Chapter 22
Beau
One Year Later
The smell of warm honey glaze and toasted pecans hung in the air like a comfort blanket.
I stood behind the Bear and Bun stall, arms crossed, watching Sean arrange the display tray with practiced grace, fingers light and quick.
The morning sun hadn’t yet crested the hills, but a line was already forming at the edge of the cordoned-off vendor section.
Still, doubt curled in my gut.
I wiped my hands on my apron and leaned close to Sean. “What if no one shows up?”
Sean didn’t look up, just nudged a maple cruller into place. “You mean aside from the twenty-something people already in line?”
I huffed a breath through my nose. “Yeah. But what if they’re just lost?”
He finally glanced up and gave me that easy, lopsided smile that always managed to settle the hurricane inside me.
“Beau. We went viral last year. A food blogger posted a whole video about us. You remember that woman from LA who cried eating our honeycomb bars?”
I groaned. “I’m trying to forget.”
“Well, don’t. Because now tourists show up expecting to cry into their scones. And locals love us for the quiet mornings and the fact that Leo always sneaks kids a second cookie.”
I wanted to argue, to tell him that popularity was fickle and we might crash just as fast as we rose, but then I caught a glimpse of Rafael handing out menus and Cassian manning the oven with fire in his eyes.
Leo was already chatting up a family of four with a tray of samples, and Dorian was adjusting the sign Sean had hand-painted just last week.
Then I saw Sean again, his cheeks flushed from the baking heat, his smile soft and proud. And I believed him.
“Okay,” I murmured. “Maybe we’re doing alright.”
He leaned over and kissed my cheek. “We’re doing more than alright.”
Things were going smooth. Maybe too smooth.
That’s when I felt an itch down my spine. My bear stirred restlessly, a prickling warning in my chest. I lifted my head and sniffed the air.
Cinnamon, sugar, pine needles… and then something else. Something familiar. Sharp. Ferrous. A flicker of aggression, quickly buried, but not fast enough.
I excused myself from the stall, Sean giving me a worried glance.
“I’ll be right back,” I told him.
He didn’t argue, just nodded. That trust, that was everything. I followed the scent away from the crowd.
It dragged me past the booths and into the quieter picnic area near the edge of the woods, where the trees cut the sunlight into slants and the breeze carried more scent than sound.
And there he was.
Levi.
My brother.
He was sitting on a bench, chewing on one of our bear claws like it was just another morning.
Same thick build, same unruly brown-blond hair, but there were more scars now, etched along his jaw and throat, and dark shadows under his eyes like sleep had forgotten him.
“Didn’t expect to see you here,” I said, my voice low.
He looked up and finished his last bite, licking sugar from his fingers like he had all the time in the world. “Wasn’t sure if I wanted to be here.”
My bear surged toward the surface, defensive and possessive, but I reined him in. Levi wasn’t radiating threat. If anything, he’d muted his bear so well I had to focus to still feel it.
“How long you been here?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Got in last night. Slept in my truck. Didn’t want to make trouble.”
My mouth twisted. “Why are you here, Levi?”
He looked me dead in the eye. “Your mate invited me.”
I blinked. Of course he did. I let out a slow breath.
“That sounds like Sean,” I said.
He gave me a look. “You mad about it?”
I didn’t answer. I didn’t know what I felt. Seeing Levi here, it stirred everything. Guilt. Memories. The screaming matches. The cold winters.
The fights we walked away from bleeding. He stayed behind when I left. Someone had to deal with the mess. Someone had to keep the others from falling apart. And it wasn’t me.
“This tasted good,” Levi said, holding up the empty paper wrapper. “Paid some kid to stand in line for me.”
“You bribed a child?” I asked, amused.
“Two, actually. Also got one from the wolves’ stall. Yours was better.”
A breath of laughter escaped me despite myself. “Low bar.”
He grinned. “Still. You really made something here.”
I looked away. “Yeah.”
“You should be proud,” he said.
“I am.” But shame licked at me anyway. “You still at Ironwood?”
He nodded. “Of course. Where else would I be?”
“You doing okay?” I asked.
His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’m surviving.”
Before I could respond, I heard quick footsteps on the gravel path.
I turned and saw Sean jogging over, worry etched into his features. When he reached us, he blinked at Levi, then brightened.
“You came,” he said, breathless with relief. “I’m glad. Are you enjoying yourself?”
Levi stood automatically, taken aback as Sean closed the distance. Before either of us could react, Sean wrapped Levi in a warm hug.
I stiffened, instinct flaring again, but Sean just stood beside me afterward, resting a hand against my lower back. I pulled him closer, my arm circling his waist, protective. Mine.
“I am,” Levi said, a little stunned. “But I’ve gotta head back. Long drive.”
Sean’s smile faltered, but he nodded. “Thank you for coming. Really.”
“It was good seeing you in person, Sean,” Levi said, turning to me. “Your mate’s a treasure. Keep him close.”
I cleared my throat, awkward as heck.
“It’s good seeing you too, Levi. And, uh… if you’re ever hankering for good pastries or need a quiet place to think… You’re always welcome here,” I told him.
Levi gave a slow nod. “I appreciate that.”
He left a moment later, and I stood in the hush that followed, my mate tucked into my side.
“Are you angry I invited him?” Sean asked gently.
I shook my head. “No. You did good.”
Sean smiled, resting his head briefly on my shoulder. “Come on. Cassian’s going to cry if we don’t help him with the orders.”
We headed back to the stall where, sure enough, Cassian spotted us and shouted, “Oh, thank god. I’m gonna start throwing scones at people!”
“Don’t tempt me,” Rafael muttered nearby as he dodged a flirtatious smile from James at the neighboring wolf bakery booth.
Leo handed out cookie samplers to a pair of giggling kids, ruffling their hair as he flashed a dimpled grin. Joy sparkled in the air like sunlight catching sugar crystals.
And for a moment, I stood still. This—this was home.
A found family. A life built from the ashes of something violent and cruel. A life filled with warmth, laughter, and healing.
With mornings that started with coffee and ended in cuddles. With Sean.
“I’m lucky,” I said, not to anyone in particular.
Sean looked up at me, curiosity in his eyes. “What was that?”
“Nothing,” I said, kissing the top of his head. “Let’s go sell some pastries.”
THE END