Page 22 of Ethan (Pecan Pines #7)

Ethan

One Week Later

Griffin and Maurice were already at it when I walked into the party, voices carrying over the hum of conversation.

“I’m telling you, you’re better off staying put here for now,” Griffin said, arms crossed, his tone somewhere between stern and exasperated.

“The wild wolf problem’s easing up, sure.

Less sightings these past few days. But that doesn’t mean it’s over.

The enforcers are still clearing out the stragglers. It’s safer in town until we’re done.”

“Safer, maybe. But I’m fully healed, thanks to our boy healer here.” Maurice jerked his chin at me, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “Cabin’s where I belong. I’d be more use out there than cooped up here.”

“More use?” Griffin snorted. “You’d just get yourself in trouble again, and I’d be the one hauling your sorry ass back.”

Maurice puffed his chest. “Don’t underestimate me, boy. I could still show you young pups how it’s done. Back in my day, we didn’t run to a healer every time we scraped a knee. We toughed it out.”

“Oh, right,” Griffin said dryly. “That explains why you ended up in the clinic last week.”

The table roared with laughter. Maurice slapped his thigh and shook his head. “Cheap shot.”

Griffin leaned forward, grin widening. “Besides, things are different now. That’s why Cooper’s been talking about ramping up training, maybe even taking in more recruits. We need enforcers who know how to work together, not just charge in swinging like it’s twenty years ago.”

Maurice arched a brow. “Oh? Afraid the new blood’s too soft? Need more bodies to make up for it?”

“Not soft,” Griffin shot back. “Smarter. Which is why you should let us handle the wolves, old man, and stick to retirement.”

Maurice opened his mouth, then paused, squinting at Griffin. “Retirement? You calling me old?”

“I didn’t say old.” Griffin leaned back, smug. “Just… slower.”

That did it. Maurice barked out a laugh so hard it shook his shoulders, and Griffin followed, trying and failing to keep a straight face.

I watched them, shaking my head. The food hadn’t even arrived yet, and they already sounded half-drunk. Typical enforcer party.

I felt a tug at my pant leg and looked down to find Micah standing there, fidgeting nervously while his mother hovered behind him.

Cathy’s warm smile was tinged with exhaustion, though her eyes glistened.

“Ethan,” she said softly, laying a hand on her son’s shoulder. “We just wanted to thank you. For everything.”

Before I could answer, Micah blurted out, “You saved us. You saved my grandpa. If you hadn’t come—” His voice cracked, and he bit down on his lip, fighting not to cry.

The words hit harder than I expected. My throat tightened, but I crouched down to meet his eyes. “Hey. You did the right thing, Micah. You stayed brave when it mattered. That counts just as much.”

Micah’s cheeks flushed, and Cathy brushed a hand through his hair. “He’s right,” she said. “But I want you to give him what we made, remember?”

Micah perked up, as though he’d been waiting for permission. From behind his back, he pulled out a folded card, the edges covered in doodles of wolves, trees, and stick figures that were probably meant to be us.

“It’s for you. I drew it myself.”

I took the card carefully, smoothing my hand over the cover. In shaky letters, it said: Thank you, Ethan .

Something in my chest loosened, the knot of guilt and doubt I’d been carrying since that day.

“I’ll treasure this,” I said, my voice rougher than I meant.

Across the room, Maurice caught my eye. He raised his glass in a quiet toast, his expression lighter than I’d ever seen it. I lifted mine in return.

I turned back to Micah, forcing a smile. “Hey, don’t you have a job to do?”

His eyes widened. “Oh! Yeah!”

Cathy chuckled and gave him a gentle nudge. “Go on, then.”

Micah nodded furiously, then bolted out the door and into the hall.

“Mind if I join you?” Devon’s voice came from behind me. Cathy excused herself quietly, giving me one last grateful squeeze on the arm before she drifted away.

I grabbed a beer from the cooler behind me and held it out to Devon.

“It’s eleven in the morning.”

“Everyone else is already drinking,” I said, gesturing at the enforcers cackling over some joke in the corner. “If you want to survive an enforcer party, you need to be in the same state of mind.”

Devon smirked but took the bottle anyway, twisting off the cap. “Fair point.”

He watched me for a long moment before saying, “Listen, about what happened…”

I groaned, running a hand through my hair. “I know, I know. I broke protocol. I shouldn’t have gone out there?—”

“No.” Devon shook his head firmly, cutting me off. “That’s not what I was going to say.”

I blinked at him, caught off guard.

He took a sip of beer, then fixed me with a steady look. “If it had been me? I probably would’ve done the same thing. You made the hard call, and you kept people alive. That’s what matters.”

His words sank in slowly. I’d braced myself for another lecture, but instead there was understanding. Respect, even.

“I…” I faltered, the weight in my chest shifting. “I thought maybe I’d just made everything worse.”

Devon shook his head again. “You acted like a head healer, Ethan. And sometimes being a head healer means carrying the blame, even when you made the right choice. Protocol exists for a reason, but it doesn’t define you. Your judgment does.”

I let out a slow breath, almost a laugh. “Funny. Cooper made it sound like I’d set the whole forest on fire.”

Devon’s mouth curved in a wry smile. “Cooper’s job is to keep order. Yours is different. A healer doesn’t answer to rules the same way. Our responsibility is to life itself. If someone needs help, we go. That’s the code, whether the lead alpha likes it or not.”

That gave me pause. Devon tipped his bottle toward me. “You’ll need to learn how to stand your ground when it comes to Cooper. He won’t always agree with your choices. But when lives are on the line? You don’t wait for permission. You act.”

