Page 53 of Sawyer

I bit back my retort. This wasn’t the first time we’d had this conversation, and it wasn’t going to be the last, apparently.

I didn’t want to challenge my lead alpha, but I couldn’t just ignore the gut feeling gnawing at me.

Garth was dangerous. He’d always been, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep him in check.

“I just don’t want something to happen that we can’t take back,” I finally said, my voice low, controlled. “Garth’s already pushed his limits with Aaron and Griffin, and next time, we might not be lucky.”

Cooper folded his hands in front of him, nodding slightly.

“I know. And I trust you to keep a lid on things,” Cooper said.

I sighed again, feeling the weight of responsibility settle over me.

The last thing I needed was another confrontation with Garth, especially with my leg acting up.

I’d barely managed to stop the fight between him, Aaron, and Griffin the last time, and that was with Casey nearby.

The reminder of Casey sparked another thought.

“Speaking of Aaron, I wanted to talk to you about that town meeting.” I shifted in my seat, remembering the tension in the room that night.

I continued, “One of the townsfolk asked how far shifters have to go before someone can report it.”

Cooper raised an eyebrow. “And how did you respond?”

“I told them we’d handle it on a case-by-case basis and that we’d ideally work with the sheriff’s office,” I answered.

Cooper smiled, a proud look on his face.

“You handled that perfectly, Sawyer. It’s exactly what I would’ve said,” Cooper said.

I felt heat creep up my neck and quickly looked away, embarrassed by the praise.

“Just doing my job as your second,” I muttered, trying to deflect the attention. “But it wasn’t just my job that got me there,” I continued, glancing up at him. “Casey invited me to the meeting. And it was a good thing too—it finally gave us a chance to open up a dialogue with the humans. They’ve been… cautious, but there’s potential there.”

Cooper leaned forward, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“You’re really bringing Casey up a lot these days. You should invite him to the pack lands, maybe for a weekend lunch. It’d be a great way for him to get to know us better,” Cooper said.

I blinked, caught off guard by the suggestion.

“You think that’s a good idea?” I asked.

“Absolutely,” Cooper said, his grin widening. “It’s about time you showed him around, don’t you think? He’s a big part of your life now.”

I mulled it over, nodding slowly.

Casey did owe me one for going to that town meeting, and honestly, I’d been wanting to spend more time with him.

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll invite him,” I said with a nod.

Cooper smirked. “Good. Now, as for this schedule…”

“Seriously, Cooper,” I groaned, cutting him off. “You have to stop putting me on patrols with Garth.”

“I’ll think about it,” he said, though the smile playing on his lips told me otherwise.

Later that day, I couldn't stop thinking about Cooper’s suggestion. The idea of bringing Casey to the pack lands, letting him see where I grew up… it felt right.