The Lost Pack (Paige) novel Chapter 146

Chapter 146

** Paige’s POV **

For a few minutes, everything feels normal. I rest my hands against the cool stone of the wall. Then Callen lands hard after taking a hit to the ribs. He doesn’t flinch much, but I feel it, sharp and sudden, like the echo of pain pressing against my chest.

I blink, clutching the edge of the wall. The sensation lingers, warm and buzzing under my skin, and before I can say anything, Remy takes a strike to his shoulder. The pull inside me tightens again, stronger this time, a strange heat curling low in my stomach. My pulse quickens.

“Parker,” I whisper.

He turns immediately, eyes narrowing when he sees my face. “What is it?”

“I don’t know,” I breathe. “It’s like… something’s reacting. Every time they get hit, I feel it. Like my body wants to…” I break off, wincing as Remy grunts and sweeps his opponent to the ground. The flash of contact ripples through me.

“Okay,” Parker says quickly, stepping in front of me. “That’s enough for now.”

He touches my arm, and the moment his fingers brush my skin, the strange pull falters. The energy drains back, leaving me shaky and lightheaded. He doesn’t hesitate; he guides me away from the wall, back toward the path we came from.

“Breathe,” he says softly. “In through your nose. Out through your mouth. You’re okay.”

I nod, forcing myself to match his calm rhythm. The world steadies slowly, but my hands still tremble.

“I’m sorry,” he murmurs. “I shouldn’t have pushed you into that. I didn’t think it would be that strong.”

“It’s okay,” I whisper. “I just… it felt like my body wanted to reach for them. Like something inside me was trying to fix it before they even got hurt or protect them somehow.”

He stops, turning to face me. “Like you were trying to heal them?”

“Maybe, I don’t know. I didn’t mean to,” I say quickly. “It just happened. I could feel their pain, their adrenaline, like I was a part of them.”

His eyes soften. “That’s empathy on a level I’ve never seen before. Has it faded now you can’t see them?”

Before I can answer, I sense movement behind us. The sound of boots crunching on gravel. When I glance back, Callen and Remy are striding toward us.

“What happened?” Callen asks, his eyes flicking between us.

Parker opens his mouth to reply, but Remy beats him to it. “We could feel you,” he says quietly, his gaze fixed on me. “Both of us. It wasn’t just through the bond either. When we got hit, it was like you were there

with us. Cal felt it too.”

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Callen nods slowly, frowning. “It was strange. The pain dulled for a second, then this warmth hit, and it felt almost like a surge of energy was building in me, right before you looked like you might pass out.”

I swallow hard, unsure what to say. “I didn’t mean to do anything. Parker was just…”

“Testing a theory,” Parker admits, rubbing the back of his neck. “And it looks like we’ve got our answer. I’m sorry, I didn’t expect it to be that intense.”

Remy steps closer, his voice gentler now. “Don’t apologise. We’re fine. But you, Paige, you’re glowing”

My brow furrows. “Glowing?”

He gestures slightly toward my hands. I glance down, and my breath catches. The faintest lines of silver and gold light pulse beneath my skin, tracing my veins like threads of light from the moon and sun. It’s subtle unless you’re looking for it, but it’s unmistakable.

Callen exhales slowly. “There it is. The same light that appeared when you healed Ryder.”

I cross my arms instinctively, tucking my hands under my arms to hide the glow, even though I know it’s

pointless. “What does it mean?”

Parker’s hand brushes mine, his expression soft. “It means whatever happened that night didn’t just heal

Ryder, it changed you too.”

For a long moment, none of us speaks. The only sounds are the faint rustle of the trees and the distant laughter of the pack somewhere behind us.

Parker finally breaks the silence, his voice low and thoughtful. “We’ll figure it out together. But for now, no

more tests. You need rest.”

I want to argue, but when Callen’s arm slips gently around my waist and Remy’s steady gaze meets mine,

the fight leaves me. They aren’t just worried; they’re scared for me.

“Okay,” I whisper.

When we turn back toward the house, I can still feel that pulse of light beneath my skin… alive, restless,

and waiting.

By the time we reach the porch, the world feels brighter, too sharp around the edges. The light hum in my

hands hasn’t faded. It’s still there like static under my skin, and I can’t shake the feeling that if I stop focusing on holding it in, it’ll pour out of me in a rush I won’t be able to control.

