15. Colton
Chapter 15
Colton
I stood in front of Cooper’s office door longer than I should have. My knuckles hovered mid-air before I finally knocked.
For a long, breath-stretching second, there was no answer.
Panic flared in my chest, irrational and sharp—until I heard the faint murmur of his voice through the thick door. Cooper was on the phone. That made sense.
Our alpha always had something going on, someone to talk to, something to juggle. It didn’t make me any less anxious, though.
Because when I mated Remy last night, Cooper must’ve felt it. That was the thing about being part of a pack. You didn’t just feel your own emotions.
When bonds shifted—when new ones were formed—they rippled through the connection, touching everyone. Especially the alpha.
The door opened with a quiet click. Cooper stood behind his desk, phone finally tucked away, his gaze landing on me with interest—and something like amusement.
“Come in, Colton,” he said, his voice calm. That made me more nervous, not less.
I stepped inside, wiping my clammy palms on my jeans as I took the seat in front of his desk. The office felt too quiet. Too warm. Too official.
“Do you want to tell me something?” Cooper asked, one brow raised like he already knew the answer.
I let out a shaky breath, resisting the urge to squirm.
“Yeah,” I admitted. “I… I took the final step last night.”
His brow twitched.
“I claimed Remy as my mate,” I told him.
Cooper nodded slowly. “I know.”
For a moment, I didn’t say anything.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I felt the bond form through your link to the pack. You think I wouldn’t notice something like that?” Cooper asked.
“I wasn’t trying to hide it,” I blurted out, heat rising up the back of my neck. “It wasn’t a secret. I was going to come tell you—right after, I just?—”
“Colton,” Cooper said gently, raising a hand to stop me. “It’s okay.”
I slumped back in the chair, the tension in my shoulders easing just a bit.
“I didn’t get a chance to talk to Remy during the full moon run,” Cooper continued, folding his hands on the desk. “But I spoke to some of the others. Ethan. Your parents. A few pack mates.”
My stomach did another nervous flip.
“They all had good things to say,” he added. “Seems like Remy’s fitting in already.”
I nodded, swallowing. “He’s trying. He really wants to make a home here.”
Cooper studied me for a second, then tilted his head slightly. “But?”
I hesitated. My foot tapped against the floor without me realizing.
“There’s something you should know,” I said finally. “Remy… used to be part of the Thornebane pack.”
Cooper’s expression didn’t change, but I saw the way he leaned back in his chair, how his jaw subtly tightened.
“He left them on his own,” I added quickly. “Didn’t want to be a part of that life anymore. He’s not like them. He just wanted a fresh start.”
“I see,” Cooper said, his voice carefully even.
“I don’t think he’d mind me telling you. He knows it’s important,” I said.
Cooper nodded after a long moment of silence.
“I appreciate you being honest. And I’d like to speak with him in private sometime. Not because I don’t trust him, but because I want to understand him for myself,” Cooper said.
Relief crashed through me, heavy and fast.
“I’ll tell him,” I said, standing, my heart still racing but lighter now.
Cooper gave me a reassuring look. “You did good, Colton.”
“Thanks,” I murmured, then turned to leave.
The door clicked softly shut behind me. I made it to my truck, slid into the driver’s seat, and let out a long, shaky breath. The hardest part was over.
Now all that was left was letting Remy know.
* * *
I couldn’t wait to see Remy.
The drive back into town had felt like it stretched forever, every red light and slow driver between me and the restaurant grinding my patience thinner.
It wasn’t even anything out of the ordinary—I just missed him.
Missed his laugh, the way his nose scrunched when he concentrated, the low hum he always made while wiping down counters before we opened for the day.
I needed to see him. Needed to touch him. That want had bloomed into something sharp-edged and aching the longer I was away.
But as I neared the restaurant, that warm anticipation twisted.
A wave of raw panic slammed into my chest like a punch, nearly knocking the breath out of me. My hands clenched around the steering wheel.
My wolf surged beneath my skin—restless, snarling, afraid. But it wasn’t my fear. It was Remy’s.
