Page 15 of Noah

My gaze swept the area, heart pounding, until it landed on a golden-haired wolf with those same inquisitive green eyes.

Time seemed to slow, and for a moment, everything else faded away. The years, the distance—it all melted into nothing as I took him in.

He had changed, of course; the boy I once knew had grown into a man.

His shoulders were broader, his stance more confident, but the warmth in his eyes, that gentle curiosity, was unchanged.

Noah’s eyes met mine, and for a heartbeat, the world stilled.

His gaze was just as warm, just as captivating as I remembered, and yet there was something more now, something that sent a rush of heat through me.

Shock rippled through my chest. How could it be him?

After all these years, after everything, how could it still feel so immediate, so overwhelming?

I hadn’t realized just how much I’d missed him until this moment, standing mere feet apart, the space between us charged with unspoken words and memories.

The connection between us, dormant for so long, flared back to life in an instant.

The attraction was undeniable, a pull that I felt in every fiber of my being.

My wolf pressed closer, eager, and I could feel the echo of his emotions intertwining with mine—desire, curiosity, and something deeper, more profound.

In that moment, nothing else mattered. Not the summit, not the tensions between our packs, not even the looming presence of my family.

It was just Noah and me, two wolves whose paths had crossed once more, against all odds.

NOAH

A static crackle from the walkie-talkie clipped to Cooper’s belt broke the tense silence in the room.

“Silvercrest pack arriving soon, sir,” came the security guard’s voice.

Cooper straightened and turned to me. “Come with me.”

I pushed up from my seat, my legs feeling heavier than they should, falling into step beside him.

The call meant they’d just entered pack lands and would be here within minutes.

I tried to focus on my steps, running through my role as the Silvercrest pack liaison: Greet the pack, offer refreshments, lead them to their lodgings, hand over the summit schedule. That was it for the day.

Professional. Straightforward. Quick.

Jackson might not even be in the car. It could just be his father and a few enforcers.

Maybe I wouldn’t see him at all. Maybe he wasn’t even coming.

The thought should’ve calmed me. It didn’t.

“They’re pretty early, huh?” I said, breaking the silence. My voice came out tighter than I’d intended.

Cooper glanced at me. “Hmm? Oh, yeah. I thought they’d arrive later this afternoon too.” He let out a soft chuckle, more to himself than to me. “But knowing that old wolf, I’m not surprised.”

I nodded, not trusting myself to say anything else.

Robert Parker. Jackson’s father. His name alone carried enough weight to command respect—or fear, depending on who you asked.

Strict but fair. A traditionalist. He valued discipline and loyalty above all else, and he expected nothing less from everyone around him.

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