Chapter 19
Devon
Two Months Later
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” I said for what felt like the fifth time, steering into the gravel drive.
My phone sat on speaker, propped awkwardly on the console as I parked in front of Carter’s cabin.
“You should’ve stopped by before you left,” Mom’s voice came through, firm but fond. “I could’ve made you breakfast. You can’t live on coffee and whatever snacks you find in your car, Devon.”
I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel. “It’s fine, Mom. I wanted to get here early.”
I looked out the window at the cabin. The windows were still dark.
It looked like Carter was still asleep. Good. He’d been busy enough these past few days. He deserved a few more hours of rest.
I grabbed my phone and switched it off speaker as I stepped out of the car.
The air was cool, carrying that damp, earthy scent that always came after a night of rain.
Instead of going inside, I followed the narrow path that curved behind the cabin, the one Carter had cleared to the lake.
“Didn’t know you were seeing Carter today,” Mom went on. “You should’ve told me! I could’ve packed something for him too. You know he likes that stew I make. Next time, let me know ahead, hmm?”
“Mhm,” I murmured, gravel crunching under my boots.
A few months ago, this trail had been a mess of roots and overgrowth. Now, Carter had trimmed it clean and laid down a neat layer of gravel so it’d be easier for me to walk to the lake.
He’d even talked about lining it with flat stones or wooden planks once the ground dried enough.
That was Carter. Always fixing things, always making them just a little bit better.
The trees thinned ahead, and the lake came into view, calm and silver in the early dawn.
The sun hadn’t fully risen yet; the water reflected only a faint shimmer of light. Two camping chairs sat side by side near the edge.
“Make sure you bring him with you next time,” Mom said. “Your father likes him around, you know. He actually laughed when Carter helped fix the ramp last month. I thought I’d have to record it for proof.”
That made me grin. “I’ll tell him,” I said, settling into one of the chairs.
For a while, I just listened. Her voice came through the quiet morning, over the gentle sound of water at the shore.
Then, faintly, I heard it. A soft metallic click, followed by the thud of a door closing. The rhythmic sound of heavy footsteps on wood. Carter.
“When’s he coming over again?” Mom asked suddenly. “Your father keeps asking.”
“Not sure,” I said, closing my eyes as I leaned back in the chair. “Maybe next weekend.”
“Good. That’s perfect. Everyone’s coming over for dinner, though I’m not sure about Mark.”
My eyes opened at that. “Huh? What’s up with Mark?”
“You know,” she said, thoughtful, “he might be going to that bar again. Gibbin’s? Geffen’s?”
“Griffin’s?” I asked.
“That’s the one!”
Before I could reply, a familiar warmth brushed the back of my neck, a soft press of lips right against the spot where Carter’s mark rested. The touch sent a pleasant shiver down my spine, like the flicker of static.
A hand appeared beside me, holding out a mug. “Coffee?” Carter murmured, voice still rough from sleep.
“Thanks,” I said, taking it without looking up.
I sipped slowly, ignoring how he lingered near, clearly waiting for a kiss. When I didn’t move, he made a soft noise of protest that almost made me laugh.
Mom was still talking, blissfully unaware. “Don’t worry about your brother. I think he just likes that band they have there.”
“Right,” I said vaguely.
Carter sighed dramatically and dropped down between my legs, leaning back so his shoulders rested lightly against my knees. It was such a deliberate move that I couldn’t help chuckling.
“You’re heavy,” I muttered, setting my mug on the little side table.
I threaded my fingers through his hair, scratching lightly at his scalp. He melted almost immediately, eyes closed, humming in approval.
Mom called out to someone in the background, her voice briefly muffled. Then she came back. “Oh, your dad’s up already.”
“Already?” I asked. “Isn’t the pack meeting at nine? That’s still hours away.”
Mom huffed. “You know how he gets. Every time there’s a meeting, he insists on going early. Says he wants to stop by the dining hall first. I don’t know why. We have perfectly good food right here at home.”
I could hear her smiling even as she complained.
“He’s really settling in, huh?” I said softly.
“He is.”
It had only been a month since they’d finally agreed to move to Pecan Pines, but the change in him had been almost instant. He looked healthier, stronger.
He laughed more, got restless less. It was as if being surrounded by a pack again had stitched something back together.
“You don’t have to go with him all the time, you know,” I said. “He’ll be fine.”
“It’s alright,” she said warmly. “He likes the company. And honestly, I like watching him pretend he doesn’t need it.”
That made me laugh. “Sounds about right.”
At some point, I realized Carter had shifted again.
He’d turned to face me, slipping his fingers under the hem of my hoodie and tugging it up slightly. Cool morning air brushed my skin, making me flinch.
“Hey—” I started, frowning, but he pressed his face against my stomach before I could finish.
Warm breath ghosted over my skin. Then came the soft drag of his lips, slow, teasing kisses just above my navel.
Every spot he touched went hot, a steady flush spreading up my chest. His mouth started to dip lower, and I caught his hair before he could go any further.
“That hurts,” he mumbled against me.
I smirked, still holding on.
Into the phone, I said, “Got to go, Mom. Love you.”
“Tell Carter I said hi!” came faintly, just as I ended the call.
Carter flopped onto his side, resting his head on my thigh. My fingers ran through his hair without thinking.
“You going to the clinic today?” he asked.
“No. Mitch is covering. I’ll head in tomorrow.”
The Thornebane clinic had been open for a few weeks now. I’d managed to get a rotation of old healer friends from nearby packs to help a few times a week. And when I was in Thornebane, I took over myself.
The rest of the time, I stayed in Pecan Pines, just like I’d promised Cooper. Half a week here, half there.
After all, I was still part of the Pecan Pines pack. For now.
“I don’t have to be at the pack house until lunch,” Carter said casually, tracing idle patterns on my knee.
I raised a brow, feigning innocence. “Oh yeah? So we’ve got time to do laundry? Maybe clean out the attic?”
He squinted up at me.
“You keep saying you’ll get to it,” I went on, straight-faced. “But it’s still a mess up there.”
He pinched my side, and I laughed. But before I could say anything else, his hands slid under my thighs.
“Carter—!” I yelped, grabbing at his shoulders as he lifted me easily, standing in one smooth motion.
He grinned, completely unfazed, adjusting his grip as he started walking back toward the cabin.
My legs locked instinctively around his waist, arms looping around his neck. The movement jostled a laugh out of me, and I didn’t even try to fight it.
The first rays of sunlight finally broke through the trees, spilling across the clearing. The light caught in his eyes, turning them a bright, startling blue.
He looked up at me with that easy, lopsided smile that always hit a little too hard.
“By the way, welcome back,” he said softly.
I smiled back, warmth blooming low in my chest. “I’m home.”
THE END