Page 55 of The Alpha's Runaway Mate
Miller chuckles, shaking his head. “Told you she was sharp, Paige. Didn’t tell you she’d end up running half the ridge before long, though.”
Nolan’s arm tightens slightly, voice low and proud. “She already runs more than she knows.”
Paige grins between us. “This is wild, and honestly, kind of perfect. You two make sense.”
My face warms. “Thanks. Still getting used to it.”
“You’re doing great,” she says sincerely, squeezing my arm. “And hey, see you at work tomorrow,Alpha’s mate.”
“I swear, don’t you start,” I groan.
“No promises.” She winks and heads back to help her uncle.
Nolan’s thumb traces small, reassuring circles at my hip. The tension I didn’t realize I was still carrying melts away.
He leans to murmur against my ear. “See? Told you they’d love you.”
I look around, Paige’s smile, Miller’s easy nod, the warmth filling every corner of the room, and realize he’s right.
The music fades into the soft clatter of dishes and low laughter. Most of the pack is pitching in to clean, moving together in a wordless rhythm that looks like second nature. Men and women work shoulder to shoulder, hauling chairs, wiping tables, stacking plates, packing away the leftovers.
I’m in the kitchen with Paige and Brooke, sleeves rolled up, hands wet and soapy. Paige talks a mile a minute, Brooke hums under her breath, and I try not to flood the counter while we rinse dishes.
Paige elbows me gently. “You’re too careful,” she teases. “You wash like the fate of the world depends on that plate.”
“Pack pride,” I say, laughing. “Might as well make sure the dishes survive another dinner.”
Brooke snorts, drying a pan with an old towel. “Don’t let her fool you. Nolan’s going to brag about you anyway. You could burn the kitchen down and he’d say it’s romantic.”
“Brooke,” I groan, laughing so hard I almost drop the plate.
She grins. “Tell me I’m wrong.”
I can’t. So I don’t. Warmth wraps around me, the teasing, the shared work, the sense of belonging I didn’t realize I’d been starving for. They move like a family.Thisis what family looks like.
I’ve been alone for so long I almost forgot what it feels like to be simply… accepted. I don’t have a bear as part of my soul, but no one here treats me differently. No hesitation. No distance. Just welcome.
That’s when a sharper voice cuts through the hum from the main room. At first it barely registers, people are loud here. But the tone shifts, frustration, fear. The hairs along my neck lift.
Brooke glances toward the doorway, drying her hands. “Uh oh.”
“That sounds like Mark,” Paige says, frowning.
“Mark?” I ask.
“Older guy,” Brooke answers quietly. “Hot temper. Restless about Declan.”
Before I can ask more, voices rise again, louder now, enough to pull even the laughter near the bonfire to a halt. I move toward the doorway, heart thudding. Through the crack, I see Nolannear the fireplace, relaxed posture, sharp edges. Across from him, an older man, Mark, is pacing, voice rough.
“You keep saying everything’s under control,” he says, hands cutting the air. “But how do we know that? We canfeelsomething’s wrong, Nolan.” The crowd swells fast, murmurs rippling like wind through grass.
Brooke and Paige share a look but don’t stop me as I step out. By the time I cross into the main room, the tension is thick enough to taste.
I don’t think, I just walk straight to Nolan. Not to shield him, he doesn’t need it, but because I can’t stand back and watch him stand alone. The room goes quieter as I reach his side. He glances down; the edge in his expression softens for a heartbeat. Then he faces Mark again.
“Mark,” he says evenly, calm but commanding. “You’ve got something to say, say it.”
Mark folds his arms, anger etched in every line. “You’re the Alpha, Nolan. You’re supposed to protect us. You can’t keep secrets from your own people. We have a right to know what’s out there, what’s coming.”