Callen doesn’t let go of me as we step inside. His hand rests at the small of my back, steady and grounding, but I can sense the tension rolling off him. He’s trying not to show it. He always tries not to

show it.

Remy moves ahead of us, his stride purposeful, but I can see the tightness in his jaw. Callen follows close behind, silent and watchful, his presence a quiet wall of calm against the chaos swirling in my chest.

Ryder looks up from the couch as soon as we enter. Jaxon has fallen asleep beside him, curled into the

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blanket with one arm thrown across his wolf teddy. Ryder’s eyes flick between the three of us instantly, reading the shift in the air. “What happened?”

Parker answers before I can. “We were doing a small test outside,” he says carefully. “Looks like Paige’s energy’s reacting to pain. Or maybe the bonds themselves.”

Ryder’s brows pull together. “What do you mean, reacting?”

“She was feeling what Remy and I felt when we were hit,” Callen says, voice low. “Pain, adrenaline, everything. Then she started glowing again.”

Ryder’s gaze snaps to me, concern creasing his brow. “Glowing?”

I nod faintly, curling my fingers tighter against my palms. “It’s fine. I’m fine. It just… happened.”

He studies me for a moment, the Alpha in him weighing every detail, every heartbeat. Then his shoulders ease just slightly, and he gestures toward the couch. “Sit. All of you. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I want to tell him I’m fine, that he doesn’t need to fuss, but the truth is, I’m not sure what I am. The light still flickers faintly in my skin, and there’s a heaviness in my chest that feels both foreign and familiar.

Callen helps me sit, and Remy crouches in front of me, resting his hands lightly on my knees. “Can you still feel it?” he asks quietly.

I take a breath, closing my eyes. “It’s there. Like it’s waiting. It doesn’t feel bad, just… alive. Like something

inside me wants to move, to reach out.”

Ryder’s voice softens, but there’s a careful edge to it. “Is that how your healing started the first time?”

I nod. “Yeah, but that time it was desperation and sheer willpower for you to live. This time it’s like the

instinct has a pulse of its own.”

Parker leans against the wall, crossing his arms. “I think it’s tied to emotion, to empathy. You don’t just feel

what others feel, you absorb it. Mirror it. Maybe even rewrite it.”

I open my eyes, meeting his. “Rewrite?”

He hesitates. “If you can take their pain, dull it… what if you can also change it? Not just heal it, but transform it. That’s not empathy, Paige. That’s transference.”

The word sends a shiver through me. “That sounds dangerous.”

Ryder’s expression darkens. “It could be. If it drains you.”

Before I can respond, Jaxon stirs on the couch, mumbling softly in his sleep. Ryder’s attention shifts instantly, his instincts kicking in as he pulls the blanket higher around our son. Watching him so gentle, so protective, grounds me in a way nothing else does.

Remy follows my gaze, his voice low. “Maybe that’s the key. You’re not just reacting to pain or danger. You’re reacting to us. The people you love.”

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That hits something deep. I look at him, then at Callen and Parker. “You think the bonds triggered it?”

“Maybe not just the bonds,” Callen says. “The connection, the trust. It’s emotional. Feelings awakened your power, and now your power feeds off of them, off loyalty and love.”

Love. The word settles in the air like a spark, quiet but charged.

I swallow hard. “So what happens if I can’t control it?”

Ryder straightens. “Then we make sure you learn how. You’re not alone in this, Paige. We’ll figure it out together.”

The words should comfort me, and they do, to a point, but beneath the reassurance is a deeper worry. Because if what they’re saying is true, then every flicker of emotion I feel could set something off. Every fear, every pang of pain, every heartbeat that isn’t my own could become something dangerous.

The idea terrifies me.

Remy must sense it because he squeezes my hand gently. “Hey, breathe. You’re not broken. You’re just… evolving.”

A faint, shaky laugh escapes me. “Evolving. Like a Pokémon?”

He grins, a flash of mischief cutting through the tension. “Exactly like that. Except hotter and with more

emotional trauma.”

Callen snorts. “Trust you to be the one to compare it to Pokémon, you’re such a boy mum.”

The moment eases the weight pressing on my chest. It’s small, but it’s enough to make me smile.