The Lost Pack (Paige) novel Chapter 2

** Poppy’s POV **

“What voice?” Jake asks carefully.

I close my eyes, giving myself a moment before pushing my shoulders back and lifting my chin, the way my mum taught me when I had to face something uncomfortable.

“I don’t know,” I admit. “It’s just there. In my head. At first, I thought it was nothing. Stress, maybe. Or just my imagination. But then it didn’t stop.”

“What does it say?” Leo pushes gently.

“Things,” I say weakly.

“Poppy.” There’s a warning in his tone now. Not anger exactly, but close.

I blow out a breath. “It talks as if it knows what I’m doing. What I’m thinking. Like it’s watching me.”

Jake’s posture shifts, more alert now.

“Has it told you to do anything?”

“No,” I say quickly. “No, it’s not like that. It’s just… there. Commenting. Knowing things it shouldn’t.”

“Like what?” Jake presses.

I shake my head, weight pressing against my ribs.

“It knew I touched the babies,” I say quietly. “It said it like it were there with me.”

“And before?” Leo asks.

I close my eyes briefly.

“It’s said things about… memories. Things I don’t remember properly. Like it’s trying to drag them up.

Jake and Leo exchange a look. I don’t like it.

“How long has this been happening?” Jake asks.

I hesitate.

“Months,” I admit. “It started that day we were going to complete the mating.”

Leo lowers his head, pinching the bridge of his nose before speaking in a breathy tone.

“And you didn’t tell anyone?”

”

“I didn’t know what it was,” I snap, defensive again. “What was I supposed to say? ‘Hey, I’ve got a voice in my head, no big deal’?”

“You were supposed to tell us,” he says.

The words are quiet, but they hit harder than if he’d shouted. I look away.

“It’s the reason I left,” I admit.

Jake’s eyes widen slightly. Leo goes completely still.

“You left because of this?” Jake asks.

I nod. “I thought… I thought if I got some distance, it might stop. Or at least quiet down.”

“Did it?” Leo asks.

There’s something in his voice now. Tension… Hope… Dread.

“No,” I shake my head. “It got worse. It was louder. More constant. I couldn’t get a break from it.”

Jake runs a hand over his jaw.

“And now?” he asks.

I hesitate again.

“It’s… different,” I admit. “Still there. But not as chaotic. It’s quieter, but clearer. Like it’s settling.”

“Since you came back?” Leo asks.

“Yeah,” I nod.

Silence stretches between us for a moment. Then Leo steps closer.

“Eight months,” he says, his voice tight. “Eight months you were dealing with this on your own.”

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