Chapter 249

**Jake’s POV **+25 PointsPoppy falls asleep while we talk. Leo and I both know the exact moment it happens. Her breathing changes. The tension slowly drains from her body, the way it does when someone finally letsthemselves rest after holding too much for too long.Neither of us move because we are not stupid enough to risk waking her. She’s curled against meon the couch, her head resting lightly against my shoulder. My arm is draped loosely around her, careful not to hold too tightly, careful not to trap her. The blanket Leo pulled over us earlier covers her legs and half of mine, and Leo sits on the other side of her, his arm stretched along the back of the couch like a quiet barrier. Guarding the way he always does.My wolf hasn’t stopped pacing since she walked into the cabin. He’s restless beneath my skin, equal parts relieved and unsettled, like he doesn’t quite trust that she’s really here. Like he’s waiting for her to disappear again. I understand the feeling.