** Paige’s POV **

The four-hour drive takes us a little longer because of my inability to follow simple instructions from my sat nav. When we finally cross the border of our new town, I feel a sudden wash of calm.

As I slow down, the rustic wooden “Welcome to Cinderwood” sign makes me smile.

“This is it,” I say to Jax, who immediately turns his gaze to the window to take in our new home.

“Where is Auntie Pops?” he asks.

“I think she is at our new house waiting for us.”

At a slow pace, I drive through the picturesque town. Taking time to admire the old-style houses and clean streets. I point out a park and the small school to Jaxon, and he talks excitedly about finding new friends.

As we arrive at the small town house I’ve rented, I see Poppy and her friend Annie waiting on the front porch for us. I had arranged for her to collect the keys from the landlord.

“Auntie Pops!” Jaxon yells with enthusiasm as I open my car door.

“Hey, little J, I’ve missed you,” Poppy says, coming over to help him from the car and then pulling him into a hug.

“Stop. You’re squishing my jelly out,” Jaxon giggles as he attempts to wriggle from her arms.

“Come on, I can’t wait for you to see your new bedroom,” she says, giving me a one-armed hug before leading him inside.

I watch as they go inside and lean against my car to soak it all in. I breathe deeply. Dense woods behind our new home fill the air with the crisp, clean scent of pine. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and I have a good feeling about this place. I’ve never been here before, but it feels like I’m coming home.

“Mummy, come see!” Jax calls from the doorway, waving at me to come inside.

I wave back at him and move to the back of the car, grabbing our bags before lugging them into the house. The place is clean and already has a homely feel to it. The walls are all painted with a fresh magnolia. They’re like a blank canvas for us to decorate as we please. We have a six-month probationary period imposed by the landlord before we can decorate, giving us plenty of time for planning.

I follow Jaxon upstairs, where he excitedly shows me his new bedroom. His is at the front of the house and is slightly smaller than my room that’s directly opposite his. Both rooms have a double-sized bed, and Jax climbs straight on top of his.

“Do you like your new room?” I ask as he bounces excitedly on his bed.

“I love it. It’s so much bigger than my old one and this bed is giant.”

“Should we put your clothes away whilst mummy and auntie Pops bring the rest of the stuff in?” Annie asks, and Jaxon nods.

“Thanks.” I give Annie a grateful smile and take the second bag into my room.

I dump the bag next to the wardrobe and stop to look out of my bedroom window. The view is beautiful. There’s a small garden and then trees for as far as the eye can see. I chose this room because I love the view and the window seat. It will be perfect for reading.

“It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?” Poppy says, coming to sit beside me on the window seat.

“I love it. Thanks for this. I think this is the best idea you’ve ever had,” I say, nudging my shoulder against hers playfully.

“You’re going to be okay, Paige. You were far too good for grumpy Greg anyway, and J is going to thrive here. I just know it. Plus, the men around here are so hot. I swear there must be something in the water. Everyone I have seen in this town has been so buff. They must have a great gym,” she laughs.

“I’m done with men.” I shake my head.

“What, so you’re into women now? I saw some good-looking women too,” she waggles her eyebrows teasingly.

“No men or women, I’m done dating. It only ends in heartbreak. From now on, it’s just me and Jaxon,” I tell her with determination.

“You’ve barely given anyone a chance. You’ve had two boyfriends in your whole life. Mum always said we have to kiss a few frogs before finding our prince. You can’t give up yet,” she squeezes my hand.

“Ryder wasn’t a frog.”

“No, he was a damn ghost. Forget him, and Greg. Your prince will come when the time is right. Now stop moping, we have unpacking to do,” she says with a clap of her hands.

I sigh and get up to follow her, when movement out the window catches my eye. I lean in closer to the window, trying to figure out what I just saw moving between the trees. Whatever it was, it was large and fast. Maybe they have deer here, or perhaps it was someone’s big dog? I shrug it off and head downstairs to bring the rest of our belongings in.

By dinner time, we have finished unpacking, and been grocery shopping, stocking the fridge and cupboards with everything we will need for the next few days.

Poppy and Annie stay with us for dinner before heading back to their student accommodation at the university. I offer to drive them back, but Jaxon has already fallen asleep, so they have a friend come pick them up.

The university is only a twenty-minute drive away, and I’m so happy to be close to my sister again. I hated not being able to see her regularly because of the distance.

Following a busy day of moving and heartbreak, I decide to make some camomile tea and go upstairs to read in the window seat for a while before bed. I need to unwind and rest before another busy day tomorrow.

