Page 10 of Noah (Pecan Pines #4)

Chapter 10

Jackson

The dining hall was quieter than usual as I sat with my brother Beck and Noah. Beck told me not to worry about Hudson—our other brother, Mason, was keeping an eye on him.

Lunch was simple—grilled chicken, some greens, and bread—but the company made it better. Noah was relaxed as we chatted about nothing in particular.

I could’ve stayed in that moment forever, savoring the easy banter and the warmth that settled in my chest every time Noah smiled.

Beck leaned back in his chair, a rare grin on his face. “Feels good to have a meal without any drama for once.”

I nodded, my eyes flicking to Noah, who was picking at his food. He caught my gaze, smiled. That smile immediately made my heart race.

“Yeah, it does,” Noah said.

The peace shattered in an instant. The scrape of chairs and the rising volume of angry voices pulled my attention to the far end of the dining hall.

A knot of tension coiled in my gut as I took in the scene.

Reid, Marshall, and Eli, three of my wolves, stood tense and ready, their postures rigid with aggression.

Across from them, three of Adrian’s wolves mirrored their stance, hostility sparking in their eyes.

The air between them was charged, thick with the kind of animosity that had been simmering for years, waiting for the right moment to ignite.

One of Adrian’s enforcers, Karl, stepped forward, a self-satisfied smirk plastered across his face.

“Constantly bring up border disputes, Silver Crest? What’s next? Crying to the council because you’re too weak to handle your own land?” Karl said with a sneer. He cracked his scarred knuckles.

The insult was like a match to dry kindling. My wolf bristled, the low growl that rumbled from my chest barely restrained.

Karl’s taunts weren’t just about land; they were a direct attack on our strength, our pride, our very identity as a pack.

Every fiber of my being screamed to respond, to show Karl that we weren’t weak, that we would never bow to the likes of him or Adrian’s pack.

I scanned the room quickly, searching for Hudson. My brother, the future alpha of Silver Crest, should have been the one to handle this.

It was his responsibility to stand in front of our pack, to face off against threats like Karl, and to ensure that no one doubted our strength or our unity.

But as my eyes swept over the dining hall, there was no sign of him. The familiar weight of disappointment settled in my chest.

Hudson should’ve been here to put Karl in his place, to assert our dominance and maintain order.

Instead, I could only imagine where he might be—off in some corner, flirting with a wolf from another pack or drowning himself in another drink. Mason wasn’t far from Hudson.

Mason caught my gaze and shrugged. Typical Hudson. Always shirking the duties, leaving me to pick up the pieces, to step into the role of peacekeeper when things went south.

My jaw tightened, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. This wasn’t the first time, and it wouldn’t be the last. But right now, I couldn’t afford to dwell on Hudson being irresponsible.

There was a fight about to break out, and if I didn’t act quickly, it could escalate into something much worse.

“We need to stop this before it gets out of hand,” Beck said, his words cutting through my thoughts.

I turned to my younger brother, his eyes mirroring the same concern I felt. He was ready, poised to back me up, to step in and help defuse the situation. I knew Mason would do the same.

It was a comfort, knowing my two other brothers had my back, even when Hudson didn’t.

I gave Beck a curt nod, my mind already racing through the best way to approach this without making things worse.

Adrian’s wolves weren’t just here to stir trouble—they were looking for a weakness to exploit, a chance to make us look incompetent in front of the other packs.

And if we weren’t careful, they’d get exactly what they wanted. I pushed my chair back and stood.

The room seemed to hold its breath, every wolf in the dining hall watching, waiting to see what would happen next.

“Let’s go,” I told Beck.

Noah, who had been quietly watching from beside me, stood as well. “I’ll back you up as well,” he said.

The words, simple and confident, sent a jolt through me. My wolf stirred uneasily, growling in the back of my mind.

The thought of Noah stepping into this, of him getting involved in a fight that could quickly spiral out of control, tightened my chest with a fierce protectiveness I hadn’t felt in a long time.

