13. Casey

Chapter 13

Casey

S awyer stood at the front of the gym, facing the people seated in the bleachers, his expression carefully neutral.

His voice carried a steady confidence, though the slight tension in his shoulders betrayed his nerves.

"Our goal is to maintain peace and cooperation. The pack has agreed to follow the town's guidelines, which include limiting pack business within town limits—no fighting or disruptive activities." His gaze swept the room, taking in the mixed reactions.

A few heads nodded in agreement, but plenty of people sat with arms crossed, their expressions wary.

He glanced at the whiteboard beside him, where something crudely drawn in jagged lines was barely recognizable.

It looked like a child's scribble, and I couldn't help but wince at how out of place it seemed in the middle of a town meeting.

Lisa leaned toward Aaron and whispered, "What's with the drawing?"

I resisted the urge to groan. Of course, Lisa couldn't resist.

A little embarrassment stirred in my chest—I'd been so sure inviting her was a good idea, but now I wasn't so certain.

I gave her a light jab with my elbow. "Not the time," I muttered, hoping to rein her in before she distracted Aaron too. He was one of the meeting's main organizers and probably needed to focus.

Aaron leaned over. "When they found out the pack's second-in-command was coming, and not just some random shifter, they wanted to make this meeting feel more official." He shrugged slightly.

I blinked, surprised. Well, never mind, then. Maybe Aaron wasn't as laser-focused as I thought.

At least he seemed to be better since that run-in with Garth. When I'd asked him earlier how he was doing after that day, he'd admitted he was still a little shaken.

But he'd also surprised me by saying that not all shifters were like Garth. I had to admire him for that.

Lisa, still fixated on the whiteboard, waved her hand vaguely in the air. "So that... thing is supposed to represent something important?"

Aaron chuckled. "It's a crest. The idea is to symbolize unity between the town and the pack: trust, respect, cooperation."

He pointed at the squiggles on the board, though to me, they still looked like a bunch of random lines.

Lisa nodded as if she'd had a great revelation. "Hmm, yes, the crest-y shape definitely makes it look more official." Her tone was so serious, I had to hold back a laugh.

Sawyer cleared his throat and grabbed the water bottle beside him. He took a quick sip, his eyes briefly meeting mine before darting to my side.

It was subtle, but I could tell he was silently asking for help, his look urging me to quiet Lisa and Aaron.

I nudged Lisa harder this time, hushing her before she could say more. She shot me a look, but thankfully, she got the message and settled down.

Sawyer adjusted his mic again. "As part of the pack's efforts to stay transparent, we're proposing monthly community sessions. These would give everyone a chance to openly discuss any concerns or issues they might have."

He paused, scanning the room again before adding, "We're also considering organizing more joint events to help build trust and cooperation."

As I watched him speak, a mix of emotions hit me.

I felt guilty since I was the one who had volunteered him for this. But under that guilt was something else entirely—excitement.

Seeing this side of Sawyer—the calm, composed leader handling a tense crowd—it was new. And damn, if it wasn't attractive.

Despite the calm exterior, though, I knew better. He was nervous.

His fingers fidgeted with the edge of the note cards he'd brought, a tell I'd picked up on whenever he was anxious.

For some reason, something about it made me want to tease him. Maybe snap a quick picture when he wasn't looking.

Then again, maybe I didn't have to. With how this meeting was going, between the ‘official' logo and the formal tone, it felt more like a high-stakes summit than a local town meeting.

I wouldn't be surprised if this ended up on the front page of the town paper next week.

If it did, I'd have to grab a couple of copies—maybe even frame one for Sawyer if they used his picture. He'd probably hate it, but it'd be worth it just to see his reaction.

Sawyer cleared his throat before asking, "Any questions?"

Before anyone else could respond, Lisa's hand shot up, her voice slicing through the silence. "So, how much do shifters have to threaten or intimidate someone before it gets reported or punished? Does it have to be physical?"

I whipped my head toward Lisa, startled. Seriously? She asked that?

Of all people, I hadn't expected her to jump in with a question like that.

But as the words sunk in, I understood why. She was probably worried about me.

Also, I had told her about what happened with Aaron and Garth, how Sawyer and Griffin stepped in before things got worse.

I bet a few other people in the room had heard about it too. I glanced at Sawyer, curious to see how he'd handle such a direct question in front of everyone.

His expression shifted, becoming more serious. "Each incident will be handled on a case-by-case basis," he said. "While we don't have all the specifics figured out yet, we're working closely with the sheriff's department. Ideally, we want to have a shifter on staff to help with these situations."

His eyes swept the room, gauging the crowd's reaction.

A few murmurs broke out—some skeptical, others more thoughtful. The idea of a shifter in law enforcement didn't seem to be an easy sell.

"If you know a shifter who'd be a good fit for the role," Sawyer continued, "someone the town trusts, someone people feel comfortable bringing concerns to, feel free to recommend them."

That seemed to land better. A few people nodded, though the tension in the room hadn't completely lifted.

Sawyer looked around one more time before wrapping up. "If there aren't any more questions, I'd like to thank you again for having me here tonight. Hopefully, this is the start of a more open and ongoing dialogue between all of us—human and shifter. Have a good evening."

