Chapter 5
Devon
The walk to the Pecan Pines side of the east gate felt longer than it should have. The air was heavy with that tense, post-conflict silence that made my skin itch.
When Cooper and I reached the clearing, I spotted Mark first. He was standing near the first truck, arms crossed, a deep frown etched between his brows.
A few of the enforcers looked up as we passed. Their faces were a mix of concern and confusion.
One of them even gave me that questioning eyebrow lift as if asking, Are you okay?
Yeah. I could see how this looked.
To them, it probably looked like I’d been driving home after my weekly visit to my parents and got ambushed along the way, dragged here in the middle of the night and forced to patch up Thornebane wolves under duress.
That story was easy enough to explain; it was just a simple misunderstanding about why I was here.
But explaining why I’d placed my hand on Carter’s shoulder earlier? That was harder.
I still wasn’t entirely sure myself. On the surface, I knew I wanted to stop things from getting worse.
Carter’s pack was bristling, Pecan Pines wolves were seconds from reacting, and one wrong word could’ve turned that clearing into chaos.
But underneath, somewhere deeper, something in me had moved on instinct. My wolf had pushed forward, not out of duty, but out of this fierce, almost aching need to soothe him.
Carter looked strained. Not angry, exactly. There was a flicker of frustration, maybe even disappointment in himself, when his wolves didn’t settle right away. And I noticed.
I’d wanted to ease that, somehow. To steady him.
Which was not something I was ready to explain to Cooper, or anyone right now.
When Cooper reached one of the trucks, he opened the back door and jerked his chin toward the seat.
I didn’t argue. Privacy sounded good.
Sliding into the back seat, I exhaled, grateful for the few seconds of quiet the closed door gave me. Cooper went around the other side, climbed in, and shut the door with a soft thud.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
I decided to go with my usual approach for situations like this, when I’d clearly done something questionable and my lead alpha was deciding just how much trouble I was in.
Let him ask the questions first. Figure out what exactly he knew before I said anything that could dig me in deeper.
Sure, I’d been hoping I could get back to Pecan Pines without anyone finding out what I’d done, but it was too late for that now, no thanks to my brother and that damn tracker on my phone.
I made a mental note to deal with it later, maybe get Tony, our pack’s tech guy, to help me disable it. He owed me a favor anyway.
For now, I just leaned back against the seat and let the fatigue sink in.
My limbs were heavy, my head buzzing faintly from overusing my magic. I’d been healing for hours, through the night, until even the edges of my vision had started to blur.
Cooper didn’t waste time. “Devon, I’ll ask again. Were you being held here against your will?”
I sighed. “No.”
His gaze didn’t waver, and I could tell he wasn’t satisfied with a one-word answer. So I gave him the rundown.
I explained what had happened at the gas station, how a group of Thornebane kids had shown up looking for help, and I couldn’t exactly turn them away.
I left out the part about using my magic in public, of course. I didn’t want to get myself into any more trouble.
Then I told him how Carter hadn’t even known what was happening until they’d brought me here.
That Carter had actually wanted to call Cooper the moment he realized I was in his territory, but I was the one who stopped him.
“I thought it’d be better to handle it quietly,” I finished, rubbing a hand over my face. “Didn’t think it’d blow up like this.”
Cooper let out a short sound, part sigh, part growl, and leaned back against the seat. “It’s unlike you to do something so sudden. Reckless even. Is this about your family?”
“Maybe. I just…”
I looked out the window for a moment, letting the words hang.
At first, I thought I just needed a break. But inside, I knew it was more. I’d missed this—the work, helping people, actually feeling like a healer again.
Cooper’s expression softened slightly but didn’t lose its edge.
“I want to stay a little longer,” I said before he could interrupt. “Just to finish treating the ones I didn’t get to.”
He frowned, shaking his head immediately. “Devon—”
“It’ll only be for a couple of days,” I cut in quickly. “Long enough to make sure they’ll be fine once I leave.”
Cooper’s frown deepened. “You can’t fix an entire pack in a few days.”
“I’m not trying to,” I said. “But they don’t have a healer at all, Coop. They barely even have basic supplies. I was thinking…”
I hesitated, searching for the right words. “Maybe I could set something up for them before I go. A simple care system for minor injuries. There’s a clinic in town, sure, but that’s for humans. Nothing for shifters. And with Thornebane’s reputation…”
I didn’t have to finish the sentence. We both knew what I meant. No healer would willingly set foot here, not with the stories floating around.
Cooper exhaled through his nose. “Why, though? Why take this on? You’ve got enough on your plate as it is.”
“Because I’m a healer,” I said quietly. “And I can’t just turn my back when I know they need help. Not when I’ve already seen it with my own eyes.”
He studied me for a long moment, then asked, “Do they have something on you, Devon? Is there another reason you’re so set on this?”
For a second, I couldn’t answer. The image that came to mind wasn’t the wounded wolves or the long night of healing.
It was the lake from earlier, that brief quiet when everything had gone still, and Carter had looked at me as if I’d done something impossible.