My mind raced, filled with images of claws and teeth, of the possibility of him getting hurt.

The idea of Noah standing toe-to-toe with wolves like Karl, who wouldn’t hesitate to draw blood, set every protective instinct I had on edge.

“Noah,” I said. “I don’t want you getting involved. It’s too dangerous.”

His gaze met mine. “I can handle myself, Jackson. I’ve been in fights before,” Noah pointed out.

“I know you can,” I admitted, my jaw tightening. “But this isn’t just any fight. Things could get ugly fast.”

“I’m not some fragile human, Jackson,” Noah retorted. I could hear the frustration in his voice. “I can hold my own. And I’m not about to sit here while you and Beck step into the middle of this alone.”

My wolf growled louder, urging me to pull him back, to keep him safe.

It wasn’t about doubting his abilities; it was about the fear clawing at my insides, the fear of seeing him hurt, of watching him bleed.

The very thought made my muscles tense, my breath coming a little quicker. Before I could argue further, the situation at the far end of the dining hall erupted.

Chairs scraped back harshly, and the low growl of wolves shifted into snarls as fists flew. The tension broke into violence, claws flashing as the fight devolved into a chaotic mess.

Beck shot me a glance, his expression urging action. “We need to move.”

I cursed under my breath, casting one last glance at Noah. His eyes were determined, his posture ready.

There was no time to argue, no time to convince him to stay back. My wolf growled in reluctant acceptance, knowing we couldn’t protect him from the sidelines.

“Fine,” I said, the word heavy with resignation. “But stay close.”

With that, the three of us—Beck, Noah, and I—pushed forward, wading into the fray. My focus sharpened, zeroing in on the immediate task: stopping this before it turned into a full-blown disaster.

The wolves from other packs watched from the corners, uninterested in involving themselves in the mess. They were here to observe, to see how we handled our own problems.

Karl’s smug face twisted into a sneer as we approached. “Oh, look who decided to step up, the pseudo alpha.”

The taunt was meant to provoke, to bait me into losing control. But I didn’t rise to it. I couldn’t afford to.

My focus was on ending this, on keeping my pack safe—and on keeping Noah from getting hurt.

Karl then shoved Reid, and it was all downhill from there. Claws extended, fists flew, and the dining hall erupted into chaos.

“Damn it,” I muttered, charging forward.

We waded into the fray, trying to separate the wolves before things got too bloody. Reid had Karl in a chokehold, while Mason and Eli wrestled with the other two wolves.

The sounds of growls and shouts echoed around the room, drawing the attention of other packs. Most stayed on the sidelines, content to watch the spectacle unfold.

“Enough!” I barked, grabbing Reid by the collar and yanking him back. “Stand down!”

Reid growled but obeyed, stepping back with a heaving chest. Karl wasn’t as quick to back off, swinging at me instead.

I ducked, my wolf surging forward as I caught his wrist and twisted it behind his back. “Back. Off.”

Karl sneered, but the hint of fear in his eyes was enough to make him hesitate. “You think you can keep your pack together, Jackson? Looks like you’re already falling apart.”

I shoved him away, my wolf snarling at the insult. Beck stepped between us. “Let it go, Jackson. We’re here to make peace, not start a war,” my brother said.

A sharp intake of breath drew my attention. Noah stood a few feet away, his hand pressed to a bleeding scratch on his arm.

My heart lurched. I was by his side in an instant, the fight forgotten as I inspected the wound.

“Noah,” I said, my voice tight with concern. “Are you okay?”

“It’s nothing,” he said, wincing slightly. “Just a scratch.”

It didn’t feel like nothing. The sight of his blood stirred something primal in me, my wolf urging me to protect, to retaliate.

My gaze snapped back to Karl, who was smirking, a growl building in my throat. He needed to pay for this, for daring to hurt Noah.

