Page 62 of Noah

How I’d run, how I’d felt so overwhelmed, but somewhere in the woods, I’d realized that I didn’t regret it.

Jackson was my mate. And even though I’d asked for it, I was still scared.

Cooper listened quietly, nodding occasionally, his gaze never leaving me. When I finished, I took a deep breath, waiting for him to speak.

He studied me for a long moment, his eyes thoughtful, almost like he could see right through me.

“You know, Noah,” he said slowly, “I’ve known for a while now that you and Jackson were mates.”

I blinked, surprised. “What?”

Cooper smiled faintly. “You’re both like open books to me. The way you are around him, the way you’ve been since the summit began—there’s no mistaking it.”

I swallowed hard, the weight of his words hitting me like a punch to the gut.

“I’m not sure what to do with it all, Coop,” I confessed, my voice raw. “It feels like everything’s happening too fast. I don’t know if I’m ready for this.”

Cooper leaned forward, his elbows on the desk, his gaze steady.

“You need to sit down with Jackson and talk. Figure out where you both stand, where you want to go from here. What this means,” he said.

I nodded, the knot in my stomach tightening.

“I know. I know I have to talk to him. It’s just... everything feels so up in the air. I don’t even know where we go from here,” I admitted.

Cooper studied me carefully. “Have you two decided who’s going where? Who will move where?”

I froze. The question hit me like a sledgehammer.

“I don’t know,” I said finally. “I mean, I know it’s inevitable. One of us has to move eventually. But I haven’t really thought deeply about it.”

Cooper nodded. “It’s something you need to discuss. You need to decide where you’re going to build your future.”

I stared at the desk, my fingers pressing against the wood. The idea of leaving Pecan Pines—leaving my pack—was daunting.

But at the same time, the thought of leaving Jackson, of not being with him, was even more terrifying.

“Jackson’s pack is still kind of up in the air,” I said slowly. “I don’t know what’s going on with the succession there. But I don’t want to force him to leave everything behind.”

I thought more on my predicament. Cooper didn’t interrupt, didn’t speak. He let me work it all out.

“If Jackson decides to stay, I’ll move to his pack. No question. I love him that much,” I told him.

Cooper’s expression softened, his gaze warm. “I know you do, Noah. And I know you’ll make the right decision. But you have to be sure, both of you. You need to make sure you’re both on the same page.”

I nodded again, my mind racing. “I will. I will talk to him. We’ll figure it out.”

Cooper gave me a gentle smile and stood up. “Good. And you might want to talk to Griffin too. He’s your brother, and he’s going to want to know what’s going on.”

I froze. Griffin. I hadn’t even thought about him. He needed to know, whatever Jackson and I decided. But I wasn’t sure how to tell him.

What if he didn’t approve? What if he thought I was rushing things?

“I... yeah,” I muttered, my mind whirling. “I need to talk to him too.”

Cooper walked over to the door, his hand on the handle. “You’ll be fine, Noah. You’ve got this.”

I didn’t feel fine. Not yet. But Cooper was right. I had to talk to Griffin. I had to talk to Jackson. We had to figure this out together.

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