Page 23 of The Alpha’s Runaway Mate (Evermore Hollow #1)

EIGHTEEN

JESSICA

By late afternoon, the sky outside the cabin glows soft and gold, the last streaks of sunlight spilling through the trees. The storm from yesterday has been gone for hours, but the air still feels heavy, the kind of quiet that hums right before night falls.

I’ve been pacing between the bathroom and the bedroom for the last twenty minutes, pretending I’m deciding what to wear when really, I’m just stalling.

Tonight is my first pack dinner and I’m freaking the fuck out.

It’s one thing to survive monsters, magic, and a mate bond.

It’s another to walk into a room full of his people wolves, witches, bears, and god knows what else and know I’m the only human in the mix.

I smooth my palms down the front of my jeans and glance at the mirror again. My mark’s visible, dark against my skin, faintly glowing when the light hits it just right. I tried covering it earlier, but the makeup barely stuck it’s like the mark refused to hide. Figures.

Behind me, the floor creaks. I don’t have to turn to know he’s there. “You look like you’re preparing for battle,” Nolan says, voice low and amused.

“Maybe I am,” I mutter, meeting his reflection in the mirror. He’s standing in the doorway, rolling the sleeves of his black button-down to his forearms. The movement shouldn’t be that distracting, but my brain’s already short-circuiting.

“Relax, sweetheart,” he says, crossing the room to stand behind me. “It’s dinner. Food. Talking. A few territorial glares. Nothing to worry about.”

“Sure,” I say, dry. “Because territorial glares sound like such a fun time.”

His grin ghosts across my reflection. “You’ll do fine.”

He says it like it’s an absolute truth, like he’s incapable of imagining any other outcome. It should help. It almost does.

I cross my arms, still facing the mirror. “What if they don’t like me?”

“They don’t have to,” His tone shifts, deeper now. “They just have to respect you.”

“And if they don’t?”

He meets my gaze in the mirror, his expression unreadable. “Then they’ll learn the hard way.”

I laugh softly, shaking my head. “You can’t threaten your own people because they don’t like me, Nolan.”

“I’m not threatening,” he says simply, stepping close enough that the heat of him seeps through my shirt. “I’m making a promise.”

He’s freshly showered, hair still damp and curling at the edges. The veins in his forearms flex and I swear the man could make tying his shoes look like a slow seduction.

I turn to face him, trying to mask the smile tugging at my mouth. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

“Yeah,” he says, stepping close enough that our chests almost brush. “But you love me anyway.”

“Don’t get cocky.”

“Too late,” He leans down and kisses me slow and sure. It’s barely a kiss, really, but it still manages to knock the air out of me. When he pulls back, his gaze flicks to the mark on my neck. “You’re not covering it.”

“Should I?” I ask, fingers grazing the spot automatically.

He studies me for a long moment, then shakes his head. “No. I want them to see it. Shows everyone you’re mine.”

“That’s easy for you to say.”

His hand finds my waist, thumb tracing slow circles through the thin fabric of my shirt. “It’s not about easy. It’s about truth. You’re mine, Jess. The bond says it. The mark says it. I want them to see exactly what that means.”

I should roll my eyes. I should tell him he’s being dramatic. But the way he says it turns all my nerves into heat. “I’ll hold my own,” I whisper, more to myself than to him.

“I know you will.” His hand slides up my spine, settling at the back of my neck. “You’re stronger than half my pack. You just don’t realize it yet.”

My throat tightens. “You really think that?”

“I know it.” His voice is low, serious now. “I felt it the moment you bit back at Rhea.”

I groan, covering my face with my hands. “Oh my god, we’re not talking about that.”

He laughs, the sound warm and rough, vibrating against my palms. “Fine. I’ll save it for later. But you should know… most of them already respect you for it.”

That stops me. “Wait, what?”

“You stood your ground against a dominant female in front of the whole bar. You didn’t flinch. You didn’t hide behind me.” His eyes glint, proud and a little dangerous. “That kind of strength? They notice.”

I blink at him, unsure if he’s trying to make me feel better or if he’s serious. The look on his face says it’s both.

Before I can answer, he reaches for my jacket hanging by the door. “Come on, sweetheart. We’re already late.”

I grab it from him, slipping it on while he watches me with that half-smile that’s equal parts fond and possessive. My nerves haven’t gone anywhere, but the way he’s looking at me makes it a little easier to breathe.

As I step out onto the porch, the evening air wraps around us, cool and alive with the scent of rain and woodsmoke. The forest hums softly in the distance, and somewhere far off, a wolf howls low and drawn out, like the world itself is waiting for what comes next.

