1. Sawyer

Chapter 1

Sawyer

I stepped out of my truck, nerves buzzing in my veins.

The alphas Cooper had handpicked for his new council were already gathered on the porch of the pack house.

I took a few deep breaths, trying to dispel my anxiety, and walked towards them, attempting to mask the limp in my left leg.

Most didn't notice, but Garth did. His smirk grew as I slowed down climbing the stairs.

Cooper, my best friend and the new lead alpha of the Pecan Pines pack, smiled warmly.

"Sawyer, glad you could join us. I'm assigning everyone in pairs for patrolling," he announced.

I was relieved Cooper was the one giving orders instead of Ryder.

Our old lead alpha had ruled through fear, leaving scars both visible and invisible.

"...and Sawyer, you're with Garth," Cooper said.

A growl of protest slipped out before I could stop it. Garth was the last alpha I wanted to be paired with.

I had hoped to be teamed up with Griffin, a good pal.

"Coop, can I have a private word with you?" I asked through gritted teeth once the assignments were given out.

"Sure, I'll be with you in a sec," Cooper replied.

After finishing his conversation with Griffin, Cooper walked over to me.

"How's your leg today?" he asked first.

I grimaced, wishing he didn't always feel the need to ask that.

"Fine, I'm ready to fulfill my duties as your second," I said with as much confidence as I could muster.

I knew some wolves, like Garth, didn't believe I deserved my spot. Then again, I didn't think much of Garth either.

"Coop, why did you pick Garth as one of your enforcers?" I had to ask.

Last I remembered, Garth was still on a trial basis.

"He did the work, Sawyer—proved to me he was willing to turn away from his old ways and accept the new leadership," Cooper said.

He dropped his voice. "Besides, with the pack rebuilding, I need all the strong members by my side, doing their part. Can you work with Garth, or should I assign him to someone else?"

I realized in that moment I wasn't just talking to Cooper, my best friend, but Cooper, the lead alpha.

I swallowed my pride and nodded.

"I'll work with Garth," I said.

"Good." Cooper slapped my shoulder. "Hey, don't be late for the party Miles and I are throwing you later, okay?"

"Right," I muttered. I'd almost forgotten it was my birthday.

Cooper and Miles had been hinting they'd get me a dog. Admittedly, it had been lonely at home since they found their own place.

A dog like a golden retriever or a German shepherd would bring some life back into the house.

With the conversation over, I made my way back to the porch.

Garth, it seemed, hadn't bothered waiting for me and had probably gone to our assigned area of the forest.

Irritated but not wanting to show it, I went after him.

I found Garth waiting in a clearing, leaning against an old pine tree, arms crossed against his chest.

"Took you long enough," he said.

I had a feeling he was about to hurl a more hurtful insult but changed it at the last second.

"Since the area we're assigned to cover is pretty large, why don't we split up? Heck, let's make it a friendly competition. See who finishes patrolling first. What do you say, ‘pack second'?" Garth drawled.

"We're here to do our jobs, not race each other," I said, still unable to fully comprehend why Cooper decided to make Garth a pack enforcer.

Sure, I understood we lacked manpower right now, but couldn't Cooper have selected someone else?

"Scared you're going to lose?" Garth asked with a sneer, glancing at my leg as he did so.

"I'll take you on any time," I shot back.

"You take the north side of the forest, I'll take the south side," Garth said.

He was baiting me, and I'd fallen into his ridiculous trap like an adolescent wolf pup who couldn't control his emotions.

Garth started stripping, and within moments, had shifted and sprinted off before I could even finish taking off my clothes.

This wasn't going to end well , I thought, but I wasn't backing off. I shifted, the familiar pain in my left leg sharper than usual.

Running through the forest, I struggled to keep pace, the uneven terrain making every step a battle.

My breath came in ragged gasps, and I could feel the strain in my paws, but I pushed on, determined not to let Garth get the best of me.

By the time I reached the northern edge of our patrol area, the old oak we called the Sentinel, I was exhausted. I collapsed near the tree, panting heavily.

Moments later, Garth sauntered up, already back in human form, looking infuriatingly smug.

"I can't believe Cooper made you his second. He probably only did that because you're his best friend. You didn't earn that spot," Garth said, his words rubbing salt in the wound.

I wanted to punch him in the face, but honestly, I was too exhausted from the run to even lift my arms.

The last thing the pack needed was its top wolves fighting among themselves at a time like this.

I liked to think I was being magnanimous by letting Garth off the hook, but the truth was, all those months of physical therapy had thrown me off my game.

I needed to get back in shape, to prove to everyone in the pack I was worthy of being Cooper's second.

Garth's smirk widened as he saw my frustration.

"Better luck next time," he said, turning away.

I watched him go, determination rekindling in my chest. This wasn't over.

Not by a long shot.

"Let's put some ice over that swollen leg," said Devon, our pack healer.

I grunted, relieved that Garth had made himself scarce so he didn't need to see me like this.

I bet he would have plenty more to say about my condition.

