The Lost Pack (Paige) novel Chapter 213

** Paige’s POV **

Morning comes too fast and slow at once. I don’t think I ever actually fell asleep, not fully. I drifted, floated, hovered somewhere between exhaustion and adrenaline.

Between fear and hope. Between the things I lost… and the things I might be gaining.

A child, a possibility.

My hands rest over my stomach without me realising it again. The warmth there answers me with a soft flutter that steals my breath. It’s not a kick or a movement. Just… awareness. As if something inside me is whispering back.’ I’m here.’

The bed creaks as Ryder shifts behind me, and a moment later his arm comes around my waist, pulling me into the heat of his chest.

“You’re awake,” he mumbles, his voice rough from sleep.

“So are you.”

He huffs a soft laugh into my hair. “I don’t think any of us slept much.”

My heart stumbles a little. “Are the others back from patrol?”

He goes silent for a moment, listening to the house.”Remy is pacing the kitchen,” Ryder says quietly. “Parker’s making tea and trying to calm him down. Callen’s standing at the bottom of the stairs pretending he’s not waiting for you to get up.”

I groan, hiding my face. “They’re going to hover over me all day, aren’t they?”

“They’re wolves,” Ryder says, pressing a kiss to my shoulder. “Hovering is our love language.”

Despite everything… Greg, the police, the way my entire world shifted… I laugh. It’s small, and shaky, but it’s real.

Ryder feels it. I can tell by the way he props himself up on his elbow and studies me.

“What?” I whisper.

“You,” he says simply. “Laughing. After yesterday, I wasn’t sure when we’d hear that again yet.”

I swallow hard. “It was a lot.”

“It was too much,” he corrects softly.

He doesn’t say Greg’s name. He doesn’t have to. My breath catches, because suddenly the image flashes behind my eyes… Greg falling, Mrs Turner screaming, the hunters’ bullet ending everything in a second. I tense, panic gripping my chest.

Ryder feels it instantly. “Angel, look at me.”

I do.”We are safe,” he says softly. “Jaxon is safe. The court case will be gone. You did everything right, and you are home now.”

Home. The word hits deeper than usual. Because home isn’t a place anymore. It’s a pack, a bond, a future. And this tiny spark inside me, whatever it is, is part of that too.

Before I can answer, the bedroom door opens slowty.

“Sorry, we heard you talking,” Parker says, carrying a tray.” I made you some tea. Also, Callen made porridge. Well… he tried to. It might be edible? Remy even went out and picked you some flowers.”

Parker steps fully into the room, balancing a tray with tea and something that might once have been porridge but now looks like a crime against oats, maybe he was aiming for flapjack. Behind him, Callen pokes his head in, holding a bunch of wildflowers like he’s presenting treasure from a distant land. Remy appears last, arms crossed, pretending he’s not hovering in the doorway like a guard.

“Oh good, you’re awake,” Callen says, beaming far too brightly for someone who usually greets mornings like they personally offended him. “We brought offerings.”

I stare at the flowers. “Are those from by the pond?”

“Yes,” Remy answers. “I did a sweep around the east while Parker was boiling water and Callen was committing porridge-related manslaughter.””It is not that bad,” Callen mutters.

I sit up slowly, and instantly they jump into action, Ryder behind me, helping me sit, Parker steadying the tray in front of me, Callen fluffing a pillow like he’s auditioning for a housekeeping competition, and Remy hovering behind them all like he’s calculating how many threats exist within a five-mile radius.

“Guys,” I say, trying not to laugh, I’m pregnant. Not made of glass.”

All four freeze mid-movement at my saying the words out loud for the first time. They look like they absolutely do not believe me.

– “You are literally carrying a goddess-blessed pup,” Callen says.

“You are made of glass.”

“Porcelain,” Parker corrects gently. “Very precious porcelain.”

Ryder presses a kiss on the back of my shoulder. ”

Diamond. The hardest natural substance on earth, but still worth guarding.”

Remy nods once, dead serious. “Also, diamonds can chip if they’re not looked after properly.”

I blink. “Did you… rehearse this?”

They all avoid eye contact. Good lord.

Parker sets the tray gently on my lap. “Drink this, please.It’s caffeine-free. I googled which teas are safest.”

I take the mug, warming my hands around it and trying not to cry about the lack of caffeine. “Thank you.”

Callen sits at the foot of the bed, bouncing a knee. “Do you want more pillows? Less pillows? Different pillows? We can rotate…”

“Callen,” I say gently. “I am not royalty.”

He blinks at me. “Yes, you are.”

Ryder hums in agreement. “You’re our Dawn.”

“And the mother of our future pup,” Parker adds quietly, eyes flicking again to my stomach as if the spark might suddenly glow through the blankets.

Remy sits beside me, close enough that his arm presses against mine. “If anything feels off, anything at all, you tell us. No hiding anything, no being brave.”

I roll my eyes. “You guys are seriously overreacting.”

They stare at me. Silent, united and completely unconvinced. God… I love them. My chest feels too full for the tiny room, too full for this mattress, too full for this moment I never believed I’d get. All this love. All this care.

“I’m not sure,” I admit. “There’s a lot to process, both good and bad.”

“That’s normal,” Remy says. “You don’t have to figure it all out right away.”

“I think what you need is food, and rest. And possibly more food,” Callen nods to himself.

“We also need to talk,” Parker says gently. “But only when you’re ready.”

My hand drifts toward my stomach again, involuntarily, and all eyes drop to the motion at once.

Heat rushes up my neck. “Stop staring.”

Ryder clears his throat. “We’re not staring. We’re observing.”

Callen nods.

“Yeah. Scientific observation. Very professional.”

Parker gives them both a look before turning back to me.

“We need to decide how to handle today,” he says. “The hunters know we were in town yesterday. Ronnie thinks they may move sooner than we thought.”The weight of reality settles over me like a heavy fog.

“I’m done running,” I say quietly. “I am done reacting.

Today… we prepare.”

Ryder nods behind me. “We gather the Twiceborn and see if they can help with patrols. River Pack is sending a few more enforcers. Poppy and Ronnie are going to cross-reference the hunter files being sent in from every pack they’ve managed to contact. They’re making a database that all packs can access.”

“And us?” Callen asks.

I meet each of their gazes.

“We’re going to the training field,” I say.

Remy straightens. “Why?”

“Because this pup isn’t the only thing growing inside me,” I whisper. “And I need to learn how to use it before they come for us.”

Ryder’s fingers lace through mine.

“Then we train,” he agrees.

Parker nods. “We adapt.”

Remy smirks. “We win.”

Callen grins, but there’s something fierce behind it. “And we keep our girl alive.”Jaxon’s door creaks softly across the hall, and his sleepy voice drifts out, “Mummy?

I press a hand to my stomach again. For him… for them….I will survive whatever is coming.