Page 24 of The Alpha’s Runaway Mate (Evermore Hollow #1)

She leads us through the crowd. People greet Nolan, nods, waves, murmured hellos. Some give me curious looks, but it’s friendly, not judging. It’s overwhelming, but not unkind. By the time we reach the food line, I can finally breathe again.

Nolan leans down, voice a low rumble by my ear. “Told you they’d love you.”

I laugh, and the last of my tension breaks. I grab a plate and let him guide me through the spread, brisket, roasted potatoes, grilled vegetables, cornbread, desserts I can’t even name. He piles my plate higher than I expect. “Uh, Nolan.”

“You’ll thank me later,” he says, feigning innocence.

We sit near the end of a long table. His hand rests lightly on my thigh beneath the table, steadying me whenever the noise swells or someone new stops by to introduce themselves.

Watching him, I start to see what they all see, not just an Alpha, but someone they love and trust. There’s loyalty here, but laughter too. Family. Surrounded by all of it, I start to believe I might belong.

The buzz of the room is a warm blanket, laughter, chatter, clinking plates. Nolan’s talking with Mason and Xander, his hand still on my thigh. It’s a steady point in the swirl.

I scan the crowd, learning the rhythm of the pack, how everyone seems connected by invisible threads.

Then a flash of auburn braid catches my eye.

“Paige?” I whisper, half in disbelief.

She’s near the serving tables, laughing as she helps refill a tray of rolls, completely at ease.

Nolan catches my shift immediately. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” I say, smiling. “I just see someone I know.”

He follows my gaze, smirks. “Go on.”

I weave through the tables until Paige spots me.

Her face lights up and she drops the tongs and wipes her hands on a towel as she rushes over.

“Jessica!” Paige squeals, practically launching herself at me.

Her arms wrap around me tight, laughter spilling out.

“Oh my god, I cannot believe this. You’re the Alpha’s mate? ”

I laugh, hugging her back. “Surprise?”

She pulls away just enough to look at me, eyes wide and sparkling. “You’re kidding me! I was in the kitchen when I heard Nolan introduce you earlier, and I thought, ‘There’s no way that’s the same Jessica from the bookstore.’ But holy crap, it is you!”

“Guilty,” I say, grinning. “Guess I forgot to mention that part.”

Paige laughs so hard she nearly drops the towel in her hand. “Forgot to mention that part? Jess, you’ve been working beside me for days, and you didn’t think to say, ‘Oh by the way, my boyfriend runs the pack’?”

“It didn’t exactly come up,” I say with a laugh.

“Unbelievable,” she says, still laughing as she shakes her head. “I thought you were just the quiet, mysterious numbers girl, turns out you’re the Alpha’s mate. I should’ve known you were hiding something big.”

Miller steps up behind her, balancing a plate and smiling when he sees us. “Evening, Jessica. Didn’t expect to see you here tonight.”

I grin. “Guess that makes two of us. Didn’t think I’d be running into my boss at pack dinner.”

He chuckles. “Small town. It's hard to stay strangers for long.”

Before I can reply, Nolan slides an arm around my waist, warmth radiating through the contact. “Not that small,” he says with an easy smile. “Good to see you, Miller.”

“Likewise, Alpha,” Miller says, shaking his hand. “Didn’t realize Jessica was your Jessica.”

Miller chuckles, shaking his head. “Told you she was sharp, Paige. Didn’t tell you she’d end up running half the ridge before long, though.”

Nolan’s arm tightens slightly, voice low and proud. “She already runs more than she knows.”

Paige grins between us. “This is wild, and honestly, kind of perfect. You two make sense.”

My face warms. “Thanks. Still getting used to it.”

“You’re doing great,” she says sincerely, squeezing my arm. “And hey, see you at work tomorrow, Alpha’s mate.”

“I swear, don’t you start,” I groan.

“No promises.” She winks and heads back to help her uncle.

Nolan’s thumb traces small, reassuring circles at my hip. The tension I didn’t realize I was still carrying melts away.

He leans to murmur against my ear. “See? Told you they’d love you.”

I look around, Paige’s smile, Miller’s easy nod, the warmth filling every corner of the room, and realize he’s right.

The music fades into the soft clatter of dishes and low laughter. Most of the pack is pitching in to clean, moving together in a wordless rhythm that looks like second nature. Men and women work shoulder to shoulder, hauling chairs, wiping tables, stacking plates, packing away the leftovers.

