Page 11 of Noah

The bigger werewolf chuckled, leaning back in his seat as if this was all a game.

"Didn’t know we needed permission to grab a drink,” he said, his tone mocking. His companion chuckled, clearly enjoying the tension they were stirring.

Hudson’s growl deepened, and I stepped in, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hudson," I said firmly, "let’s not give Adrian what he wants."

He shot me a glance, his jaw tight. "They’re here to provoke us. If we let them walk out of here unscathed, it makes us look weak."

I kept my voice even, though my heart was pounding. "And if we attack them, it gives Adrian the excuse he needs to start a war. Is that what you want?"

Hudson hesitated, his fists clenching and unclenching. I turned my attention to the Thornbane wolves. "You’ve made your point. Now leave."

The bigger wolf’s grin faded slightly, his eyes narrowing. "We were just enjoying a drink. No need to get hostile."

"This is our territory," I said coldly. "You’ve made your presence known. Now it’s time to go."

For a heartbeat, I thought the Thornbane wolves might push it further, testing the limits of our patience even with the next regional summit looming on the horizon.

The bigger one locked eyes with me, his grin fading into something colder, more calculating. He seemed to weigh his options, the tension stretching taut between us.

His companion shifted uneasily, clearly sensing the precariousness of the moment. For a second, I braced myself, ready for the inevitable explosion of violence.

But then, the bigger wolf stood, his companion following suit, their movements deliberate and unhurried, as if they had all the time in the world.

They were making a show of their exit, a final act of defiance, but it was also a retreat.

“See you at the summit,” he called, the promise of more trouble hanging in the air as they disappeared into the night.

Hudson’s fists clenched at his sides, his growl low and dangerous, but I placed a firm hand on his shoulder, grounding him.

“Let them go,” I told my brother.

As the Thornbane wolves sauntered out, the tension in the bar eased, but the unspoken challenge hung heavy in the air.

They had come to provoke, to stir the pot, and they had succeeded. The summit would start tomorrow, but the real games had already begun.

Hudson shoved my hand away and turned to me, his eyes still glowing faintly.

“They’ll be back. This is far from over,” he said.

I nodded. "I know. But tonight, we avoided giving Adrian what he wanted. We’ll deal with this our way, on our terms."

Hudson sighed, some of the tension leaving his body. "You’re right," he admitted grudgingly. "But next time, we might not be so lucky."

I clapped him on the back, a rare moment of solidarity between us. "We’ll be ready at whatever he throws at us,” I told him.

NOAH

“...The packs will be arriving over the next two days,” Cooper announced, his calm but commanding voice cutting through the low hum of activity in the pack house hall. “We need everything to run smoothly. The pack liaisons have a crucial role. Make sure all arrangements—housing, food, and security—are double-checked.”

I shifted in my seat, the clipboard resting on my lap feeling heavier than it should. My thumb brushed absently over a name on the list, one I hadn’t dared say aloud yet.

Jackson.

It had been over a decade since I’d last seen him, but some memories refused to fade.

His name alone carried weight—a simple, solid presence that felt unshakable, even in ink. And his smile… that easy, lopsided grin that could make anyone feel like they were the center of his world for just a moment.

Then there were his eyes. A deep, clear blue that reminded me of the lake near the edge of Silvercrest territory, the one we’d kept sneaking off to one summer.

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