** Paige’s POV **
Parker’s arms around me feel like home. Not just the pull of a bond, but something deeper, something real. With my mates, I don’t have to hide the pieces of myself I’d spent years tucking away. I can be fully me, and it’s met with warmth, not disapproval. With Greg, I became a show of myself, turning into someone unrecognisable just to keep the peace, just to keep him happy. But here?… Here, I am seen. I am accepted. I am claimed instead of coerced. I’m not controlled, but held in a way that lets me breathe, lets me be exactly who I’m supposed to be without apology. Finally, I understand the difference between love that cages you and love that frees you, and this is only the start.
My fingers trace the line of Parker’s jaw, memorising the feel of him.
“Thank you,” I wh
