Page 76 of Noah

Noah looked at his brother. “Our pack suffered enough under Ryder. But that’s over now, because of Cooper. We’ve rebuilt, managed to become a stronger pack. Carter and the Thornebane wolves could do the same.”

I felt a surge of pride and gratitude for my mate.

Griffin relaxed at those words. I turned to Carter. “It was internal fighting within the Thornbane Pack that resulted in Karl and Adrian’s deaths,” I said, meeting Carter's eyes.

“If that’s the story we’re spinning, then I accept it. I’ll tell my pack mates Karl got ambitious and challenged Adrian, resulting in both their deaths,” Carter said. “And I can’t thank you enough... for giving me and the rest of my pack a chance.”

Chapter 20

Jackson

Standing outside Cooper’s office,I felt my heart thudding in my chest. The door was just a few feet away, and I knew that once I walked in there, there was no turning back.

This was it. This was the moment I had been building up to for days. I had to ask Cooper if I could move into the Pecan Pines pack to be with Noah.

But I was nervous. Damn nervous.

I brushed my fingers against Noah’s mate mark on my neck. After his ordeal in the woods, we didn’t waste any time, completing the bond.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, but my hands shook slightly as I raised them to knock on the door.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be with Noah—hell, I had known that I was going to spend the rest of my life with him the moment I realized he was my mate.

But this was a huge step. I wasn’t just asking to live with him.

I was asking to leave my own pack, to put everything I knew aside and embrace a new life in a pack that was unfamiliar to me.

What if Cooper didn’t think I was good enough for his pack? What if he thought my loyalty to my own pack made me a risk?

The worst part was that I wasn’t even sure how I was going to prove my worth. I had a list, sure—I'd written it down the night before.

A list of ways I could help the pack, of things I could do to show my loyalty and my dedication. But still... my stomach churned at the thought of asking for something so big.

But then, just as I raised my hand to knock, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me from behind. I froze, startled, and then relaxed as I realized who it was. Noah.

“Hey,” he murmured into my ear.

I smiled, a little relieved by his presence. “Hey back,” I said, my voice quieter than usual.

His arms tightened around me for a moment, and I felt a rush of warmth flood through me. I hadn’t expected him to be here.

The last I’d heard, he was at the bar with Griffin, helping him with inventory.

But here he was, his body pressed against mine, as if he’d known I needed him in this moment.

“Why are you here?” I asked, turning to face him. “I thought you were at the bar with Griffin.”

Noah gave a small, knowing smile, his eyes glinting with affection.

“I had a feeling you were nervous. And you shouldn’t be. Cooper’s an understanding alpha,” he said, his tone warm and reassuring. “You’re worrying about nothing.”

I didn’t know how he did it, but the moment he spoke, I could feel some of my nervousness dissipating. His presence was always calming, always grounding.

I had been standing here worrying about everything that could go wrong, but now, with him next to me, the weight of it all seemed a little lighter.

I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could, Noah tilted his head, his eyes darkening with intent. Without a word, he leaned in and kissed me.

It was everything I needed. A slow, deep kiss that promised more than just a moment of passion—it was a reassurance.

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