For the first time, I thought I understood what it meant to truly carry this role. Not just patch wounds, not just follow orders. But to lead, in my own way. To know when to bend rules for the sake of what mattered most.

And I think I was finally ready for that.

Devon tipped his bottle back, then said, almost offhandedly, “You know Cooper hates looking at spreadsheets, right?”

I blinked at him. “What?”

His lips curved into a sly grin. “If he gives me too much grief about something, I just bring up the quarterly budget. Start talking numbers, supplies, costs. Within five minutes he’s begging me to take the whole thing off his hands.”

I stared. “So you’re telling me your grand strategy for standing your ground is… weaponizing spreadsheets?”

Devon shrugged, looking far too pleased with himself. “Call it pressure. Or revenge. Depends on the day.”

I shook my head, though I couldn’t stop a laugh from slipping out. It was so Devon.

The same man who got a gleam in his eye whenever he was making neat little charts in his office.

I’d always assumed it was because he was efficient, that everything he did was urgent. Now I wasn’t so sure.

Before I could tease him, Micah burst back into the room, practically bouncing on his toes.

“He’s coming!” he hissed.

The lights went out, plunging us into darkness. I ducked toward the window and caught the shadows of two figures moving down the hall.

“Look, I don’t even know why you’re here—” Dean’s voice carried ahead of him, sharp and frustrated.

The door swung open.

“Surprise!” everyone shouted at once, the room exploding in cheers and laughter.

Dean stumbled back a step, eyes wide as he took in the sight of the decorated room and the grinning faces.

His gaze darted around the room, still trying to process, until it landed on me. I smiled at him, and after a beat, his expression softened before he looked away quickly.

He didn’t get the chance to make it over to me, though. Griffin swooped in like a hawk, throwing an arm around his shoulders and dragging him toward the front.

“Alright, make some room!” Griffin hollered. “Time to do this right.”

Dean muttered something under his breath, trying to angle toward me, but Griffin was relentless, hauling him front and center.

“Everyone,” Griffin said, voice booming now that he had everyone’s attention, “this party isn’t just about Maurice getting back on his feet—though we’re damn glad to see it. This one’s for Dean, too. Officially welcoming him as one of ours. As a Pecan Pines enforcer.”

The room erupted again, cheers echoing off the walls. Dean gave a shaky laugh, rubbing at the back of his neck.

Griffin shoved the mic into Carter’s hand.

Carter, standing tall and looking every inch a lead alpha, cleared his throat.

“I’ll keep this short. I’m proud of my brother.

He’s worked hard to earn this place, and today proves he belongs here.

I look forward to seeing Pecan Pines and Thornebane build something stronger together.

” His gaze swept the room, steady but approving. “And to Dean, don’t mess this up.”

That got a round of laughter and applause, even from Dean, who rolled his eyes but grinned faintly.

The congratulations rolled in quickly. Enforcers clapped Dean on the back while others pulled him into handshakes or teased him with rough jokes.

From my seat, I watched with amusement as he tried to wriggle free of the swarm, only to be caught again each time he moved.

Eventually, though, he broke through and made his way over to me, hair a little mussed from all the pats.

“Thought I’d never get away,” he said. “They don’t let you breathe at these things.”

I laughed and handed him a fresh beer. “This’ll help.”

“Lifesaver,” he muttered, popping the cap and taking a long drink.

When he came up for air, he let out a sharp sigh. “I thought this was supposed to be Maurice’s party. Was starting to wonder why my brother was hanging around. Figured he just wanted free food.”

I watched the corner of his mouth twitch. He was complaining, sure, but there was no mistaking the spark of pride in his eyes. Dean liked it, more than he’d admit out loud.

Dean shifted closer, his voice low enough that I almost missed it over the noise of the hall. “Don’t know what to do, though.”

I turned to him, brow raised. “About what?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, muttering, “I actually booked something for us. A room.”

I blinked at him. “You what?”

“You said you might get a couple of days off once Devon got back. So, I figured…” He trailed off, lips tugging into a crooked smile. “I thought it’d be good. Just you and me.”

My chest gave a stupid little lurch. He’d remembered.

“When?” I asked, still trying to process.

“Well, today.” His grin turned rueful. “Kind of thought we could sneak out after the party.”

The party. My throat tightened for a beat. I glanced toward the crowd, voices carrying as packmates laughed and talked.

“Kind of feels wrong to bail early,” I whispered.

Dean leaned in before I could finish second-guessing myself. His hand found my waist, the pressure grounding me.

“Too bad,” he murmured, mouth tilting into a smirk. “I was looking forward to keeping you in a room all to myself.”

Heat shot through me at the tease, especially when his thumb stroked along my side, then tightened in a subtle squeeze, hinting at what might come later.

And then he leaned in even closer, close enough that I could feel the brush of his lips against the side of my neck, right where my mate mark thrummed faintly beneath the skin. My body reacted before my mind caught up, a shiver running straight down my spine.

“Dean,” I managed, though it came out rougher than intended.

Of course, that was the exact moment the catering crew came in, pushing carts and clattering trays onto tables.

“Let’s grab some food first,” I said quickly. “Then we’ll leave.”

Dean’s eyes sparkled with amusement. He didn’t argue, just pulled away, lips quirking. “Fine. But I’m still collecting on that later.”

The way he said it left no doubt he’d make good on it.

THE END

If you’d like to explore a new and completed series, I recommend starting the Mage Match series with Enchanted by You. In my world, mages and foxes don’t mix…Click here to read more.

Want more fated mates? Read a preview of Asher , the 2nd book in Fel’s M/M vampire romance series!