Chapter 17 #2
“Yeah,” I said. “Oscar’s helping Aspen with the protection wards, and I’ll have extra bodies running perimeter checks. All the food’s covered, Gunner’s got the meat, and the cake’s on Aspen.”
Maddie typed something, then looked up. “We’ll need extra chairs. Pearl says the entire pack plus a few other packs’ members, vamps, etc. RSVP’d yes.”
Bronc nodded, then turned to Arsenal. “Security update?”
Arsenal leaned forward, elbows on the table. “Morgantown’s got two men in town this week, both low-level, but it’s a red flag. No excuse for them to be here except to snoop. I’ve got eyes on them, but they’re not making trouble.”
Doc chimed in from the end of the table, his sleeves rolled up and arms crossed. “There was a stomach virus running through the pack last week. Hit five families, including two kids. Everyone’s stable now, but if symptoms show up, they come to me—no exceptions.”
That got a general nod. We’d never forgotten the water poisoning incident from a month back, and none of us wanted a repeat.
Bronc steered the meeting with a calm, steady hand. We hammered out the details, decided who’d run security shifts, and covered contingency plans for every likely disaster. By the time we finished, the sun was up, painting the windows with a hard, bright light.
He finally asked Wrecker to report on tech for the event.
“I know we’d thought drones were out because they made too much noise, but I’ve worked on a new prototype that is quiet as a mouse that will be perfect. So we’ll have eyes in the sky that night.”
Bronc just shook his head. “As if there were any doubt that you’d solve that dilemma.”
It was then that Juliet came in, her belly a perfect six-months-round under a flowing blue dress. She looked like a goddess and walked like she owned the place, which, in a way, she did. Every head turned.
He stood and hugged her, then guided her to a seat beside him. The room got a little warmer.
Juliet glanced around, her eyes landing on the single men. “So, who’s next to find their fated mate?”
Gunner shot his hand up, straight-faced. “Talk to the Goddess about it,” he said, voice as slow and sure as Texas dust.
Juliet laughed so hard she nearly cried, and even Arsenal cracked a smile.
I caught myself watching her, the swell of new life, and I wondered if Aspen and I would ever have a kid. The thought hit like a truck, raw and sweet. I made a note to research how hybrid babies worked.
“Papa,” Juliet said, catching me in my daydream. “Love looks good on you. You need to bring Aspen around more..”
I nodded, a little embarrassed. “She’s a keeper.”
Bronc met my eyes, all business again. “Anything else before we wrap?”
“Yeah,” Arsenal said, looking at me. “Keep your witch from getting up to trouble. If the Morgantown bastards try anything, they’ll target her first.”
I bristled, but Bronc cut in. “She’s one of us now. And when that Morgantown incident happened, she was with an Iron Valor wolf in Iron Valor territory, remember that. Check your attitude, Arsenal.”
Head lowered and properly chastised, Arsenal agreed. “Yes, Alpha.”
The meeting broke up, people peeling off to start their days. I lingered, pretending to nurse my coffee, but mostly just watching the way Bronc and Juliet glowed together.
Someday, I thought. That could be us.
I just had to keep her safe long enough to get there.
As the last echoes of the pack officers faded into the morning, Bronc lingered at the head of the table, thumbs drumming on the battered wood.
The place felt bigger now, hollowed out by the absence of laughter and boots, the only sound the faint rumble of bikes on the county road and the tick of the kitchen clock.
He watched me for a minute, then jerked his chin at the empty chair beside him. “Sit, Papa.”
I did, feeling the sudden weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders. Bronc didn’t waste time with pleasantries.
“How’s it feel?” he asked. “The bond.”
I tried to put words to it, failed, tried again. “Like someone cut a stone out of my chest and replaced it with a live wire. She’s always there, even if I don’t look at her. It’s… good. But it makes me want to break things if she gets threatened.”
Bronc’s mouth quirked. “That’s how you know it’s real.”
We sat in the hush, sunlight slanting across the scarred table. I could see him weighing something, so I let the silence stretch.
Finally, he said, “Menace sent me his notes on witch-wolf matings. Didn’t share much, but I know you had a talk.”
I nodded. “Yeah. It’s rare, but not impossible. The mate bond kicks in, and the magic… works itself out. She’s getting stronger every day, and the bite went through just fine. So did the knot.”
Bronc let out a laugh, low and real. “Good man.”
“It’s all good. Except for the part where every son of a bitch from here beyond the Mississippi wants a piece of her.”
He grew serious, eyes sharpening. “What’s your read on it?”
I shrugged. “Best guess? Verdant Hollow’s pissed because she’s not a dud, and now they’re worried she’ll use the grimoire against them. Morgantown’s sniffing around, I figure because they’ve been put up to it.”
Bronc nodded slowly. “They’re coming for something. Either her, the book, or both. Maybe they think the book is a weapon.”
“Could be,” I said. “But it’s Aspen they really want. Either to use, or to break.”
Bronc leaned back, the old chair creaking. “You ready to fight for her?”
I didn’t hesitate. “I’d burn the world down for her.”
That got a real smile. “That’s what I wanted to hear.”
We sat for a minute, the hum of the bond settling me. Even from here, I could feel her—my Sunshine—working in the bakery, laughing with Oscar, alive and well.
Bronc spoke first. “Look, Papa. You’ve always had my trust. But now, you’ve got my pack’s future in your hands. We need you sharp. We need you dangerous.”
I looked at him and saw the worry behind the Alpha. “You think I’m not?”
He shook his head. “I think you’re better than ever. I just want you to know what’s at stake.”
“I do,” I said. “And I won’t let anyone touch her. Or the pack.”
He reached across the table; squeezed my arm. The gesture said more than any words. “Go home,” he said. “Rest up. Tell Aspen she’s got a family here, for life.”
I stood, grabbed my jacket. “You too. Take care of your Luna.”
He laughed. “She takes care of me.”
I left the clubhouse with the sun high and the wind at my back. When I got in the truck, the bond lit up—Aspen, humming with pride, calling to me from across town.
I smiled, turned the key, and headed back to her.
By the time Maddie arrived with Parker in tow, the bakery was a living, breathing machine. Aspen’s face was pink from the oven heat, her arms dusted in flour, but she looked happier than I’d ever seen her.
Parker caught my eye and grinned. “Domestic bliss suits you, JT.”
I shrugged. “Could get used to it.”
Maddie slid a cardboard box across the counter. “Pearl says congrats on the mate bond. Also, there’s extra brisket.”
Aspen ducked her head, shy but pleased. “Thanks, y’all.”
We sat around a table eating brisket and potato salad, laughing about old pack stories. Oscar listened, occasionally interjecting with a dry quip. Even Parker seemed at ease, her eyes softer than usual.
After lunch, as the crowd thinned, Aspen slipped into my lap and kissed me, right there in front of everyone. I didn’t care. I kissed her back, holding her close.
I looked around the bakery, at my friends, my mate, the prairie sun blazing outside. For the first time, I saw my future, and it didn’t scare me at all.
I’d spent a lifetime preparing for war. But this—this quiet joy—was the fight I’d been born to win.
And I was never letting it go. We were ready for whatever came next.
Even if it burned us to the ground.