The Lost Pack (Paige) novel Chapter 2

** Poppy’s POV **

The moment I step outside the cabin, the air feels different. Alive, somehow. The forest stretches around us in every direction, tall pines swaying gently in the breeze. Sunlight filters through the canopy in soft golden streaks, painting the path in moving patches of light.

Last time I was here, this place felt suffocating, but now it feels like something else entirely. I can’t explain how, but it’s almost as if the very land is watching me.

Jake falls into step beside me almost immediately, bumping his shoulder lightly against mine.

“You’re walking suspiciously fast,” he says.

“I’m not.”

“You are,” he insists. “That’s your I’m trying not to look nervous walk.”

“I am not nervous,” I shove him lightly with my elbow.

Jake grins at me like he’s just won something. “You’re absolutely nervous.”

Behind us, Leo says nothing, but I can feel him. He’s not close enough to touch, keeping a couple of paces behind, watching, listening, guarding. The awareness of him prickles across the back of my neck.

“There.” The voice stirs softly in my mind, making me stumble.

Not enough for Jake to notice, but enough that my heartbeat jumps. For some reason, since I arrived back here, the voice seems to just come out of nowhere. Before, I could feel it before I heard it. Like a faint niggle at the back of my mind. Now, though, it’s instant, clear, and without warning.

“What?” I whisper inside my head.

“Do you feel it?”

I frown, slowing slightly as we follow the narrow dirt path through the trees.

Feel what?

The forest smells stronger out here: damp soil, pine trees, wildflowers somewhere deeper in the brush. But beneath that, there’s something else. Something faint and electric.

“You are standing in the middle of it,” the voice murmurs.

A chill crawls slowly down my spine.

“The pack,” it continues.

Of course. I’m standing in the middle of a territory full of wolves, but I don’t think that’s what the voice means. “You belong here.”

I push the thought away before it can sink in too deeply.

Jake nudges me again.

“You Good? You spaced out for a moment there.”

“I did not,” I protest.

“You definitely did.”

“She does that when she’s thinking,” Leo’s voice drifts forward from behind us.

I glance back at him. His expression is calm, unreadable. But his eyes are watching me a little too closely. Did he notice?… Does he know?… Is he making excuses for me?…

My stomach twists slightly.

“Relax,” the voice whispers. “They already suspect, and they haven’t run.”

That is the least comforting sentence it could possibly say.

“Almost there,” Jake says, pulling me back to the now.

I follow his gaze, and through the trees, Paige’s house comes into view.

A big wooden house tucked into the forest clearing. The sun shines down on it like a golden spotlight. Making it look warm and safe. Like nothing bad could ever touch it.

I feel a small smile on my lips as I remember the first time I saw this place; I feel like I’ve come a long way since that fateful night. I glance at Leo, remembering the first time I saw him, almost dead. Then Jake was there like a calm in the storm. What a first meeting that was for us.

I didn’t realise how much I missed this until right now.

The front door swings open before we even reach it, and Jaxon launches himself off the step like a tiny missile.

“Auntie Pops!”

I barely have time to brace before he crashes into me, wrapping his arms around my waist with surprising strength.

“Hey!” I laugh, stumbling back a step as I hug him tightly. “There’s my favourite little chaos gremlin.”

“I’m not a gremlin,” he grumbles into my hoodie.

“You absolutely are,” I grin, pulling back to ruffle his hair. “And don’t think I didn’t notice how much you’ve grown. What have they been feeding you?”

“Mostly pancakes,” he shrugs. “But I didn’t grow that much. I don’t even have my wolf yet.”

“You have. You’re practically a teenager now. You’ll have your wolf before we know it.”

He beams at that. Behind him, Paige appears in the doorway, Liora tucked gently against her chest.

“Don’t let him fool you; we definitely feed him more than pancakes,” she calls.

“Too late,” Jake laughs beside me.

Jaxon ignores his mum and grabs my hand.

“Come on,” he says, already pulling me toward the house. “I have to show you something.”

“What is it?” I ask.

“My Lego.”

“Of course it is.”

“Come on!” He tugs harder.

I glance briefly at Paige as I pass her, giving her a quick smile.

“I’ll be back in a minute.”

She nods, amused. “Go, before he drags you the whole way.”

Too late for that. Jaxon is already hauling me inside. Leo follows us without a word. Upstairs, Jaxon practically dives into his room, immediately dropping to the floor and pointing at a Lego structure that looks far too complicated for someone his age. “I built this.”

I crouch down beside him, genuinely impressed.

“That’s incredible.”

“It’s a wolf base,” he explains proudly. “With tunnels and lookout points and…”

He launches into a full explanation, hands moving animatedly as he talks. Leo leans casually against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching us. I glance up at him briefly, and there’s something softer in his expression now. He seems less guarded and more settled.

After a few more minutes of enthusiastic explaining, I push myself to my feet.

“Alright, genius. I should probably go check on your mum before she thinks I’ve disappeared again.”

His expression flickers slightly at that, making guilt twist in my chest.

“I’m not going anywhere, okay?” I say softly.

He studies me for a second, then nods. “Okay.”

Leo straightens as I move toward the door. “I’ll stay with him,” he says quietly.

“Thank you.” I nod, grateful.

Sometimes I forget that Jaxon is more than just my nephew to him, he’s his future alpha.

Downstairs, the house is quieter. Ryder stands near the kitchen, gently checking Paige over while she leans against the

counter.

“You’re hovering,” she tells him.

“I’m assessing,” he replies.

“You’re hovering.”

“I’m making sure you’re okay.”

“I’m fine.”

My gaze drifts to the baby in my arms. To Paige. To the life she’s built. To the mates surrounding her. She’s found her happy ever after here.

Ryder’s phone rings. The harsh sound cutting through my thoughts. Ryder glances at the screen, his expression immediately hardening.

“Alpha Josh,” he answers.

The room quiets, and all eyes move towards him. I watch as his posture shifts. His shoulders straightening and his wolf flashing in his eyes. Whatever this is… I get the sense it’s not good.

“Yes,” he says slowly.

His jaw tightens as he listens.

“When?”

Another pause.

“The timing is not great for us,” he says, his eyes flicking to Paige and Liora.

“Yes, I understand,” he says with a nod.

Then he ends the call and lowers the phone, his eyes closing for a moment.

“What is it?” Paige asks.

Ryder exhales slowly.

“River Pack has called a meeting.”

That gets everyone’s attention.

“All Alphas,” he adds.

Callen swears under his breath.

“When?”

“Three days.”

Paige stiffens beside me.

“You’re going?”

Ryder looks at her, his expression softening slightly.

“We have to. We were the ones pushing for this, but until now they’ve not been interested.”

“We’re expected to attend,” Callen nods grimly. “But why now? What changed?”

The tension in the room shifts into something more serious.

Leo steps forward. “I’ll go with you,” he says.

Everyone turns to him.

“You’ll need a beta,” he continues calmly. “Parker and Remy should stay here.”

Paige exhales softly, relief flickering across her face.

Ryder studies Leo for a moment, then nods. “Okay. Thank you.”

The decision settles over the room, and in the back of my mind the voice stirs again.

“Three days.”

“Alright, Samara, calm down.” I think back at it.

I know this isn’t the right time to joke about cursed phone calls and horror movie countdowns, but sometimes it’s just the way I handle things. This doesn’t feel like fiction, though. This feels real.

A chill creeps slowly down my spine. Something is coming, and deep down, I already know it’s coming for me.