Page 49 of Sawyer

Casey didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t push the issue. Instead, he reached out and took my hand, squeezing it gently.

“I’m glad you were here,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Me too,” I replied, pulling him into a hug.

As I held him close, I couldn’t help but think about how much he meant to me and how far I’d go to protect him.

“Come on,” I said, releasing Casey and taking his hand again. “Let’s get out of here.”

As I walked Casey back to his store, I couldn’t shake a sense of foreboding.

Chapter 13

Casey

Sawyer 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.”