The Lost Pack (Paige) novel Chapter 101

Chapter 101

**Paige’s POV **

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Poppy washes her hands before putting the equipment in a bowl and pouring boiling water over it. She kneels beside Leo again, her face pale, but her hands are steady. She sucks in a breath, closing her eyes and muttering a prayer before her eyes snap open and she looks down at Leo with determination. “Okay, move your hands.”

I move back, grimacing at the blood now that the pressure isn’t slowing it.

“He’s going to need a blood transfusion, although I don’t know if your vet can even find suitable blood for him. I’d suggest calling ahead to give them some time to source some,” she says as she examines the wound.

“I’ll do it,” Callen says without hesitation. Poppy may think he’s agreeing to call the vet, but I know what he really means. He plans to donate his own blood to Leo.

Poppy doesn’t flinch as she digs in. Her hands are steady, practised. I know how passionate she is about becoming a vet, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen her in action. She works like she was born for this.

“Got it,” she breathes after a long moment, holding up the blood–slick bullet between the tips of a pair of tweezers. She reaches for a needle and thread, ready to stitch him up, then stops.

Her eyes widen. “Wait… what?”

We all freeze.

I follow her gaze. The ragged hole in Leo’s flank is shrinking. The torn muscle pulls together before our eyes, knitting itself whole. The bleeding slows, then stops completely.

Poppy staggers back, her face going impossibly paler. “What the hell…” Her voice breaks, high and sharp. “What the hell is going on here?”

She’s staring at us now, not just Leo. Her chest heaves, fear and disbelief pouring off her in

waves.

Callen exhales slowly, wiping a hand across his mouth, leaving a smear of blood at his jaw. He looks at me, and I nod. She deserves the truth, especially after this.

“Poppy,” I say gently, keeping my voice soft. “Leo’s not… he’s not just a wolf.”

Her eyes flick between me and Callen, wide and searching. “Then what is he?”

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Callen meets her gaze. “He’s a werewolf. We all are.”

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The silence that follows is suffocating. Poppy shakes her head, a half–laugh escaping her lips like she’s trying to convince herself this is all a nightmare. “Werewolves don’t exist. They

don’t…”

Her words trail off as Leo groans. His body shifts, bones.cracking, fur receding. I flinch even though I knew it was coming. His wolf form melts away, leaving his human body behind, pale and bloodied on the kitchen floor.

Poppy gasps, her hands flying to her mouth. Callen is already moving, grabbing a clean blanket from the back of the sofa and draping it over Leo’s bare form.

Leo blinks weakly, his eyes unfocused, chest rising in shallow breaths. Then, with a trembling hand, he reaches out toward Poppy. His lips part, voice barely more than a rasp.

“Mine.”

Her breath catches audibly in the quiet room. Before anyone can react, Leo’s eyes roll back, and he falls unconscious.

The silence that follows feels like it could shatter the world.

She shakes her head, eyes locked on Leo’s unconscious form as if staring at him long enough will make it make sense. “Why… why would he say that?” Her voice cracks.

No one answers at first. Callen presses his lips together, his jaw tense. I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. My throat is dry, and my mind is a storm of a million thoughts.

Because I know exactly what Leo meant.

I swallow hard. “He’s… claiming you,” I whisper, my voice trembling.

Poppy’s eyes snap to mine. “Claiming me? What the hell does that mean?!” Her words echo off the kitchen walls, loud enough to make me flinch.

I glance at Callen, silently begging him to take this one, and he gives me a small nod. His voice is calm. “It means he thinks you’re his mate. That bond is… It’s not like anything else. It’s nature. It’s instinct. It’s forever.”

Her mouth falls open, stunned, then she lets out a disbelieving laugh. “Mate? Like… what, some wolfy soulmate nonsense? No. No, I don’t…I can’t…” She shakes her head, backing up until she hits the counter.

I want to reach for her, but my hands won’t move. Guilt stabs deep into my chest because under all my fear for her safety, her life, her dreams, there’s a selfish flicker of joy. If this is

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true, if Leo really is her mate, it means she won’t be leaving me. She’ll be here with us.

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The thought blooms warm in my chest before it turns to shame. God, what’s wrong with me? My little sister’s whole future just got rewritten while she’s sat on my kitchen floor, covered in blood, and I’m relieved she won’t be gone.

“Paige,” she snaps, dragging me out of my spiral. Her eyes are wild, desperate. “Tell me this isn’t real. Tell me he’s not serious.”

I swallow, forcing my voice out even though it feels like betrayal. “It’s real, Poppy. Mate bonds are… they’re not something we choose. They’re rare and sacred.”

“So what you’re saying is some random wolf man just… what, decided I belong to him? That’s insane. I don’t even know him!”

Callen shakes his head, his voice gentle. “It’s not like that. It’s not ownership. It’s a connection stronger than anything else. You’ll feel it too, eventually. It’s… undeniable.”

“Undeniable?” she hisses. “I had plans, Callen! I was supposed to be in school, working toward something I wanted. Not…” she gestures wildly at Leo, covered in blood and barely breathing, “…this.”

Her words hang heavy. Callen doesn’t try to argue. He just watches her, his wolf quiet but present in his eyes, waiting for her to calm down.

Poppy finally drags in a shaky breath and presses her hands to her temples. The fight seems to drain out of her all at once, leaving her pale and trembling. She slides down against the counter, her knees pulled tight to her chest.

“I don’t… I don’t know what to do with this,” she whispers. Her eyes dart to Leo, then away again, as if just looking at him hurts.

The silence that follows is thick, broken only by the sound of Leo’s ragged breathing and the faint hum of the fridge. My chest aches for her. I want to promise her everything will be okay, but I can’t, not when I don’t even know what tomorrow looks like anymore.

So I sit beside her on the cold kitchen tiles, my shoulder brushing hers. I should tell her I’ve been here, that I went through all the same emotions she’s going through now. That fighting this is useless, because no matter how much she thinks she doesn’t want this, you can’t fight fate. Whether she likes it or not, the pull will come.

I don’t say any of the words running through my mind; I don’t think she is ready to hear them. Instead, I sit in the silence with her, letting her lean into me if she wants to. The coppery scent of blood still hangs in the air, a grim reminder of everything else going on tonight.

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I check Ryder and Remy through the bond. They are calm now, a good sign.

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