He stepped down from the small stage, his formal stance relaxing the moment he hit the floor.

Someone else took over, something about road repairs and a school fundraiser, but my attention stayed fixed on Sawyer.

He slumped into a chair in the front row, exhaustion etched in his features like the whole thing had drained him.

And I didn't blame him.

When we'd talked about this yesterday, I'd told him it would be casual. Nothing too intense. I didn't expect him to stand in front of over thirty people and give a speech.

"Just answer a few questions, maybe say a couple of things," I'd reassured him. It wasn't supposed to turn into… this.

But he'd handled it well. More than that—he'd made a solid impression, even if he didn't realize it.

Sawyer ran a hand through his hair, clearly worn out. Finally, as if he sensed my eyes on him, he turned and met my gaze.

His expression was tired, but the moment our eyes locked, something changed. His features softened, and a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

He glanced at the empty seat beside me, lips quirking into a faint pout, and I couldn't help but chuckle quietly.

Sawyer—who just commanded a room full of people—was now impatiently waiting to sit next to me.

I glanced at Aaron, who was already up at the podium, thanked everyone for coming. Just a few more minutes and Sawyer would get his wish.

Lisa, catching our silent exchange, rolled her eyes dramatically. "Ugh, you two are gonna give me diabetes."

I shot her a mock glare. "What? Don't act like you and Chris didn't put me through this kind of torture back in college."

Her eyes widened in exaggerated shock. "Excuse me?"

Before she could fire back, people began getting up and heading toward the food tables at the far end of the gym. I stood quickly, dodging whatever comeback Lisa had in mind.

Sawyer was already waiting for me at the front. The tension in his shoulders was finally gone now that the formalities were over, and when I made my way over, he gave me a soft, tired smile.

"Coffee?" he asked.

"Sure," I grinned, falling in step beside him.

As we walked toward the drinks table, I couldn't resist brushing my hand lightly against his, just for a second.

He glanced at me, that small smile reappearing, and for a moment, it felt like everything else in the room faded away.

"Thanks for doing this," I said softly. "I know I kind of threw you into the deep end."

Sawyer shrugged. "I did it for you."

Before I could reply, a voice from behind us cut through the moment. "Sawyer Brooks!"

We both turned to see an older man approaching. He looked familiar, though I couldn't quite place him.

Sawyer paused for a moment, then recognition flickered across his face. "Mr. Graham!" he greeted warmly.

"Nice to see you still remember your old sixth-grade teacher," Mr. Graham chuckled, shaking Sawyer's hand.

Sawyer quickly gestured toward the drinks table. "Would you like some coffee, sir?"

"Thank you," Mr. Graham said as he accepted the cup of coffee. He took a sip, then smiled warmly. "You know, at the first meeting, I stood up for Cooper. How's he doing these days? Do you think he still remembers me?"

Sawyer hesitated, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'm, uh, not too sure, honestly. But I'll ask him. I'm sure he does."

Mr. Graham waved it off . "Oh, no need. I'm sure he's busy, what with being the lead alpha and all. Besides, Cooper was never exactly known for his memory."

Then Mr. Graham turned to me, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "This one time—Cooper and Sawyer here stole all the frogs from the science lab. We kept asking them where they hid the frogs, but every time, they claimed they forgot. It took two weeks for Sawyer to finally ‘remember' where they hid them. Cooper, on the other hand, didn't remember for a whole month!"

Sawyer, mid-sip, choked on his coffee, coughing into the cup. I had to stifle a laugh.

I wasn't sure what was funnier—this sweet old man casually throwing shade at the current alpha of Pecan Pines or the fact that Sawyer was the one who caved first.

I patted Sawyer on the back, handing him a napkin, barely holding back a grin. He shot me a sheepish look while Mr. Graham waved and wandered off to chat with someone else.

"Don't worry," I said, smirking. "I didn't hear anything, and I definitely won't be telling Cooper."

Sawyer nodded, still wiping his mouth, clearly relieved.

As the conversation continued, more people came up to talk to Sawyer. Gradually, the crowd thinned out, and eventually, everyone started heading home after the meeting.

It was just the two of us now, walking through the parking lot, the cool night air settling around us.

As we headed toward his truck, Sawyer glanced over at me, a teasing glint in his eyes. "You know you owe me for this, right?"

I raised a brow. "Isn't keeping quiet about the frogs enough?"

"Not even close."

I stopped walking, crossing my arms and pretending to be annoyed, though I couldn't hide the smile tugging at my lips. "Fine. What do you want?"

Sawyer stepped closer, sliding his arms around my waist. "I'm not sure yet," he said. "But I kinda like the idea of you owing me something."

I rolled my eyes, but the warmth spreading through my chest betrayed me. "You're ridiculous."

Sawyer grinned, leaning in until our foreheads nearly touched, his breath warm against my skin.

"Yeah, but you like it." His eyes glinted with that familiar teasing energy, and without warning, he closed the distance, brushing his lips against mine.

It was slow and gentle, but there was just enough playfulness to remind me who was in charge of this little game.

I let out a soft laugh as he pulled back. "Alright, alright—you win. I owe you."

"That's what I thought," he said with a grin as we walked the rest of the way to his truck, hand in hand.