“Always.”
43
CALEB
When the morning rolls around, I find Evan awake in the infirmary bed.
“Morning,” I say as I clear my throat.
His gaze finds mine, and despite his hours of sleep, the bags beneath his eyes are evidence of a tough night.
“Hey,” he mumbles.
“I’ve got to get back to the pack.” I stretch out in the chair. “But pack your things, say your goodbyes, and I’ll come back for you later, okay?”
Evan blinks. “You promise?”
“I promise.”
“Okay.”
I kiss him on the lips and stroke his face tenderly. As I approach the door, I glance back at him and how vulnerable he looks. It hurts to leave him, but I know I need to give him time to say goodbye privately and to collect his things.
When I leave, I pause by the kitchen to find Jaxon and Ava. “Hey, everything okay?” she asks.
“Yeah, I’m going back home for a few hours. Can you make sure Evan’s okay? I told the doctors to keep an eye on him, too, but I’ll be back later to get him.”
Ava nods eagerly. “Of course. Thank you for looking after him.”
“Only doing the bare minimum. He deserves more than that.”
Her eyes glisten. “Be good to him.”
“I wouldn’t dare be anything else.”
The journey back to my pack house is filled with overthinking and guilt for leaving him, but I trust he’s being looked after. I’ll be back before he knows it.
I step into my office and take a seat at my desk before rolling my fingers over my forehead. It doesn’t take long for Felix to barge in like I knew he would.
“Where the hell have you been?”
My eyes close for a moment before I open them and look up at him. He stands in front of my desk with his large arms crossed over his chest with a livid expression.
I get it. We’re meant to be a team, and I’ve been absent—noticeably.
“We have shit to do here, Caleb,” he says through gritted teeth. “And I’ve been running around after you. I didn’t think you’d be gone all night long. The pack needs you here; they need you to be present, and I don’t think you’re taking this seriously at all. Your father, to start with, and the pack that barely sees their Alpha.”
My head starts to pound from the lack of sleep and my drained emotions.
“Are you gonna say anything, Caleb?”
“I found my mate,” I say, silencing him.
“Wha—” he cuts himself off. “Who?”
I drag my tongue over my top teeth as I stare back at my Beta. “Evan.”
Felix frowns. “Evan from…Jaxon’s pack?”
