** Remy’s POV **
The cabins smell clean and fresh. Parker and I had planned to open the windows and leave fresh bedding and supplies for the enforcers from the Midnight pack who are due to arrive later today, but Paige insisted on giving everything a once–over.
Not that either of us minded. Watching her move through the space like she belonged here made something deep in my chest ache.
She’s standing by the window now, adjusting the curtains so the afternoon light spills softly across the freshly made beds. Her hair catches in the glow, strands of gold and copper, and for a moment, I forget what I’m supposed to be doing.
“You think they’ll like it?” she asks, glancing back at me as she moves to fluff one of the pillows again.
“They’ll be lucky to have a place half this nice,” I say, smiling before I can stop myself. “You didn’t have to go all out, Paige. They’re enforcers, not guests at a hotel, they won’t expect this.”
“I know,” she says, fussing with the blanket until it lies perfectly smooth. “But if they’re going to help protect us, the least I can do is make sure they’re comfortable. People fight better when they feel welcome.”
Parker laughs softly from the doorway, holding a stack of clean towels. “You heard her, Rem. Don’t argue with Luna logic.”
I shake my head, but he’s right. There’s no point arguing when she looks like this, so focused, determined, and soft all at once.
She moves to the next cabin, humming quietly as she works, and I follow with Parker, helping where I can but mostly just watching her. Everything about her feels… different today. Calmer and warmer. I could spend the rest of my life watching like this. She’s hypnotising.
“She’s incredible,” I send through the mind–link to my brother, unable to stop myself.
“Yeah. She really is,” he quickly agrees.
pause mid–step, wiping a hand over the back of my neck. “I can’t stop thinking about her, Parker. It’s like…”
“Like your world shifted?” he finishes for me.
“Exactly like that.”
He leans against the doorframe, eyes following Paige as she kneels to tuck in the edge of the blanket. “You’re not alone, brother. I feel it too. Everything’s different now.”
For a second, I can’t breathe. Because I know what he means. We’ve shared everything, our home, our work, even our thoughts, but this is the first time we’ve truly wanted the same in life.
“I thought what I felt for Callen was everything,” I admit. “I thought I’d already had my chance at love and that it just wasn’t meant for me. But this… what I feel for her… it’s different. It’s deeper. Callen was…”
”
“Safe,” Parker finishes.
I swallow. “Yeah. Safe. But Paige…” I look at her again, standing in the middle of the small cabin, sunlight spilling over her as she adjusts the small stack of books she placed on the nightstand. “Paige feels like coming home.”
For a long moment, neither of us says anything through the link. I just watch her move, graceful and beautiful, talking quietly to herself about whether the enforcers might prefer coffee or tea when they arrive.
Then, completely out of nowhere, an image forms in my mind… Paige with a swollen belly, her smile soft and glowing as she strokes a hand over the place our child grows. The thought hits me so hard I have to grip the edge of the dresser to steady myself.
I never wanted that before. The idea of bringing a child into this world, into its cruelty and chaos, always felt wrong to me. But now… I can see it. I want it. Because Paige makes the world seem like something worth fighting for. Worth believing in and investing in.
“You’re quiet,” Parker says gently.
“Just thinking,” I answer. “About how different everything feels now. About how she’s changing me in ways I didn’t even know I needed.”
There’s a warmth in Parker’s response. “Same here. She makes everything make sense, doesn’t she?”
I nod, even though he’s not looking at me. “Yeah.”
Paige turns then, catching me staring. Her lips curve into a small, knowing smile that always seems to undo me. “You okay?” she asks, tilting her head slightly.
I clear my throat, forcing my voice to be steady. “Yeah. Just… thinking how lucky we are to have you.”
She laughs softly, crossing the room to press a quick kiss to my cheek. “You mean how lucky I am to have you all. You’ve given me a home, Remy. I don’t think you realise how much that means.”
Her words sink into me, soft and deep. I watch her walk toward the door again, and
something in me snaps. I want to grab her, pull her back, and kiss her, really kiss her. Which is messed up, because I’m not the kissing type.
Years of sticking to the rules Callen and I made have done a number on me. That first year damn near killed me. Every time we were together, I wanted it, the taste of him, the softness, the connection, but I shoved it down. Told myself it was wrong. That it made me weak to even think about it. I trained that part of me out, forced myself to stop needing it, to turn it off.
I guess I didn’t train as well as I thought. That, or it’s just another one of those walls Paige is breaking down without even trying.
I wouldn’t have it any other way though, because the truth is, I can’t imagine a world without her in it now. Not after this, not after she’s made it so much brighter.
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