I’m not sure if I’m handling this breakup particularly well, or if it just hasn’t fully hit me yet, because whilst I’m sad, I’m not the weeping mess I expected to be. Maybe it’s this town? Or perhaps I didn’t love Greg as much as I thought I did.

At some point, I must doze off, because a sudden noise startles me awake and my e-reader clatters to the floor. The sound was almost like a wail, or a howl of pain. After quickly checking on Jaxon, who is sleeping peacefully, I shrug off the noise as some woodland creature and pick up my e-reader.

The hairs on the back of my neck rise suddenly, and I have the uneasy feeling of being watched. My eyes move to the window, but it’s difficult to see anything as it’s so dark outside. I close the curtains quickly, dismissing the feeling as nervousness about being in a new place.

I quickly check all the doors and windows, making sure they are locked before crawling into bed. Thanks to the book I’d been reading before bed, I spent the rest of the night dreaming of wolves chasing each other playfully through the forest.

** Paige’s POV **

The soft, golden light of morning spills across my bedroom, and I turn toward the window, watching the sun rise with quiet contentment and a sense of new beginnings.

I feel like a new woman today. No more worrying about Greg or his moods. No more scrambling to cook his breakfast before he rushes off to work.

A sour note creeps into my thoughts, as I wonder if he even misses me. He probably didn’t waste a second inviting Leanne over. She likely slept in my bed, and is making his breakfast right now.

With an irritated sigh, I toss back the covers and swing my legs out of bed. I won’t waste another minute thinking about Greg, not today. This is the first day of the rest of my life, and I won’t let him or Leanne cast a shadow over it.

“Hi, Mummy,” Jax says as he pads into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes and still wearing his Lego pyjamas.

“Morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well?” I ask as I dish scrambled eggs onto our plates to go with the buttered toast.

“Yes. My bed is so soft. It’s like a big fluffy cloud,” he replies with a sleepy smile.

“Good. Come, eat your breakfast. Afterward, we can go explore the town before our meeting at the school.”

He climbs up onto the stool at the breakfast bar, and I set his plate down before pouring us both a glass of orange juice.

Once we finish eating, I help Jaxon get dressed, and then we head out to the park. Since it’s a school day, the place is empty, just the two of us enjoying the quiet, which is a pleasant change.

I push Jax on the swing, then watch him zoom down the slide again and again. When he runs over to the monkey bars, I follow, standing beneath him in case he slips. They’re higher than I’d like, but his face is set with determination. There’s no way I’m talking him out of attempting it.

Jaxon grabs the first bar with his small hand.

“That’s it. Now swing and reach for the next one,” I say, encouraging him.

I stay close, ready to catch him.

“Good job. Keep going,” I cheer as he dangles from the metal rungs.

He swings his body and reaches for the next bar, catching it with a grunt. But as he tries to lunge for the third, he loses momentum. His fingers barely graze it before he falls right into my waiting arms.

“That was a good try, baby. You just rushed it a little,” I say, setting him gently down.

Jaxon frowns, already stomping back to the ladder for another go. This time, he doesn’t even make it to the second bar before slipping.

“I hate this stupid thing!” he yells, his voice echoing through the empty park.

“Jax, calm down. It’s okay, you’ll get it eventually,” I say, trying to soothe him.

“No!” he cries, collapsing onto the rubber floor, his fists pounding and legs kicking in frustration.

“Shh, sweetheart, it’s okay. I know it’s frustrating, but getting angry won’t help.”

I kneel beside him, pulling him into my arms. He rarely throws tantrums like this, but after everything he’s been through the last few days, I can’t say I’m surprised. I had been expecting some kind of outburst from him.

“Calm it, pup,” a deep voice rumbles from behind us, and instantly, Jaxon stills in my arms. He draws in a shaky breath, his little chest rising and falling as he calms.

I turn, and my gaze locks with a pair of stunning blue eyes that have haunted my dreams for years.

Ryder.

His eyes widen when he sees me, then flicker to Jaxon. I can’t speak. I’m frozen, torn between the urge to run into his arms or demand an explanation.

“Sorry,” he says quickly, shaking his head like he’s trying to clear it. “You must be new in town. I’m Callen.”

“Callen?” I repeat, frowning.

I must’ve misheard. This is Ryder. He’s changed, yes, broader, and more defined, but those eyes? I’d recognise them anywhere. They’re the same eyes my son has.

“Yeah, Callen Harris,” he says, extending a hand. “And you are?”

