Page 66 of Noah

The moment I said those words, I knew them to be truth.

Hudson blinked, stunned. “What?”

“I’m going to be with Noah. He’s my mate,” I explained.

The words hung between us, heavier than I expected. Hudson stared at me like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

Part of me couldn’t believe it either but Noah loved his home.

I couldn’t ask him to move to uproot his entire life to be with me.

Besides, I figured with me being here, I could improve the relationship between the Silver Crest pack and Pecan Pines pack.

“You’re serious?” He asked.

I nodded. “Yeah.”

Hudson leaned back, shaking his head in disbelief. “You’ve been acting different lately. Guess that explains why,” he said.

I let out a dry chuckle. “I love him, Hudson.”

Hudson studied me for a long moment, then let out a breath. “Damn. You really do, don’t you?”

I just nodded.

He exhaled, looking down at his drink. “Well… I guess that means I have to get my shit together, huh?”

I smirked, deciding to throw him a bone.

“Yeah. But I believe in you. You clean up your act, and you’ll be a great alpha. Hell, even better than Dad,” I told him.

I wasn’t placating him, I meant every single word.

Hudson blinked, as if the idea had never crossed his mind before. Slowly, a small, almost grateful smile tugged at his lips.

“You really think that?” He sounded hopeful.

“Yeah, I do.”

We clinked our bottles together, sharing a rare, honest moment. But as I took another sip, a nagging feeling gnawed at the back of my mind.

Something was wrong.

I had no reason to think that, no proof, but my gut twisted uncomfortably. Even my wolf felt unsettled for some unexplainable reason.

Maybe it was because Noah still hadn’t answered any of my calls or texts.

I set my drink down and stood. “I gotta go.”

Hudson raised a brow. “What? We just got to a good place, and you’re bailing?”

I grabbed my keys. “I need to check on Noah.”

Hudson smirked. “Ah. The mate thing is making you all protective and shit, huh?”

I didn’t have time for his teasing. “I don’t know. I just have a bad feeling.”

Hudson’s smirk faded slightly, but he nodded. “Go. And, Jackson?”

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