** Ryder’s POV **

The room grows tense the moment the back door closes behind Paige and Poppy.

Jaxon is the first to break the quiet.

He tugs on my sleeve, his eyes wide and hopeful. “Daddy… can I play Xbox?”

The innocence in his voice softens something inside of me. After everything that’s happened… the hunters, the Twiceborn, Paige nearly burning herself out, hearing something so normal feels like finally being able to breathe again.

“Yeah, buddy,” I smile, brushing his ...