I glance at his outstretched hand, looking for the small birthmark Ryder always had, but it’s gone. How can this be? How can someone look so much like Ryder… but not be him?

“I’m Paige, and this is my son, Jaxon,” I reply.

I reach for his hand, but Jaxon beats me to it, grabbing Callen’s hand and hopping to his feet before wrapping his arms around him in a spontaneous hug.

Callen laughs softly, ruffling Jax’s hair like they’ve known each other forever. I get to my feet and then stand there, stunned. Jax never warms up to strangers this quickly, especially men.

Does he sense something? Some kind of connection? Because there is no way Callen and Ryder aren’t related.

Ryder never knew his birth parents. Could Callen be a twin he never knew about? But what are the odds I’d run into both of them? And how would I even bring that up? For all I know, Callen was adopted too and has no idea. I’ll need to tread carefully and try to find out more before I mention anything.

I gently pull Jaxon back from the stranger, making a mental note to talk to him about stranger danger later.

“Where are you two from?” Callen asks.

“We just moved up from the south,” I tell him. “What about you? Have you lived here long?”

“About four years. Do you have family here?”

“Not in town. My sister’s at the university in the next town over. We moved to be closer to her.”

“Sweet. Does your husband know anyone here?” he asks, nodding toward the wedding ring I’d forgotten I was still wearing.

My stomach twists. I’d forgotten I was wearing the ring. I slip it off and tuck it into my back pocket.

“Oh, no. It’s just me and Jax now.”

“Sorry to hear that. If you need help to settle in, let me know. The school’s fantastic, and there are some great places to eat. I’d be happy to give you a tour,” he offers, flashing a smile that makes my heart stutter. He’s so much like Ryder.

“Thanks, but we actually have an appointment at the school soon,” I say.

“I’m headed there too. Let me walk you,” he replies.

“Thanks. Do you have kids there?” I ask as we stroll.

“No, I run the sports sessions for some of the… high-energy kids.”

“Will you teach me sports?” Jaxon pipes up.

“You bet. What kind do you like?”

“I don’t know. My teachers said I’m too strong to play with the others.”

“Well, that won’t be a problem here. We’ve got lots of strong kids. Did your dad teach you any?”

“No. I haven’t met my dad yet. But I think he’ll come back for me when he can,” Jaxon says with heartbreaking hope.

“I’m sure he will,” Callen says gently, then gives me an apologetic look.

I can tell he has questions, but thankfully he doesn’t ask.

At the school, Callen shows us to reception and goes to find the headteacher. A short time later, a slim woman with short blond hair and warm brown eyes greets us.

To my surprise, Jaxon wraps his arms around her in a hug.

What is going on with him? Is he just feeling lost and insecure without Greg? Or is there something deeper happening here?

** Callen’s POV **

Trying to do the sports session with the pups is difficult today. Not because the kids are being difficult, but because I can’t get my mind off the absolute goddess of a woman I’d met on the way here.

Her auburn hair had hung in loose curls down her back and I envisioned myself wrapping it around my hand and pulling her head back as I rut into her from behind. Her crystal-blue eyes had mesmerised me and I wanted to see them staring up at me whilst she kneels in front of me and sucks on my c*ck.

What a shame she is human and imagining doing all that to her is as far as I can go. As joint Alpha of our little ragtag pack, I have to lead by example, and interspecies dating is something we have forbidden.

I am curious about her situation. She said she had recently separated from her husband, and the kid said he didn’t know his father, that his father was missing. Which is really sh*tty, because that boy is 100% a wolf shifter, and I suspect his mother has no idea. It’s either a tremendous stroke of luck or fate that they are here because, without a pack to guide him, that pup would have been in some serious trouble.

Whoever fathered Jaxon and bailed, leaving him to be raised by a human and without a pack needs shooting. If they hadn’t come here and the boy shifted, he could have hurt his mother and exposed our kind to the humans or drawn the attention of the hunters.

After my session with the kids, I mind link with my twin brother and our Betas, who also happen to be twins, and tell them we need to meet urgently.

“Where do you want to meet?” Remy, one of the twin Betas, responds.

“At home, I’m headed there now,” I say as I jog through the woods.

I arrive at our cabin to find Ryder, Remy and Parker waiting for me on the front porch. We all live here together. When we had been building our small village for our pack in the woods, we had shared accommodation. When we got around to building our cabins, we decided we liked each other’s company and decided to build one big cabin to house us all rather than two separate ones.

We have no plans to move into our own cabins unless we find our mates. Twins usually share a fated mate, so we would most likely only need to build one more cabin if we find our mates.