I slammed my foot on the gas, my heart racing with every beat that screamed he’s in trouble. My wolf's growl echoed inside my head, a broken mix of rage and desperation.
Mate. Ours. In danger.
I barely threw the truck into park before I was out, the door swinging shut behind me. My boots hit the pavement hard as I rushed into the restaurant, shouldering the door open just as Jesse turned from behind the counter.
“Where’s Remy?” I demanded, already scanning the room.
Usually, at this time, he’d be behind the counter or flitting between tables, polishing glasses, helping us get ready. But he wasn’t here.
He wasn’t here. And I could still feel that flicker of fear and unease vibrating down the bond like a struck chord.
Jesse stepped into my line of sight, his expression uncertain.
“He—uh—someone dropped by. Some stranger. Another alpha. Big guy. I didn’t recognize him, but he looked kinda familiar,” Jesse said.
I froze. The words sliced through me. Remy hadn’t said anything about expecting anyone. And if he looked familiar…
My chest squeezed. No. Please, no.
“What happened?” I asked, my voice low, dark, and edged with an anger I didn’t recognize.
Jesse rubbed the back of his neck. “Remy looked… surprised. And worried. Said he didn’t know the guy, but I dunno, Colton. He got in the car with him.”
The room spun. That snarl inside me turned feral, rising like a tide. He lied. He was scared, and he got in the car anyway.
“What the hell, Jesse?! You just let him go?” I snapped, my voice rough and trembling.
“I—he seemed like he could handle it!” Jesse stammered, eyes wide. “Do you want backup?”
But I was already turning, shoving open the door with so much force it banged against the wall. I couldn’t breathe.
My body moved on instinct—no thoughts, just the bond and the sick sense of dread twisting in my gut.
I jumped into the truck, slammed the door shut, and peeled out of the lot. I tried Remy’s number. Straight to voicemail.
“Shit,” I growled, gripping the wheel so tight my knuckles ached.
My wolf paced inside me, tearing at the edges of my control. I’d never felt so helpless. The idea of Remy—my mate—scared, vulnerable, alone in a car with someone from his past…
No. I wouldn’t let this happen. I couldn’t.
I forced myself to take a breath, to center. Think. I couldn’t lose myself to panic—not now.
I pushed down the chaos, reached inward, and stretched for the bond that tethered me to him. There. A pulse. Dim but steady. He was still in town.
I gripped that tiny thread like a lifeline, letting it guide me, letting it cut through the storm of my thoughts.
Hang on, Remy. I’m coming.
Whoever that stranger was—whoever thought they could show up and rattle my mate—they had no idea what kind of fury they were about to face.
The bond tugged at me like a live wire, a thread of heat and instinct threading through my chest, guiding me toward the edge of town.
My wolf paced beneath my skin, snarling, unsettled.
Remy’s emotions poured through the mate bond like a flood—panic, anger, confusion. It made my blood boil. Made it impossible to think straight.
I passed the “Welcome to Pecan Pines” sign and spotted the car immediately—out-of-state plates, sleek and unfamiliar, parked at an awkward angle near the shoulder.
And just a few yards away, two figures stood facing each other on the side of the road. I knew one of them instantly. Remy.
He stood with his arms half-crossed, clearly trying to hold himself together, but I could feel the storm swirling beneath his calm exterior.
Even from a distance, I could sense his posture screamed tension.
The other figure was taller, broader, standing too close for my liking—looming, even. My wolf didn’t like that. Not one damn bit.
I killed the engine and threw the truck into park, slamming the door behind me as I stepped out. The breeze carried the other man’s scent to me, and something in me twisted.
Familiar. Unwelcome.
Then it hit me. No. No way. That wasn’t just anyone. It was Carter—new alpha of the Thornebane Pack.
My heart thundered, and for a moment, I could only hear the rush of blood in my ears. Carter. Here. With Remy.
The last piece clicked into place, and my hands curled into fists at my sides. He was here to take Remy back. Not a chance. Not now. Not ever. Not over my dead body.