The Lost Pack (Paige) novel Chapter 109

Chapter 109

Chapter 109

**Paige’s POV **

When the door closes behind them, silence falls again. It feels softer this time, less dangerous, but still heavy. Poppy looks up at me, her voice barely audible. “Paige… what’s happening to me?”

I hesitate. I don’t know what to tell her that will make this any less scary for her. It’s one thing to hear about the effect of the bond, but to feel it is not something you could prepare for. I remember those first few days; my head was all over the place.

“I don’t know exactly, but I do know this feeling will pass. It just takes some time. I think I cried for a few days, and I thought I was losing my mind before I stopped fighting against it.”

Poppy stares at me, wide–eyed and pale, like the words aren’t quite sinking in. “You make it sound like giving up,” she whispers.

“It’s not,” I say softly. “It’s letting yourself breathe. The bond doesn’t go away just because you want it to, but it is not as intense when you stop trying to tear yourself free from it.”

She presses the heel of her palm against her chest, wincing. “It feels so wrong, but so right at the same time.”

“I know,” I whisper. “I didn’t understand it either, not at first. I thought I couldn’t possibly want more than one person, that there wasn’t enough of me to go around, but it’s not like that. It’s like… your heart grows instead of divides. It’s confusing and overwhelming, but it isn’t wrong.”

Jake has stayed quiet through most of this, standing near the bed, his gaze fixed on Poppy with a quiet awe that makes my heart ache. He looks like a man who’s found something he never thought he’d have, and the thought of how complicated this will get doesn’t seem to faze him.

When he finally speaks, his voice is low and steady. “You’re fighting instinct,” he says gently.” Your soul recognises us before your mind does. It’s part of what keeps us balanced, the pull, the connection.”

Poppy shakes her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. “But that’s not fair. I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t ask for any of it. I already have a life plan.”

Her voice cracks on the last word, and I reach for her hand, squeezing it. “Neither did I,” I remind her. “None of us do. The bond chooses, and it’s terrifying. But I promise, it won’t always feel like this, and you don’t have to give everything up.”

< Chapter 109

For a long moment, the only sounds are the steady rhythm of her breathing and the faint creak of the cabin around us. Jake looks thoughtful, troubled even.

“Your sister’s right,” he says after a beat. “The first days are the hardest. Your body and soul are adjusting to something ancient. It changes your energy, your emotions, even your heartbeat.” He glances over his shoulder at her. “You’re strong enough to handle it, but you need to rest and let it settle.”

Poppy swallows hard. “And Leo? What happens now?”

Jake’s jaw tightens slightly. “That’s for the two of you to decide, but fate doesn’t make mistakes. There’s a reason the bond exists, even if we don’t understand it yet.”

Poppy closes her eyes, a single tear slipping free. “I just wanted normal,” she whispers. “A quiet life. I didn’t want any of this.”

My heart twists painfully. “I know,” I say, brushing her hair back from her face. “But maybe normal isn’t what we were meant for.”

Her lips tremble as she exhales. “You sound like Mum.”

I laugh quietly. “She did always say life has a habit of finding you, even when you’re trying to hide from it.”

For a while, we just sit there, her hand still in mine, Jake standing nearby like a silent guardian. I know the weight of everything pressing down on her: fear, confusion, guilt, longing. I remember that heaviness all too well.

Eventually, Poppy shifts slightly, her eyes fluttering open again to look at me. “Does it stop feeling this heavy?”

“Yes,” I say without hesitation. “It becomes something else. Something powerful. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it when you stop fighting it.”

Her gaze drifts toward Jake, and I can see the way her breath stutters just from meeting his eyes. She looks away almost instantly, as though afraid to acknowledge what she feels. It’s hard to feel such a strong pull toward a stranger. It’s almost like being in love with someone before you even know anything about them.

Jake must sense it too, because he steps back a pace, giving her space. “I’ll give you both some time,” he murmurs, and before I can reply, he turns and quietly leaves the cabin.

The door shuts behind him with a soft click.

Poppy lets out a shaky breath and sinks deeper into the pillows. “He feels it too, doesn’t he?”

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+25 Points

“Yeah,” I whisper. “He does. I think they feel it more intensely than we do, but they’ve been dreaming of it most of their lives, they didn’t get thrown in at the deep end like us.”

Her voice cracks. “What if I can’t do this, Paige? What if loving them both breaks me?”

I swallow the lump in my throat and squeeze her hand again. “It won’t, but if it does, I’ll be here to help put you back together.”

Her eyes fill again, but this time, she nods. “Okay,” she whispers.

For the first time since it happened, she lets herself breathe, and she looks. More at ease

with each exhale.

Outside, I hear faint voices. Parker, Remy, and Leo talking quietly, and the distant rustle of the

trees.

“You should get back to Jaxon. I’ll be okay here,” she whispers.

I raise my brows at her. “You’re okay being here alone with them?”

She thinks for a moment before she nods. “I know they’re strangers, but my soul knows I’m safe with them. I guess the three of us have a lot to work out, and that’s something I have to do alone. I can’t have you holding my hand the whole way through this.”

“You know I would if you wanted me to,” I smile.

“I know, and just knowing that is enough. I don’t tell you enough, but I love you, Paige. I couldn’t have asked for a better sister.”

I blink back the tears and lean over to hug her. “I love you too, so much.”

I stay there for a long while, just keeping her company, until her breathing evens out and her body relaxes against the mattress. I brush her hair back one more time and whisper, “Rest, Pops. You’ll need your strength.”

Then I quietly slip from the room, my chest heavy and my mind spinning with everything that’s just changed and what is still to come.

Four sets of eyes land on me as the door clicks shut behind me. Leo steps forward but stops when I hold a hand up.

“She’s sleeping,” I say quietly. “I am trusting you with one of the most important people in my life. Please keep her safe and don’t push her too hard. If she wants to leave, then let us know.

“Yes, Luna,” Leo bows his head to me, making me feel a little awkward.

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< Chapter 109

“She will be safe, you have my word,” Jake nods.

“Thank you,” I smile before turning to Parker and Remy. “Ready to head back?”

“Ready when you are,” Parker grins, holding out an arm for me.

+25 Points

I step forward, wrap my arms around Parker’s, leaning into his warmth as we head down the dirt path toward our cabin. The air outside feels warmer now. Birds are singing, and the sun is shining. It feels like hope.

For a while, we don’t speak. The quiet feels necessary, like a space to breathe after everything that just happened. My mind keeps replaying everything that happened in the

healer’s cabin.

We walk a bit further before the question that’s been gnawing at me finally tumbles out.” What do you think Jake meant… about the Moon children?”

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