Chapter 298 Book 2 ~ Chapter 63

Chapter 298 Book 2 ~ Chapter 63
Leo’s POV

The pressure in my chest eases as we cross into River Pack territory; my wolf focussing on our surroundings now that he senses the other packs around us and all the new scents. Even with him distracted, it only lessens slightly, remaining a constant ache in the background.

I park outside the River Pack’s main lodge. The rain still drips steadily from the dark sky, matching my mood perfectly. Callen and Ryder go inside to greet our host and to find out where we’re spending the night. It’s only when they come back out that I realise I haven’t moved for too long.

“You going to brood out here all night?” Callen teases.

“I’m thinking,” I huff.

“You know that’s just brooding with extra steps, right?” He smirks.

Normally, that would get a reaction out of me, but tonight, I barely grunt in response.

“Are you still worried about her?” Ryder asks.

Yes. Always. 

“I don’t like being away from her right now.”

Ryder pulls his car door open. “None of us likes being away from our mates.”

It’s not the same. Paige is stable, but Poppy… I don’t even know what Poppy is becoming.

The thought leaves a bitter taste in my mouth instantly because it feels disloyal somehow. She’s still her. I know that. I’d know her anywhere, but something else is there too. Something watching from behind her eyes.

Callen directs us through the territory to a log cabin similar to our own guest accommodation. It’s basic, with four single beds in the bedroom, a small sitting area, a stocked kitchen and a bathroom. There’s a faint scent of disinfectant and furniture polish, as if someone cleaned it recently. 

Ryder goes straight to the fridge, pulling out cold beers and offering them to Callen and me. Callen takes one, opening it immediately and taking a big swig. I shake my head, turning towards the bedroom. 

“It helps, you know?” Cal calls after me. 

Maybe for him it does, but I’ve never been one that gets anything but a headache from alcohol. I don’t tell him that, though. Instead, I make my way into the bedroom. I don’t bother turning on the light before flopping down on the bed under the window. 

I stare up at the moon as it peeks through the gaps in the clouds for what feels like hours. Sleep just isn’t happening, because every time I close my eyes, I hear that voice again.

Don’t leave her for too long.

My jaw tightens. I should never have volunteered to come here; I should never have left her. I drag a hand over my face with a frustrated huff, forcing myself to stop checking the bond every thirty seconds like some obsessive fucking psycho.

Then, suddenly, my entire body locks as the bond snaps tight so violently that it steals the air from my lungs. My wolf surges forward beneath my skin, and my ears ring as heat floods through me.

Poppy… Emotion crashes through me in dizzying flashes: need, trust, joy, and a love so overwhelming it physically aches.

I can feel Jake stronger now too, but not separately anymore; now he’s intertwined with her.

“They did it,” I whisper.

My wolf goes completely still for half a second before satisfaction rolls through him.

“Mate.”

The word echoes through every part of me as the bond expands wider, deeper, and stronger. Then I feel her happiness, and if I were in my wolf form, I’d be howling at the moon thanking the Goddess. Because she’s okay, she’s really okay.

“About fucking time,” I laugh, rubbing both hands over my face.

The bond pulses again, and my eyes close as I let myself lean into it, breathing through the ache of missing her that hits even harder now.

“Mine,” my wolf rumbles contentedly.

Yeah, she’s ours.

Even this far away, I can still feel her as if she’s right here in the bed with me. She’s calm and tired, and I sink into that feeling. Sleep pulls at me, impossible to resist now. My eyes close as the bond hums steadily inside me, full of soft affection and exhausted happiness.

When I wake up in the uncomfortable single bed, the mate bond is still full in my chest; it’s stronger after last night in a way I still can’t fully wrap my head around.

Before Jake completed the mating, sensing Poppy had felt instinctive but still distant. Like catching fragments of her through the fog. Now I can feel her enough to hear partial thoughts and emotions. I know she’s already awake. She’s calmer today, lighter in a way that makes a small smile spread over my lips.

My wolf settles slightly with the knowledge, though still not fully. Not after that fucking voice last night. The memory crawls down my spine again, and my fists clench. I still can’t explain what happened in the car. It wasn’t my wolf, wasn’t Jake, and unless I’ve finally lost my damn mind, something else spoke through the bond.

