The Alpha’s Surgeon

14

The smell of pasta, wings, and garlic bread filled the packhouse kitchen, making the tension from earlier melt away. Everyone gathered around the long table—boxes spread out like a feast. Rae was halfway through stacking plates when Trey slid a container of pasta her way, lips twitching.

“So,” he said casually, “should we add ‘uses her dog for intimidation’ to your list of skills?”

Rae shot him a look. “He’s just protective. It’s not my fault the guy didn’t speak fluent Aspen.”

Del snorted around a mouthful of breadstick. “Protective? Rae, he nearly ended that poor delivery guy’s career. I thought he was gonna throw the food and sprint.”

Remi covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. “You really said one word and Aspen turned into a bouncer.”

Will leaned back in his chair, grinning. “You might want to teach that command to the warriors. Would probably be more effective than half their drills.”

Rae smirked, grabbing a wing. “Maybe I’ll consider it—if Aspen gets a raise in treats.”

At that exact moment, Aspen quietly snuck around the side of the table, nose twitching, tail wagging low. No one noticed—except Elijah, who froze mid-bite when a furry snout appeared under his elbow.

“Hey—” he started, but Aspen gave a soft woof and swiped an entire breadstick right off his plate.

The table erupted in laughter.

Remi wiped at her eyes, laughing so hard she could barely speak. “Guess Aspen doesn’t need a raise—he’s getting paid already.”

Elijah held up his hands. “You all saw that, right? I was robbed.”

Del giggled. “You got mugged by a dog.”

Rae just grinned smugly, patting Aspen’s head when he returned to her side with his prize. “Smart boy. Knows who actually feeds him.”

Elijah groaned. “You’re enabling him.”

“Call it teamwork,” Rae said, breaking her breadstick in half and handing the rest to Aspen.

Elijah gave Trey a look. “You seeing this?”

Trey shrugged, a smirk tugging at his mouth. “I’m just impressed the dog’s got better stealth than half the warriors.”

Rae grinned, fork in hand. “That’s because my boy’s been trained to handle idiots and distractions.”

Elijah pointed his fork at her. “So… us, basically.”

“Exactly.”

The laughter rolled through the room again, easy and unguarded. For a moment, the packhouse felt less like a war room and more like home—food, teasing, warmth, and the quiet hum of something new building between them all.

As the noise settled, Trey caught Rae’s eye from across the table. His smirk softened—something unreadable flickering there. Rae looked away first, pretending to focus on Aspen stealing another bite of pasta from Elijah’s plate, but her heart skipped all the same.

Cleanup was loud, messy, and full of laughter. Between Del tossing napkins at Elijah for sneaking leftover fries and Trey stealing Rae’s spot at the sink to wash dishes faster, it felt like one of those rare, easy moments—no tension, no alarms, just family-like chaos.

Rae and Aspen padded into the war room, Rae’s boots squeaking slightly against the polished floor, Aspen weaving through the chairs with a confident swagger like he owned the place. Del and Remi were already there, leaning against the table, their eyes tracking the screens and sensors Rae had deployed earlier. Trey, Elijah, and Will were also present, reviewing patrol maps and defensive setups, but their attention slowly shifted as Rae’s phone buzzed.

Rae snatched it up mid-step. “Momma Anna,” she said, reading aloud, “’Cabin ready for you tomorrow. Spicy food and kayak on standby.’”

Del perked up instantly. “Ooooh, kayak! We could go first thing tomorrow!”

Rae waved a hand dismissively. “No. Absolutely not. Not with you near a kayak. You almost flipped us more times than I can count.”

Trey raised an eyebrow, leaning against the table with a smirk. “Sounds like a fun challenge to me.”

Elijah glanced between Rae and Del, lips twitching with amusement. “I’m actually curious how many times you’ve survived these adventures.”

Will leaned back, shaking his head. “I feel like we’re about to get a full report with hazard statistics.”

Del’s grin widened. “That’s… a little dramatic, don’t you think?”

“Oh, you want me to count?” Rae fired back, pacing a little as Aspen trotted around her feet. “Remember in Maine? You took a sharp turn, nearly dumped me in the lake, and then the paddle hit me in the face? That’s one. New Jersey, when you decided to ‘race’ me and hit a wave just right to launch me overboard? Two. Vermont—you flung me backward while dodging a branch—three. Hudson, because you apparently don’t believe paddles stay in the boat—four. That’s just the ones I can remember off the top of my head.”

Trey’s smirk grew wider. “Sounds like kayaking with you two is basically a combat sport.”

Elijah chuckled. “I’m noting all these hazards. Someone might need medical coverage.”

Remi snorted from her side of the table, clearly amused. “Oh wow. I thought I had bad luck with you two on hikes.”

Rae spun to Remi, mock glare in full effect. “Remi, you think you had it bad? I almost died daily with this one. Kayak? Not happening tomorrow. Nope. Nada.”

Del waved a hand, trying to laugh it off. “Fine, fine. You’re dramatic. But you’d totally admit it’s fun.”

Rae shot her a flat look. “Fun? If by ‘fun’ you mean near-death experiences, sure. Sign me up. Pass the adrenaline pills while you prep the fire extinguisher for my inevitable face-plant into the water.”

Aspen barked in agreement, tail wagging, as if he endorsed Rae’s version of events.

Trey shook his head, chuckling. “I wouldn’t survive a week of kayaking with you two.”

Elijah smirked. “Or live through a single river bend without hitting a tree.”

Will leaned forward, mock-serious. “I’m just going to sit here and make sure no one flips the boat tomorrow.”

Rae leaned back in her chair, phone still in hand, and muttered, “Spicy food though… that, I can tolerate.”

Del snorted, nudging her shoulder. “Finally, some compromise.”

From the corner, Remi shook her head, smiling. “You two are impossible. But I love it.”

Rae grinned, looking over at Aspen, who had claimed the war room rug as his throne. “Alright, let’s just survive tomorrow without someone turning me into a paddling casualty. That’s the real goal.”

The room filled with laughter, the tension of the morning fading as the pack’s chaos settled into a comfortable rhythm, everyone silently agreeing: tomorrow at the cabin was going to be… memorable.