"Can't you do anything else?" I asked Devon.

"Sawyer," he said with a heavy sigh. "We've had this conversation before. Your leg injury healed clean. Have you considered the fact?—"

He was going to say it again, I thought, tuning him out.

Devon had insisted the pain was all in my head, but honestly, he didn't know what the hell he was talking about.

My mind conjured the image of Ryder, in his wolf form, looming over my battered and injured body, closing his sharp fangs over my left leg, applying pressure until I heard a terrifying snap.

I could still recall the venomous words he'd hissed in my ear after shifting back to human form.

"I'll spare you this time. But next time? Mercy won't be an option."

"Thanks anyway, Doc," I said, getting up after he finished bandaging my leg.

Devon looked affronted, his expression suggesting he still had more to say, but I was ready to move on.

"I'm late for my party. Are you coming, by the way?" I asked him.

Devon shook his head. "I need to be here, in case a pack member gets injured or there's an emergency," he answered.

"Alright, then I'll have someone save you a slice of cake," I said.

I left the pack clinic and slid behind the wheel of my truck.

The party was taking place in the bar Griffin owned and where I worked at night as a bartender.

During the day, I helped out at Miles' bookstore... although I hadn't been able to be there for either Griffin or Miles lately, thanks to me focusing on getting better.

This injury had set me back far too much.

The frustration gnawed at me. I felt like I was failing everyone—Cooper, Griffin, Miles, the pack.

Instead of being the reliable second-in-command, I was hobbling around, consumed by physical therapy and my own bitterness.

I needed to prove I was worthy of my role, not just because I was Cooper's best friend but because I deserved it.

Finally, I arrived in town. After finding a parking spot, I entered the bar, which Griffin had closed for the evening for the party.

The moment I entered, people yelled, "Surprise!" and "Happy birthday!" I pretended to be clueless, although I had occasionally snooped on Miles when he was helping plan the party.

The bar was filled with pack mates, friends, and family.

The tables were laden with food—barbecued meats, fresh salads, and homemade bread. At the center was a massive cake, decorated with vanilla frosting.

Seeing everyone together, laughing and enjoying themselves, I momentarily forgot about my stupid bet with Garth and the blow to my confidence.

Griffin handed me a drink, clapping me on the back. "Happy birthday, Sawyer. Enjoy tonight, you deserve it," he said.

For a while, I let myself relax, surrounded by the people who mattered most.

I knew the road to recovery was still long, but for tonight, I allowed myself to relax.

Miles eventually approached me, carrying a small box that seemed to move.

I knew Cooper and Miles were giving me a dog, but the box was smaller than expected.

I sincerely hoped they didn't get me a cat—I was more of a dog person.

"Happy birthday, big brother," Miles said, grinning and holding out the wriggling box.

Cooper stood next to him, smiling and holding a beer. Cooper wasn't wearing his lead alpha face tonight, I thought, relieved.

During the drive here, I debated telling Cooper about my race with Garth and how I foresaw Garth being a potential problem for the pack... but that would ruin the the party.

Maybe I'd bring it up another day. Besides, it wasn't like Garth had done anything truly bad.

He simply challenged me to a friendly competition, although there didn't seem to be anything friendly about his attitude toward me.

"Aren't you going to open it?" Miles asked, sounding a little hurt.

I pulled myself from my train of thought and accepted the box.

"You should probably sit down. He's quite energetic," Miles suggested, pulling up a stool for me.

His concern about my leg annoyed me, but I reined in my temper. My brother went to great lengths to plan this party for me, after all.

Still, I refused to sit. I undid the green ribbon on the box, and the lid fell to the floor before I could catch it.

I stared uncomprehendingly at the small, long-bodied dog dangling its little paws out of the box.

"Uh, Miles, Coop. What... is this?" I asked.

"A dachshund," Miles said proudly. "Isn't he the perfect fit for you? The volunteer at the shelter mentioned he'd been there a long time and wouldn't last much longer."

I swallowed, unsure what to think.

Should I be offended my brother thought a small dog like this would be a perfect companion because I couldn't keep up with a larger dog?

No, I was probably overthinking things, and the more I stared into those adorable, beady black eyes, the more I fell in love.

"Hey, buddy," I said, tucking the box under my arm and using my other hand to rub the dog's floppy ears.

"Does he have a name?" I asked my brother.

"Benedict. The volunteer at the shelter calls him Benny, though," Miles offered.

"Hey, Benny," I said.

The moment I lifted the tiny sausage dog in my arms, it let out a soft bark and then promptly jumped out of my grasp.

The next thing I knew, Benny was running as far away from me as possible.

Noah, Griffin's brother and one of my pack mates, was opening the front door to the bar.

"Noah, wait!" I yelled, but it was too late.

Benny had slipped out of the door like an agile thief.

"Dang it," I muttered. "I'll be back."

I ran after Benny, the adrenaline overriding the pain in my leg for the moment.

I couldn't let my new little buddy get lost on his first night with me.