Chapter 25: Chapter 25

EVIE

“Noah?” I called out, my voice echoing from the confines of my closet.

Noah was perched in the living room, his gaze lost in my collection of books.

“Yes, sweetheart?” he responded.

“Can we talk about Russell?”

Noah let out a sigh, rising from the couch and making his way toward me.

“What do you want to know?”

“How did he escape from the pack house?”

Sawyer had mentioned that Russell was confined in the pack house’s dungeon.

***

~Who even uses dungeons these days?~

“I figured you wouldn’t be too thrilled about me executing him.” He paused, his eyes studying me.

“You’re right about that,” I concurred, surprisingly unfazed by the fact that execution was a common punishment within the pack.

“Exactly. So I banished him from our territory instead. I personally escorted him to the state line, hoping he’d have the sense to stay away. Clearly, I was mistaken,” Noah grumbled.

“Thank you for considering my feelings and not resorting to murder,” I stated matter-of-factly.

Noah chuckled lightly at my expression.

“You’re welcome, darling.” He leaned in for a quick kiss before helping me fold my clothes into my suitcase.

“Everleigh?” Noah broke the silence that had settled during our packing.

“Hmm?” I hummed in response.

“There will likely come a time when I’ll have to kill to protect you, and I won’t hesitate—not even for a second,” Noah’s voice was stern, drawing my attention away from the packing and toward him.

“I understand, but that’s different from an execution. That’s for my protection. Sentencing someone to death is for revenge,” I countered.

“He poses a threat to you. He admitted it himself,” Noah argued. “I should have trusted my instincts and kept him in the dungeon.”

I studied Noah’s face closely. I could see his internal struggle with the idea of sparing Russell’s life. It went against his very nature. He was filled with regret.

I reached out, taking his hand and pulling him closer to me.

“I still believe you made the right call, and I hope you’d do the same if you catch him again,” I reassured him.

Noah grumbled in response. “It’s your decision, anyway.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, puzzled.

“Since you were the one wronged, the punishment is your call,” he clarified.

“Really?” I was taken aback.

Noah frowned.

“Really,” he confirmed.

“Is this related to the luna thing?”

“It is.” He affirmed, planting a gentle kiss on my forehead.

“Well, then I say banish him, just like you planned initially. If he trespasses on our territory again, you can deal with him as you see fit,” I proposed.

Noah’s face lit up with a grin.

“I can live with that,” he said, burying his face into my neck. “Mainly because I love how you referred to it as ~our~ territory,” he added.

I felt my cheeks heat up. I hadn’t realized what I’d said, but I knew it was true. After spending three days away from Noah and the pack I’d grown fond of, I felt a shift within me. I was ready to fully embrace the mate bond and everything that came with it.

“The pack might need some convincing, though. They all know he hurt you, they know he’s a threat to you, and they all want a piece of him. They won’t be happy about letting him go,” Noah voiced his concern as we resumed packing.

I was taken aback by his words.

“They hate him, just like that?” I asked.

I heard Noah’s chuckle echo from the closet as he handed me more clothes.

“You’re still not quite getting how this all works, are you, little mate?” He sauntered back to the bed where I was folding clothes and leaned in, pressing his lips to mine.

“Every single person here would die for you, ~just like that~. They love you almost as much as I do.” Noah winked at me, leaving me standing there, mouth agape.

He chuckled and left me standing there in shock as he retreated to the bathroom. I scrambled away from the bed and burst into the bathroom. Noah was gathering up my bathroom supplies with an amused expression on his face.

“You can’t just drop that on me, Noah!” I exclaimed.

Noah burst into laughter as he handed me my toothbrush. I swatted his hand away, my mind too preoccupied to care about dental hygiene at the moment.

“You knew this already, didn’t you?” He shrugged, casually filling one of my empty makeup bags.

“But you’ve never actually said it. It feels too soon,” I murmured, snatching the bag from Noah’s grasp, trying to make him understand the gravity of the situation.

He responded by wrapping his arms around my petite body, a smile playing on his lips.

“Everleigh, it’s okay if you think it’s too soon. But honestly, I’ve been ready to say it since day one. I just held back so you wouldn’t feel overwhelmed,” Noah confessed.

I buried my face in his chest, mumbling something unintelligible. Noah chuckled in response.

“Hey, it’s all right, little mate. I don’t expect you to reciprocate just yet. I just couldn’t hold it in any longer, especially after being away from you for so long,” he said, pulling back to look at me. “Are you okay?” he asked, concern etched in his voice.

I nodded, biting my lip to suppress a smile.

“You’re just so… perfect,” I admitted, laughing lightly.

“Perfect for you,” he retorted, tapping my nose gently, causing me to giggle.

“And you’re surprisingly good at packing,” I teased, watching him finish up with my bathroom bag.

“Can’t you see how much I want you to cum with me?” he shot back, a playful grin on his face as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

I rolled my eyes at his antics and left him alone in the bathroom.