Beck grabbed my shoulder, pulling me back before I could act on the impulse. “Don’t, Jackson. This isn’t the place. We’ve got bigger things to deal with.”

I clenched my fists, every instinct screaming to make Karl regret laying a hand on Noah. But Beck was right.

This wasn’t the time or place. We couldn’t afford to let this spiral into something bigger. Noah, always the stubborn one, tried to brush me off.

“I’m fine. You don’t have to—” Noah began.

“I’m taking you to the clinic,” I said firmly, cutting him off. “End of discussion.”

He opened his mouth to protest but must’ve seen the look in my eyes. With a resigned sigh, he nodded.

I scooped him up without a second thought, cradling him against my chest.

He muttered something about being able to walk, but I ignored it. My wolf settled slightly, content to have Noah close, safe in my arms.

As I carried him out of the dining hall, the whispers of the onlookers followed us. But I didn’t care. My focus was solely on Noah, on making sure he was okay.

“We need to tell Dad what happened. He’s going to want to hear it from one of us before someone else fills him in,” Beck pointed out.

I knew he was right. Our father would want to know about the fight, about how things had escalated with Adrian’s wolves.

But the thought of leaving Noah, even for a moment, tightened my chest.

Beck must have seen it on my face. “I can stay with Noah, if you want,” he offered, his tone careful.

I bared my teeth, a low growl rumbling from deep in my throat.

The idea of anyone else being close to Noah, especially now when he was hurt, set my wolf on edge.

Beck took a step back, hands raised in a gesture of peace. He glanced between Noah, who was looking slightly embarrassed, and me.

Understanding filled his eyes, and a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“Alright,” Beck said, nodding slowly. “I get it.” He cast a quick, knowing look at Noah before turning back to me. “Mason and I will go talk to Dad.”

With that, Beck excused himself, leaving us alone. The tension in my shoulders eased slightly as I turned my attention back to Noah.

Without a word, I cradled him closer against my chest and resumed my journey to the pack clinic.

Noah sighed, exasperation clear in his voice. “Did you need to be all growly and… impossible?”

I glanced down at him, raising an eyebrow. “Impossible?”

He shifted in my arms, his cheeks tinged with a faint flush. “Everyone saw you carry me like that…”

“What… you’re embarrassed?” I asked, the last remnants of my anger dissolving into amusement.

“Who wouldn’t be?” Noah muttered as Devon, the pack’s healer, stepped forward to tend to his arm.

Devon gave the wound a quick examination.

“Just a scratch,” he confirmed, placing his hands over Noah’s arm. A soft glow emanated from his palms as he healed the injury in moments. “Won’t even leave a scar.”

Once Devon was finished, he gave us both a nod and excused himself. As soon as he was gone, Noah shot me a pointed look, his lips curving into a slight smirk.

“See? Told you so,” he said, gesturing to his now-healed arm. “Don’t you think you overreacted a bit?”

I thought about it for a few seconds, letting the question settle. Finally, I shook my head.

“Even if it happened again, I wouldn’t change a thing. Hell, I’m going to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” I said.

Noah’s expression softened as he reached out, his fingers brushing lightly against my cheek. “You’re sweet, but… I’m not that weak, Jackson.”

“I know that,” I said, running a hand through my hair, frustration lacing my words. “I know you’re tough. It’s just… when it comes to you, I can’t help it. I tend to overreact.”

“Why do you think that is?” Noah asked quietly, his gaze steady, searching.

The answer was right there, on the tip of my tongue.

Because you’re mine to protect and cherish. My wolf echoed the sentiment, a low, contented growl reverberating in my chest.

But the words felt too heavy to say out loud, too soon to admit even to myself, let alone to Noah. I kept the comment to myself, instead offering him a small smile.

“Maybe I’m just a bit possessive,” I admitted.

Noah chuckled softly, the sound warm and reassuring. “A bit?”

“Okay, more than a bit,” I conceded.