sure,” I shrug.
Her voice drops when she speaks again, fragile and uncertain. “What if… what if I have more than one mate here?”
“Twins usually share a mate, but Leo doesn’t have a twin. Why? Do you feel a pull toward someone else?”
She shrugs, staring at her coffee as though it might hold the answer. “Last night, when Leo was being checked over, there was this healer guy that kept staring at me. I felt drawn to him somehow. I don’t even know how to describe it. Like my whole body lit up from the inside, and even though everything around us was terrifying, when I looked at him, I felt safe.”
“Did he say anything to you? Did you tell Callen?” I ask, already shifting in my seat to go question him.
“No,” she drags in a shaky breath. “I was scared, Paige. I still am. If they really are my mates, what does that even mean? My whole life could change just because of some bond I didn’t ask for. I can’t even wrap my head around it right now.”
I reach over and squeeze her hand. “You don’t have to wrap your head around it today, and it doesn’t take away your choices. If they’re your mates, it means they’ll feel it too. It means they’ll love you with everything they have. But it doesn’t mean you’re trapped, Pops. You still get to decide what kind of relationship you want, and how fast, and if you’re even ready. The bond doesn’t take your voice.”
“I see how happy you are, and I’m happy for you, but what if I’m not ready? What if I never am?”
“Then that’s okay,” I tell her softly. “A real mate will wait. They’ll stand by you, no matter how long it takes. That’s what the bond is, partnership, not chains.”
I should mention that her safety could be the reason she can’t return to her life, at least not for now, but I don’t want to overwhelm her.
Her eyes shine with unshed tears as she whispers, “But what if they don’t wait? What if they decide I’m not worth it?”
“Poppy, you are worth everything. If Leo or this other guy are your mates, they’ll move mountains to be with you.”
She lets out a shaky laugh that sounds too close to a sob. “You make it sound so simple.”
I smile, though it feels a little sad. “It isn’t simple. Not even close. But I think it’s worth it.”
For a long time we just sit there quietly. I can tell she’s still turning it all over in her head, the fear and the curiosity tangling together.
Finally, she says, “Tell me about the pack. About how it really works.”
I lean back, admiring the trees. “I’m still learning, but from what I know so far, the pack is family. That’s the easiest way to put it.
Everyone has a role, everyone looks out for each other. The Alpha’s lead, the Beta’s support them, the others train and protect the territory, or keep the whole place running.”
Poppy frowns. “So it’s kind of like… community, but deeper?”
“Exactly.” I nod. “Stronger than any human community I’ve ever seen.”
Her voice is almost a whisper. “But what if you don’t want to be part of it? What if it’s too much?”
“Last night was traumatic, and then waking up in a strange place surrounded by strangers… anyone would be anxious. Give yourself time to find out.”
She nods. “It’s just… Leo almost died. I don’t even know him, but the thought of him dying…” She cuts herself off, shaking her head. “It scared me so much. More than it should have.”
My chest tightens. “That’s the bond. It connects you even before you fully understand it. It’s powerful.”
The porch creaks behind us then, and we both turn. Ryder steps out, his expression serious, Remy close behind him.
“What is it?” I ask, my stomach tightening.
Ryder’s gaze settles on Poppy. “Leo’s awake, and he’s trying to leave the healer’s cabin. He says he has to find his mate.”
Poppy goes pale, her fingers tightening around her cup until her knuckles are white.

** Paige’s POV **
For a second, I can’t breathe. Everything in the room stills, even the air feels frozen. My sister is limp in the arms of a man I barely know, and the sound of that one word, “mine,” still echoes in my head.
No one moves. Not Leo, who’s standing there like the ground has been ripped out from under him. Not Remy, who looks ready to throw himself between them. Not even Parker, though I can feel his tension from across the room, assessing and ready.
Then, my body finally remembers how to move.
“Poppy!” My voice cracks as I push forward, shoving past Remy to reach her. Jake doesn’t let go, he just holds her tighter, one arm supporting her back, the other cupping the side of her face like she’s something precious. His expression is fierce, protective, and completely calm.
“What did you do to her?” I demand, panic spiking so fast my hands shake.
Jake lifts his gaze to mine. “She’s not hurt. The bond overwhelmed her. Her body shut down for a moment. She’ll wake soon.”
Jake f

Chapter 108