Page 15 of Ethan
I pulled out my phone, frowning as I swiped through the notifications. Sure enough, a new event had popped up, titledMeeting with Cooper and Devon. It hadn’t been there earlier.
I wasn’t in the mood for a surprise meeting, especially one with my boss and my lead alpha.
I’d already messaged Zack and Noah earlier, telling them I was on my way to Griffin’s bar to help set up for tonight’s gig.
The equipment needed to be unpacked, the stage prepped, and the sound check done before the evening crowd trickled in.
I made a show of glancing at my watch. “Think we could postpone it? First thing tomorrow, maybe? I’ve got that thing at Griffin’s tonight.”
Devon didn’t answer right away. He was busy scrolling through his phone, his frown deepening.
Hesitating, I added, “Or hey, if you’re free later, you could drop by afterward. We can hang out once the set’s done. First drink’s on me.”
Devon finally looked up, but it was clear he hadn’t heard a word I’d said. “C’mon,” he said, tucking his phone into his pocket. “Cooper’s waiting in his office.”
I followed him down the hall, my stomach sinking. Something felt off.
If there was a problem, Devon usually laid it out plain and simple. But the same distracted frown from earlier was back, and I had a feeling he wouldn’t hear me even if I asked.
As we arrived at Cooper’s office, Devon knocked once before pushing it open.
Cooper barely glanced up, gesturing for us to sit in the two chairs across from his desk. Devon didn’t hesitate, sinking into the nearest one with a heavy sigh.
I hovered for a second, caught off guard by how fast everything seemed to be moving. No pleasantries, no explanation. Just straight to business.
Sliding into the other chair, I tried to push down the growing unease in my chest.
Devon handed the file he was holding to Cooper, who flipped it open without a word.
His eyes scanned the pages quickly, the scratching sound of his pen filling the room as he marked things here and there.
I straightened in my chair, trying to keep my expression neutral, but curiosity got the better of me. I leaned slightly, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever was in that folder.
A sharp pain shot through my ankle, and my head whipped toward Devon, annoyance flashing in my eyes.
He didn’t even glance at me, his face a picture of stoic calm, but the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth told me he knew exactly what he’d done.
I resisted the urge to rub my ankle. The kick had been hard enough to leave a bruise, I was sure of it.
Devon broke the silence first. “I’ll be needing a few days, maybe a week,” he announced, his tone matter-of-fact.
Cooper nodded. “When are you leaving?”
“As soon as I can,” Devon replied, sitting straighter as if bracing for questions.
I froze, my stomach tightening. “What? Why? Where are you going?”
“Family matter,” Devon said simply, avoiding my gaze.
Devon had been a member of the Pecan Pines pack for as long as I could remember, but I knew most of his family still lived in his original pack.
He rarely talked about them, and he never left Pecan Pines, not for more than a day or two.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, leaning forward slightly.
“It’s nothing for you to worry about,” he said, brushing off my concern. “But while I’m gone, you’ll be in charge.”
The words took a moment to sink in. “Wait, what?”
