chapter 4
1667 Words
Bentley – 3 Days Before the Summit
We left the packlands just after dawn. The forest was misty with low fog and heavy silence, the kind of quiet that settled deep into your bones. I hadn’t slept much the night before—Jax was too restless, pacing inside me like a caged animal. He was on edge. And when my wolf got like this, it was hard to think clearly.
The drive to the airport took forty-five minutes, mostly through winding mountain roads that clung to the edge of the forest. Gage, my Gamma and longtime friend, sat in the passenger seat next to me, humming along to some old classic rock song and tapping out a rhythm on the dashboard.
We boarded my private plane not long after arriving. One of the perks of leading the largest and wealthiest pack in North America—though you wouldn’t know it by looking at our territory. Crescent Creek was modest by design. We kept our luxury quiet. I preferred to invest in strength—training, education, alliances—not flashy symbols of status.
Still, private air travel had its benefits.
The flight was smooth, just under three and a half hours. But I couldn’t settle in. Jax pressed against the inside of my skin the whole way, his golden eyes burning behind mine, his thoughts clouding my own.
When we touched down in Minnesota, I felt the familiar rush of tension start to rise again.
“Damn, your wolf is seriously uptight,” Gage muttered as we stepped off the plane onto the breezy tarmac. “You’d think we were about to walk into a war, not a summit.”
I shot him a look. “You try living with a raging Alpha wolf stuck in mate-limbo for nearly a decade.”
Gage grinned. “I’d rather not. But I gotta say, it’s entertaining to watch. Jax nearly took my head off in my sleep last week.”
“That’s because you were snoring like a dying moose.”
He laughed as we made our way to the waiting SUV, a sleek black rental already warmed up and parked just off the hangar. I slid into the driver’s seat and connected my phone to the Bluetooth system. As soon as the screen lit up, a call came through—Dad.
I answered with a press of the steering wheel. “Hey.”
“Son,” came the deep, gravelled voice of Alpha Logan, my father and predecessor. “Just wanted to check in. How’s the flight?”
“Smooth,” I said. “We just landed. About to start the drive to Lakewood territory.”
“Good, good,” he said, then paused. “One more thing before I let you go. Alpha Calvin’s daughter turns eighteen during the summit. Might be wise to bring a gift. You never know what the Moon Goddess has planned, and an Alpha should always be prepared.”
I groaned, leaning my head back against the seat. “s**t. Thanks, Dad.”
“Don’t sound so thrilled,” he chuckled. “Even if she’s not your mate, it’s a show of respect.”
“I know. I just… I didn’t think about it. I’ll figure something out.”
“You always do. And Bentley?” His tone dipped into something quieter. “If you do feel the pull, don’t fight it. Trust your wolf.”
“Yeah,” I said, rubbing my jaw. “Thanks, Dad.”
The call ended, and I tossed the phone onto the console, sighing heavily.
“You good?” Gage asked, glancing over.
Jax was clawing at my insides again, practically growling.
“No. Jax is being a damn perfectionist,” I muttered. “He wants to find the perfect gift.”
“For a girl you haven’t met.”
“For a mate we don’t know exists.”
“Still,” Gage said, settling back with a smirk, “wouldn’t hurt to stop somewhere before we hit the pack border. Get something thoughtful.”
I shot him a glare. “If you say ‘flowers’ or ‘chocolate,’ I swear to the Goddess—”
“Nah,” he grinned. “You’re a fated-mate kind of guy. You need something meaningful.”
Jax huffed in agreement, as if suddenly Gage wasn’t completely useless.
I started the engine, the low rumble of the SUV grounding me. “We’ve got nearly five hours. Let’s just drive. Maybe something’ll come to me.”
Jax prowled in my head, impatient, alert—like he could already smell something on the wind.
---
Bentley – 3 Days Before the Summit
The highway blurred past us, miles of pine and ash trees lining either side, snow in patches that hadn't melted from the last storm. The SUV was warm, the music low, and for a little while, Jax had settled.
Gage, on the other hand, was starving.
“You’ve got two options,” he said, scrolling on his phone. “Fast food or real food.”