By the time Callen and Ryder wake up, and we’ve all showered and eaten breakfast, it’s time to leave for the meeting. The main lodge is already crowded when we walk inside. 

It reeks of alpha power. Wet fur, freshly cut wood, musk, and coffee layered so thick in the air it hits the back of my throat. Every instinct inside me straightens automatically, as dozens of dominant wolves size each other up. There’s too much power trapped in one room, too many predators pretending they aren’t dangerous.

A dozen Alphas and Betas are scattered around the large room, and they go quiet briefly as we enter, before conversations slowly resume. Great… politics… my favourite.

I scan the room automatically, taking note of exits, threats, and unfamiliar faces, and then my wolf goes unnaturally still.

Two men stand near the far side of the room beside Alpha Josh. They’re clearly twins. Both have blonde hair and sharp features. They’re tall enough to rival Ryder, and both dressed entirely in black, but it isn’t their appearance that puts me on edge. It’s the way they hold themselves.

Most wolves carry a constant undercurrent of aggression beneath their skin, especially around unfamiliar Alphas, but these two stand like predators that already know they’re the most dangerous things in the room.

One leans lazily against the wall with his arms crossed, appearing relaxed at first glance, but his pale eyes track every movement in the lodge with unnerving precision.

The other stands beside Josh, speaking quietly, his posture calmer somehow, but no less dangerous. Every part of them seems tightly controlled, and my wolf hates it immediately.

Alpha Josh gestures in our direction, and the one against the wall looks up first, and his eyes lock directly onto me. Not Ryder or Callen… me.

The intensity of it hits like a physical thing, and I stop walking. Callen and Ryder notice immediately, turning to look at me.

“What’s wrong?” Callen asks through the mind link.

I don’t answer. Because the twin is still staring. It’s not a challenge exactly, more like an assessment. Like he’s trying to solve something.

Ryder follows my line of sight, his shoulders tensing slightly. “Mountain Ridge.”

So these are the reckless Mountain Ridge twins I’ve heard about. Interesting. They’re nothing like I imagined. 

Josh notices us looking and waves us over with a tired-looking sigh. “Perfect timing.”

As we approach, the room feels as though it grows smaller with every step towards them.

The twin closest to Josh inclines his head first. “Alpha Ryder, Alpha Callen.”

His voice is smooth and controlled, and he sounds more educated than I expected.

The other twin pushes away from the wall slowly, his eyes still fixed on me in a way that’s starting to seriously irritate my wolf.

“You’re a Beta, but you’re not their Beta, are you?” he asks, his eyes narrowing.

My wolf pushes harder beneath my skin. My protective instincts rising fast for reasons I don’t understand.

“That depends on who’s asking,” I answer flatly.

One corner of his mouth lifts slightly in amusement. “Bastian,” he says. Then gestures toward his brother. “Alaric.”

Neither offers a hand nor looks away from me.

Callen squares his shoulders, and Ryder steps closer, tension rolling off him.

“Leo is our Gamma, but for this trip he is our Beta,” Ryder says, his voice low.

Josh exhales heavily. “Mountain Ridge has been tracking the same hunter movements we have. I think everyone here is eager to hear your tactics to better protect our packs.”

“Mm-hmm,” Bastian murmurs.

My jaw tightens slightly as Josh, Callen and Ryder talk strategy. Bastian is clearly not as eager to learn as Josh thinks, because only half his attention is actually on the conversation. The other half is still trying to figure me out, and it feels personal.

A strange pulse suddenly moves through the mate bond, and the tension in me eases before I can stop it. A sudden calmness washing over me that I can’t explain. Bastian stands a little straighter, his interest piqued. Fuck. Did he notice that?

Alaric studies me more carefully now too, something unreadable flickering briefly across his expression before disappearing completely. The twins share a look that makes me uncomfortable.

“What?” I ask coldly.

Neither answers immediately, then Bastian smiles slightly.

“We were just wondering,” he says quietly, “why your wolf suddenly stopped wanting to kill us.”