As I made my way past the dining room, several familiar faces greeted me with waves. I could sense Ryker''s presence intensifying, his Alpha energy practically radiating down the hallway as I approached his office. What could be causing his agitation? It couldn''t be Danny reporting that I was distracted—Ryker had far more patience than that. Still, the mounting pressure was giving me a pounding headache. I raised a hand to rub my forehead before knocking gently on his door.


    "Come in," he called.


    I stepped inside, closing my eyes briefly to steady myself against the overwhelming Alpha aura. This office was so familiar I could navigate it blindfolded if I had to. "What''s going on, Bossman? Why the serious vibe?" I asked, my voice tinged with curiosity.


    "You wouldn''t havee any other way,” Ryker replied, his tone low.


    I blinked, pulling my fingers away from my face and opening my eyes fully. That''s when I saw Finn standing there, his back turned to me. The tension in his posture was unmistakable-his shoulders were tight, fists clenched, and I could almost feel the anger simmering beneath the surface.


    Ryker circled his desk and approached me. "You cornered me once," he said, his voice steady but firm. "I think I told you to stop acting like a chickensh*t." He gave my shoulder a brief, firm pat. “You''ve be a liability. And Finn''s got a death wish. Both of you are sidelined until you sort this out. There''s a guest room on the second floor all set up. Yes, you''re both staying here. Yes, you''re staying together. Figure your shit out. Don''t make me bring in reinforcements."


    "Alpha, with all due respect..." I started to argue.


    "Seriously?!" Ryker cut me off.


    We both protested, but he was unmoved.


    "I''m alphamanding both of you. Now go."


    I exhaled deeply, staring up at the ceiling as Ryker exited his office. One slow breath in, then out. I turned and walked away, leaving Finn to decide whether to follow. Either way, he''d end up in our enforced confinement eventually. This wasn''t like the situation with him and Kennedy. Back then, he''d been worried about her safety and just didn''t know how to express it. But this? I shouldn''t even have a mate, and Finn clearly didn''t want to be here, judging by how many missions he''d pulled himself from the pack.


    No sooner had I stepped out than Robin appeared. "This way, you two."


    "Robin, I''m sure we can find the room ourselves," I said with a scoff.


    "You forget-Ryker knows you better than anyone. You''re getting an escort," she said, shing a teasing smile.


    "I''m thrilled you''re enjoying this so much," I grumbled.


    "You''ll thank uster. Ryker did, remember?"


    "Completely different situation," I muttered.


    "Do I? Sounds like two stubborn souls refusing to ept their Goddess-given mates," she teased.


    I swallowed a growl. "Where exactly are we going? Ryker said ''a room on the second floor," I asked as she led us out the front door.


    “Yeah, about that,” she said, opening the back door of an SUV. "The Luna decided different amodations were necessary. Grant will take you where you need to


    go."


    "What about our stuff? Clothes, toiletries? Or are you nning to dump us in the woods and let our wolves fend for themselves?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Tempting, but no," sheughed, waving us inside.


    I climbed into the vehicle and threw a pointed nce across the seats. "Wipe that smirk off your face, Jeeves, or I''ll do it for you," I warned, settling into my seat.


    "Hey, don''t kill the driver. We''re just following orders," he replied with a grin. "Keep that in mind."


    "Where exactly are we headed?" I asked.


    "You''ll see," he said, eyes on the road.


    "By the way, what''s with the ''Jeeves'' thing?" Finn asked, sounding more rxed than he had in Ryker''s office. "I''ve heard it a couple of times now."


    "That''s Kennedy''s driver. She gave him the name,” I said sharply, catching Grant''s amused look in the rearview mirror.


    "Hey, don''t knock the nickname. There was a time when our Alpha struggled with his matebond-not unlike some others I know. I wasn''t even allowed to talk to her, not even to introduce myself. So that''s what she called me the whole ride from her home pack here," Grant exined with a shrug.


    That wasn''t even half the story, and I was about to say so when he cut me off. "Now that we''re on the road, I''m not allowed to speak. You two are supposed to work through whatever''s going on. Oh, and the whole team knows about the mate situation, so no need for code words."


    "What the f*ck? How? Who?" I blurted.


    "Well, it''s kind of obvious if you really think about it. But the Alpha confirmed it, so you can''t hide it from us anymore. Wee to the family, man,” he said, ncing at Finn.


    "Don''t congratte me just yet. My mates tend to be difficult," Finn muttered, and I could feel his re burning into the side of my face.


    "Yeah, well, your first mate was a traitorous b*tch who had you kidnap our Luna,” Grant said bluntly.


    "And my second thinks I''m..." Finn began.


    "We''re here, lovebirds," Grant interrupted as we pulled up to a stunning home perched atop a hill.


    "Where exactly is ''here''?" Finn asked, and for once, I found myself sharing his curiosity.