Chapter 108
Xavier
I stepped through the portal and into the cool morning air of the packhouse grounds, the scent of pine and warm bread from the kitchens greeting me instantly. The moment my boots hit the dirt, I caught movement in my peripheral, Elliot.
He was a blur of energy, blonde hair catching the early light as he bolted full speed toward the back door, laughter spilling from him in a way that made it impossible not to
smile.
“Don’t break anything!” Haiden called after him, though there wasn’t much heat in it.
I didn’t bother trying to stop him. There was no point. When Elliot got that wild sparkle in his eyes, you either got out of the way or got swept up in the chaos. He was halfway through the door already, bare feet skidding over the hardwood, and I followed at a much more reasonable pace; hellhounds didn’t run before breakfast unless there was blood
involved.
Inside, the warmth of the packhouse wrapped around me. Conversations drifted from the kitchen, the scent of frying bacon and coffee making my stomach growl. Somewhere down the hall, Elliot’s voice rang out, high and mischievous.
I shook my head, lips twitching. “This is going to be loud…”
Maddox’s voice floated through my mind. “I think he’s fun. He’s a good pup, our pup.‘
I smiled at that. Maddox had taken him on as our own instantly. He is just as protective as I am. Just as in love as I am. The noise led me straight to the dining room. Chairs were askew, a few biscuits already missing from the breadbasket in the middle of the long oak table, and the unmistakable sound of suppressed laughter drifted from somewhere low to the floor. I scanned the room. My sister, Aleisha, was seated far too casually at the far end, pretending to butter toast like she didn’t have a squirming, blonde–haired menace
tucked under the table beside her.
“Aleisha…” I drawled.
She kept her eyes down, lips twitching. “What?”
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Before I could answer, Tommy, my ever–loyal Beta, and apparently a traitor to his own household, pointed straight at her feet without hesitation.
“He’s under there.”
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Elliot’s muffled laugh gave him away instantly. Aleisha groaned, swatting Tommy’s arm. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”
“I am,” Tommy said, grinning, “but I’m also not suicidal. Xavier’s scarier.”
I crouched slightly, catching Elliot’s wide, mischievous grin in the shadows under the
table. “Out.”
He pouted. “You take all the fun out of breakfast.”
“Breakfast is fun when it doesn’t involve chasing you through the halls.”
Still chuckling, he crawled out, ruffling his already–messy hair. We all began settling in, my parents seated at the head of the table, my mother smiling warmly as she slid the
basket of bread closer to Elliot despite his recent antics. Aleisha leaned against Tommy’s side, still shooting me a mock glare for ‘ruining‘ her hideout. My brothers were sprawled across their chairs in varying states of alertness, Levi already halfway through his second plate, Noah calmly sipping coffee like the chaos was just another morning. Haiden was leaning back, legs stretched under the table, eyes flicking to the doorway as if expecting someone. Sure enough, Envy stepped in a moment later, the hum of her magic brushing against the edges of my awareness. She looked tired but steady, her gaze sweeping the table before she slid into the seat beside Noah. Conversation picked back up instantly, jokes, soft arguments over who got the last of the bacon, and Elliot sneaking it anyway when no one was looking.
Maddox rumbled with contentment. “This“, he murmured, “is what we protect.”
Tommy was halfway through demolishing a plate stacked with bacon when he caught my eye over the rim of his coffee mug. That look meant business, even if we were still surrounded by family chatter.
I leaned back in my chair, lowering my voice just enough that it carried only to him.
“Anything I need to know before I start pretending today’s just about breakfast?”
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Tommy smirked, brushing crumbs from his fingers. “Couple of things. Patrols picked up a rogue scent near the east border last night. Just one, an old trail but I doubled the watch there just in case.”
I nodded, filing that away. “Good. I’ll send one of the guys out later to sweep the area.”
He continued, voice still casual enough not to draw attention. “Also, the southern farmland dispute? The Red Pine pack’s beta reached out. They’re backing off the claim, but they want a formal meeting to ‘keep relations smooth.“”
Translation: they didn’t want a fight but still wanted to test boundaries.
“I’ll meet them this week,” I said, picking up my fork again. “Make sure the council knows I’m handling it personally. No gossip about tension until I’ve had my say!‘
Tommy grinned. “Already done. And…oh, your mother’s still asking if you’ve confirmed the date for the spring festival. She told me to ‘remind you in a way you can’t ignore.“”
I groaned, rubbing my temples. “You’re my beta, Tommy, not my mother’s messenger.”
“You’re wrong,” he said around a mouthful of toast. “I’m both.”
A laugh rippled down the table from Aleisha, who clearly had been eavesdropping, and soon the room was warm with overlapping conversation again, rogues, border disputes, and pack duties temporarily set aside in favor of coffee, eggs, and the scent of fresh bread. Movement at my side drew my attention, and Envy slid into the seat next to me, brushing a kiss against my jaw before reaching for a slice of toast. She didn’t even glance up as she said, “You’re thinking about it too reactively, the rogues.”
I arched a brow at her. “And what would you suggest?”
She shrugged, still buttering her toast. “They’re not just testing you for weaknesses; they’re testing your response time. Double the patrols, yes, but also change the patterns. Make them unpredictable. Force them to second–guess every step they take.”
Tommy smirked. “You know, I think I’m starting to like her.”
Envy grinned. “Only starting?”
Her suggestion had merit, and I knew it. “Alright,” I said, turning back to Tommy. “Work
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her adjustments in. And let me know the second anything shifts.”
The conversation drifted back to lighter topics as coffee was poured, plates were refilled, and Elliot emerged from under the table with Aleisha pretending she hadn’t been hiding him again. The warm hum of family life filled the room, settling over me like a weight I didn’t realize I’d been carrying until it was gone.
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