“Is beer appropriate for this urgent talk? Or do we need to fight someone?” Parker asks.

“Beer is always appropriate,” I grin.

Ryder and Remy raise a finger, indicating they want a beer too, and Parker heads inside.

“Everything good at the school?” Remy asks as I take a seat on the wooden armchair beside Ryder.

“Yeah, the pups did great. Regina said they’re really learning how to fit in with the other kids.” I nod.

Parker returns with four bottles of beer and hands each of us one before sitting beside Remy on the bench. “So what is so urgent that you had to pull us from work?” he asks.

“There’s a new woman in town,” I say, wondering how exactly to approach this because, at just the mention of her, my mind has gone straight into the gutter.

“Wow, what a shocker. I can’t believe a woman has moved into a new town. That’s so unusual,” Remy snorts, and I scowl at him. I’ll make him pay for that sarcasm later.

“Shut up, smart ass, I’ve not finished,” I huff. “She has a kid, and he’s one of us.”

“So we have an unknown she-wolf in our territory, and she hasn’t asked permission?” Ryder growls. His wolf’s territorial nature comes through in his voice.

“No, that’s the thing. She’s human, and I don’t think she has any idea what her son is.”

“Shit. Where is the kid’s father?” Parker asks.

“They don’t know. The pup said he is missing, but I suspect he ran out on her, or the hunters got him.”

“I hope for his sake the hunters got him because if I find out who the piece of sh*t is that got a human pregnant and then left her to raise a shifter pup alone, I’ll kill him,” Ryder growls even louder this time.

“Amen to that,” I say, raising my bottle, and the Beta twins nod.

I take a long swig of my bottle of beer, letting the cool, bitter liquid fizz down my throat whilst we all process our murderous thoughts.

“So now we have to explain to her what her son is without scaring her,” Parker sighs.

“We will need to be careful. If we don’t gain her trust first, she may take the kid and run,” Remy says.

“Yeah, and that kid needs us. You should have seen him. He hugged me as soon as he saw me. It was like he was desperate for that pack connection. He needs to be with a pack.”

“You two know better than anyone what it’s like to be raised without a pack and with no idea what you are. We can’t let that kid go through what you two did,” Parker says.

“We won’t.” Ryder shakes his head. “Callen, do you think you can get close to the mum? Try to gain her trust before introducing her to us. Only once she trusts us all will we tell her the truth about us and her son.”

“I think I can do that. I certainly don’t mind spending time with her. She is so damn hot,” I say with a pained groan.

Why couldn’t she be a shifter, too? Life is unfair sometimes.

“For fuck's sake, Callen. Make sure you keep your damn dick in your pants. Do you hear me? Do not f*ck her,” Ryder growls.

“I know, I won’t, but I can’t promise not to imagine doing it,” I grin.

“You’re such a perv,” Remy laughs.

“Just wait until you see her, then you’ll understand. She has this hot little body that’s just screaming to be ravished, and her eyes, oh goddess, I could stare into them forever,” I hum as I close my eyes and picture the woman of my dreams again.

“Go take a damn shower and then get to work. Maybe take her some flowers to welcome her to the town. Focus on the kid. Women love men who love their kids,” Ryder says.

“Since when are you an expert on women? As far as I know, you’ve never actually dated one, especially not one with kids,” I snort.

Ryder gets that far-away look in his eye again that I’ve seen him do whenever we bring up dating or fated mates. I down the rest of my beer and then get up to take my shower. There’s no point trying to talk to him when he goes to this place in his mind. I wish he would tell me about it. We might not have grown up together, but we shared a womb, and now we share a house and a pack. One day, he might trust me enough to talk about whatever happened.

“Do you know where she lives?” Parker asks as I pull open the door to our cabin.

“I have a pretty good idea. She doesn’t know anyone here, so she must have her own place, and there was only one house available as far as I know.”

“The place on Alpine?” he asks.

“That’s the one,” I nod.

“I think I saw her, actually. Yesterday, while running, I saw two women through the window. I thought they were just viewing the place, though,” Remy says.

“And you didn’t think to mention anything? Who is the second female?” Parker asks.

“I didn’t know it was important. They could have been the estate agents for all I know,” Remy shrugs.

“The second one will be her sister. She mentioned she attends the university in the next town over,” I explain, glancing at my brother, who is still lost in his own thoughts.

With a sigh, I head inside to shower and imagine all the things I’d like to do to the little human that has managed to put a spell on me. I have a feeling she has just earned her starring role in all my future fantasies.