I cleared my throat. “No. I just want to do this.”
I hesitated, then added, “And Thornebane’s territory is closer to my parents’ place. My dad’s last check-up didn’t look great. It’d be easier to visit more often from here.”
The words sounded like an excuse even to me. But they weren’t. Not entirely. I knew I meant every one of them.
Cooper’s brows drew together, thoughtful but skeptical.
“It’s only for a few days,” I said quickly. “Just enough to make sure the worst cases are stable and they’ve got something to work with.”
His mouth twitched, the start of a reluctant smile. “You’re not making this easy, you know that?”
“Wasn’t planning to,” I said.
We stared each other down for a beat.
“Three days,” he said finally.
“Ten,” I countered.
“Five.”
“A week.”
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Fine. A week. But you check in daily, understood?”
I nodded, fighting back a grin. “Daily. Got it.”
“Don’t test me, Devon.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
He gave me a look that said he absolutely didn’t believe me, then reached for the door handle. I spoke up again before he could get out.
“One more thing.”
He sighed. “What now?”
“I’ll need more supplies. We’ve got extras back at the clinic, right? I’ll only take enough for the week. Just the basics.”
“Devon—”
“They don’t even have antiseptic, Cooper. Half their bandages are held together with tape! I’m not asking for much.” I was lying through my teeth, of course, but at this point, no harm in bending the truth a little.
He looked unconvinced.
“Come on,” I said, leaning forward a little. “Didn’t we have that big inter-pack summit about fostering better relations in the region? What’s more ‘relationship-building’ than lending them a few bandages and some burn salve?”
Cooper’s expression didn’t change.
“Fine,” I sighed. “Take it out of my pay, then. I’ll cover it myself.”
That finally got a reaction. Cooper ran a hand over his face, muttering under his breath, “Can’t believe I’m agreeing to this.”
I couldn’t help smiling as I rushed to open the door, feeling a small win settle in my chest.
I spotted Mark heading straight for me, now looking guilty and hesitant, mouth half open like he wanted to apologize.
I didn’t give him the chance. Not while the anger still sat tight in my chest. I turned instead and made for Carter.
For a moment, I just watched him moving through his pack, crouching beside one of them to murmur something before clapping another on the shoulder.
“Carter,” I called quietly as I walked up. “Could I speak with you? In private.”
He glanced back at his pack before answering, eyes sweeping over them like he was taking stock one last time.
His gaze lingered a little longer on the group of enforcers who’d been the most aggressive earlier when Cooper arrived. The muscle in his jaw ticked once, then he nodded.
“Yeah,” he said. “Let’s go.”
We met Cooper near his truck. The field around us was still and quiet. No enforcers. Just the three of us.
Cooper was the first to speak. “Devon will stay another week.”
“There’s a lot we can do,” I said quickly, biting back a grin. “I can teach some of the pack how to handle smaller wounds, maybe set up a schedule so someone is always checking on minor injuries. Basic stuff so they won’t get this bad again.”
“Devon.” Cooper’s tone cut through mine, firm but not unkind. “There’ll need to be a guarantee for your safety while you’re here.”
I frowned. “My safety?”
Cooper didn’t blink. “I’ll assign one of our enforcers to stay behind for your protection.”
I stared at him. “What? No. Absolutely not.” I took a step forward before I even realized it. “That’ll only make things worse, Cooper. They won’t come near me if one of ours is hovering around me. How am I supposed to do any healing?”
A familiar voice came from behind me. “Then I’ll stay.”
Mark. Of course. I didn’t even have to turn to know that apologetic tone anywhere. “He’s my brother,” he said quickly. “I’ll look after him.”
My jaw tightened. The nerve.
“No. I’ll handle it.” Carter stood firm, gaze unwavering. “Devon’s here as a healer, a guest. I’ll make sure he’s safe. He can stay at my place if that makes you feel better.”
Cooper studied Carter for a long moment before finally nodding. “One week,” he repeated, then turned toward the waiting trucks.
Mark looked like he wanted to argue, but Cooper’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.
I stood beside Carter, watching as the trucks started to pull away.
Mark hesitated near his bike, guilt written all over his face. I met his eyes long enough to make him squirm before looking away.
I’d talk to him later, after I cooled down. For now, he could sweat a little. Served him right.
When the final truck disappeared from sight down the dirt road, Carter let out a long sigh.
“Well,” he said, glancing at me, “a week, huh?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Should be enough time to set some things up. Teach a few people first aid, stock up on supplies, maybe organize something more permanent.”
He let out a low whistle. “All that in a week?”
I shrugged. “I’ve worked with less.”
For a second, he just looked at me. Then the sunlight caught his eyes.
Blue, like a clear lake, like the sky finally clearing after a storm. I hadn’t noticed that before.
“Maybe,” I said after a moment, “if I need more time, I can bargain for another day or two.”
“Think your alpha will go for that?”
I glanced at him, feeling the smallest pull at the corner of my lips. “Guess we’ll find out.”
But part of me already knew I wouldn’t mind staying a little longer.