Chapter 182

** Paige’s POV ** Breakfast almost settles me, almost, but not quite. The guys keep trying to act normal, but the bond is a mess of tangled emotions. Curiosity, awe, worry, and something sharper threading through all of them… fear. Not fear of me but fear for me, and it’s Ryder who keeps glancing at me like he’s fighting an internal argument he doesn’t want to have. I can tell they’re discussing something through the mind-link. It’s obvious in their subtle nods and their micro facial expressions. I get the same sense I had yesterday, that uneasiness I could feel in the morning trickling through the bond. I know they’re hiding something from me, something they either think I can’t handle, or they’re worried I’ll have another power flare up. I hate secrets, but with my current circumstances, and my unpredictable power, I can understand. I trust them, completely, and I know they will tell me when they feel the time is right. Ryder clears his throat, pulling me from my thoughts. “Paige,” h