“Real food,” I grunted. “We’ve still got hours of driving. I’m not suffering through the scent of fried grease the whole way.”
We stopped at a quiet little roadside diner nestled between an antique shop and a liquor store. It had wood-paneled walls, an ancient-looking jukebox in the corner, and smelled like black coffee and grilled onions. Jax twitched his nose in protest. I ignored him and ordered a burger.
It wasn’t until we were halfway through our meal that Gage leaned back and said, “So, about that gift for Calvin’s daughter…”
I chewed slowly, wiped my mouth, and nodded. “Yeah. Let’s get it over with.”
---
Bentley pov
The highway blurred past us, miles of pine and ash trees lining either side, snow in patches that hadn't melted from the last storm. The SUV was warm, the music low, and for a little while, Jax had settled.
Gage, on the other hand, was starving.
“You’ve got two options,” he said, scrolling on his phone. “Fast food or real food.”
“Real food,” I grunted. “We’ve still got hours of driving. I’m not suffering through the scent of fried grease the whole way.”
We stopped at a quiet little roadside diner nestled between an antique shop and a liquor store. It had wood-paneled walls, an ancient-looking jukebox in the corner, and smelled like black coffee and grilled onions. Jax twitched his nose in protest. I ignored him and ordered a burger.
It wasn’t until we were halfway through our meal that Gage leaned back and said, “So, about that gift for Calvin’s daughter…”
I chewed slowly, wiped my mouth, and nodded. “Yeah. Let’s get it over with.”
---
Stop One: The Jewelry Store
The boutique was small but high-end. Human-run, judging by the faint perfume of lavender and something synthetic. Still, the craftsmanship was impressive. Glass cases sparkled under warm lighting, and a quiet, older woman greeted us with a polite smile.
I didn’t want flashy. I wanted something meaningful—if not to her, then at least to Jax.
It didn’t take long. In the third case, nestled between dainty chains and gemstone pendants, sat a necklace that made Jax go perfectly still.
It was a pendant of a wolf, carved from black onyx—sleek, powerful, and hauntingly familiar. Its eyes were twin stones of citrine quartz, like fire caught in amber.
Jax practically pressed forward inside me.
“That one,” I said immediately.
The woman lifted it with reverence. “Beautiful choice. Hand-carved. Limited run.”
I didn’t care. It looked like us.
---
Stop Two: The Bookstore
It smelled like paper and dust and something nostalgic. I liked it immediately.
Gage didn’t.
“Why are we here again?”
“Because,” I said, walking toward the classics section, “I’ve got an idea.”
I skimmed the shelves, pulling down four titles and tucking them under my arm.
Gage squinted. “Pride and Prejudice? To Kill a Mockingbird? Lord of the Flies? Fahrenheit 451? What are you doing, building a tiny library?”
“No. I’m giving her a piece of me.”
He blinked. “You don’t even know if she reads.”
“No, I don’t,” I said evenly. “But I know I do. These books—each of them—they’re favorites of mine. They’re all different, but they’ve got something in common. They explore things that matter. Power structures, prejudice, control, survival. The cost of innocence.”
Gage was quiet for a second. Then he gave a low whistle. “Damn. That’s… weirdly thoughtful of you.”
I shrugged and made for the register. “Jax is sentimental.”
---
Stop Three: The Shopping Center
Gage was suspicious the second we pulled into the strip mall parking lot.
“What now?”
“I need one more thing,” I said, heading toward the small general store at the end of the row.
Ten minutes later, I came out with a deck of playing cards.
Gage stared at me, unblinking. “You did not just drag me through traffic to buy cards.”
“Yup.”
“Tell me you have a good reason.”
I shoved the package into my bag with the books. “Nope.”
“Bentley.”
“Jax insisted.”
He groaned into his hands. “You’re letting the wolf pick now?”
“He was louder than you,” I said, sliding into the driver’s seat. “And more convincing.”
I started the car, and Gage muttered something about Alpha logic and the death of reason as we pulled back onto the road.
But Jax was… pleased. Calm. Almost smug.
And deep down, I knew why.
We weren’t just buying a gift for someone. We were preparing for her. Even if we didn’t know who she was yet.
- Writer