Nolan locks the door behind us, his hand finding the small of my back as we start toward the truck. “You ready?”

“Not even close,” I say honestly.

He grins. “Good. Means you’ll fit right in.”

And somehow, despite everything, I can’t help but laugh. At least if I’m walking into the lion’s den, I’m doing it with the bear who’d burn the whole thing down for me. Just like that, the tightness in my chest starts to ease.

He brushes his thumb along my jaw, then grabs his jacket from the hook by the door and tosses me mine. “Come on. If we’re late, Mason will eat everything again.”

The drive winds deep into the forest, sunlight flickering through the canopy as the truck bumps along the dirt road. With each turn toward the heart of Nolan’s world, my nerves creep back in.

By the time the trees open into a wide clearing, my palms are damp against my jeans.

A massive log-style building sits in the center of the clearing, rough timber, wide windows glowing with golden light.

It looks like a cabin built for giants, sturdy, simple, beautiful.

Smoke curls from a stone chimney, laughter drifting on the wind.

There must be at least fifty people here. Maybe more.

Trucks and SUVs line the edge of the clearing. Kids sprint through the grass, shrieking with delight. The air smells like grilled meat, rain-damp pine, and the faint sweetness of something baking inside.

Nolan parks near the treeline and kills the engine. The hum of voices and faint music fill the silence.

“That’s… a lot of people,” I whisper.

He reaches across the console, his hand covering mine. “They’re my people,” he says softly. “And now they’re yours, too.” The words settle deep and steady.

He opens my door and offers his hand. It takes me a beat to move. My boots hit the ground, and I take in the scene, bonfire crackling near the edge of the clearing and the cabin doors thrown open to laughter and light.

“Wow,” I breathe.

“It looks like chaos,” Nolan says, brushing his thumb across the back of my hand, “but it’s home.”

As we walk toward the open doorway, conversations fade, one by one. Heads turn, smiles spreading, voices lowering into an expectant hush. Nolan squeezes my hand once before stepping forward.

“Evening, everyone,” he calls out, his deep voice carrying easily through the cabin.

The chatter dies completely. For a second, my heart stops.

Nolan’s expression doesn’t waver, calm, sure, proud.

“I know most of you have already heard the rumors,” he says, that faint smirk ghosting across his lips. “So let’s make it official.”

He glances at me, his hand warm and steady at my back. “This is Jessica.” The title follows a beat later, strong and certain. “My mate.”

A ripple runs through the crowd, surprise, excitement, approval. Someone whistles. A few women grin, and one older man near the corner claps his hands together, beaming.

“About damn time, Alpha!” someone calls from the back.

Nolan chuckles, shaking his head. “Yeah, yeah. You can stop pretending you’re shocked.”

Laughter spreads, breaking the tension completely. The pack moves again, people rising to greet us, the hum of conversation returning but softer, warmer now. Nolan leans toward me, voice low and teasing. “See? That wasn’t so bad.”

I exhale a shaky laugh. “Speak for yourself.”

He grins, brushing a stray curl off my cheek. “You’re going to fit in just fine.”

Inside, the cabin is even bigger than I imagined. The single long room stretches open, lined with tables and mismatched chairs that somehow work together. A massive stone fireplace burns at one end, and the smell of food wraps around me, smoke, herbs, roasted meat, bread, something sweet and spicy.

The space hums with conversation, laughter, the clatter of dishes, and the squeal of a child darting past with a plate nearly as big as his head.

“Hey, Doyle!” someone calls.

Nolan’s grin widens. “Told you they’d be loud,” he murmurs.

I elbow him lightly. “You didn’t say they’d all stare.”

“They’re just curious,” he says, leaning closer. “You’re new. And beautiful.”

Heat blooms in my cheeks. “You’re impossible.”

“Probably.”

Before I can reply, a woman with light-brown hair streaked with gold barrels toward us, a toddler balanced on her hip. She’s all warmth and bright smiles. “You must be Jessica!”

“Uh, yeah,” I say, startled and smiling. “Hi.”

“I’m Brooke,” she says, shifting the toddler, who’s grinning at me like I’ve invented dessert. “This little guy’s Owen. And don’t let Nolan fool you, he’s got everyone here wrapped around his finger. Even Mason.”

“That’s a damn lie,” Nolan says, deadpan.

Brooke laughs. “Sure it is. Come on, you two, there’s food everywhere. If you don’t eat now, you’ll have to fight for leftovers.”