I’m in the kitchen with Paige and Brooke, sleeves rolled up, hands wet and soapy. Paige talks a mile a minute, Brooke hums under her breath, and I try not to flood the counter while we rinse dishes.

Paige elbows me gently. “You’re too careful,” she teases. “You wash like the fate of the world depends on that plate.”

“Pack pride,” I say, laughing. “Might as well make sure the dishes survive another dinner.”

Brooke snorts, drying a pan with an old towel. “Don’t let her fool you. Nolan’s going to brag about you anyway. You could burn the kitchen down and he’d say it’s romantic.”

“Brooke,” I groan, laughing so hard I almost drop the plate.

She grins. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

I can’t. So I don’t. Warmth wraps around me, the teasing, the shared work, the sense of belonging I didn’t realize I’d been starving for. They move like a family. This is what family looks like.

I’ve been alone for so long I almost forgot what it feels like to be simply… accepted. I don’t have a bear as part of my soul, but no one here treats me differently. No hesitation. No distance. Just welcome.

That’s when a sharper voice cuts through the hum from the main room. At first it barely registers, people are loud here. But the tone shifts, frustration, fear. The hairs along my neck lift.

Brooke glances toward the doorway, drying her hands. “Uh oh.”

“That sounds like Mark,” Paige says, frowning.

“Mark?” I ask.

“Older guy,” Brooke answers quietly. “Hot temper. Restless about Declan.”

Before I can ask more, voices rise again, louder now, enough to pull even the laughter near the bonfire to a halt. I move toward the doorway, heart thudding. Through the crack, I see Nolan near the fireplace, relaxed posture, sharp edges. Across from him, an older man, Mark, is pacing, voice rough.

“You keep saying everything’s under control,” he says, hands cutting the air. “But how do we know that? We can feel something’s wrong, Nolan.” The crowd swells fast, murmurs rippling like wind through grass.

Brooke and Paige share a look but don’t stop me as I step out. By the time I cross into the main room, the tension is thick enough to taste.

I don’t think, I just walk straight to Nolan. Not to shield him, he doesn’t need it, but because I can’t stand back and watch him stand alone. The room goes quieter as I reach his side. He glances down; the edge in his expression softens for a heartbeat. Then he faces Mark again.

“Mark,” he says evenly, calm but commanding. “You’ve got something to say, say it.”

Mark folds his arms, anger etched in every line. “You’re the Alpha, Nolan. You’re supposed to protect us. You can’t keep secrets from your own people. We have a right to know what’s out there, what’s coming.”

The words hang heavy. Nolan doesn’t raise his voice. He just exhales and lets the power ride his next words. “Everyone, sit down.”

It isn’t a suggestion. It’s an Alpha command, quiet yet firm.

Chairs scrape. Conversations die. Even Mark hesitates before lowering himself into a seat, still bristling but unable to fight that voice.

When the room is still, Nolan speaks. “I know you’re worried,” he says evenly.

“You have every right to be. Declan’s return isn’t simple.

Something followed him back, and we don’t fully understand it yet.

But hiding or panicking won’t help anyone.

We handle this the same way we handle everything else, together. ”

He sweeps the room, meeting eyes, grounding each person with steady presence.

“We’ve faced worse and made it through because we stand as one.

That doesn’t change now. You see something strange, you come to me or my brothers.

You travel in pairs after dark. You watch out for each other.

That’s how we survive.” The tension loosens, melting under his voice.

From the back, Xander nods once. “He’s right. We’ve always done it this way. Fear doesn’t keep us safe, we do.”

Kolt leans back, arms crossed. “And if anyone’s wondering if Declan’s still one of us, he is. He’s been through hell and made it home. That’s enough for me.” Murmurs of agreement ripple through the crowd. The unease thins.

Nolan looks around one last time. “We protect this ridge. We protect each other. That’s what matters.”

Movement resumes almost at once. Someone gathers cups. Another grabs a broom. The kitchen door swings as Brooke and Paige slip back to their rhythm, chatter slowly returning. Dishes clink again, soft, domestic, alive.

Nolan exhales beside me, his hand brushing mine. “You didn’t have to come up here,” he murmurs.

“I know,” I say softly. “But I wanted to.”

His fingers slide between mine, rough and warm. “You belong here,” he says quietly. “More than you realize.”

I look around, the laughter returning, the easy way everyone moves as one, and finally, I believe him.