I nodded my thanks to the omega as she carefully ced the tempting te before me. Without hesitation, I took two generous bites, savoring the vors before responding. The others had already started eating, so I didn''t feel self-conscious about catching up or appearing ravenous. I deliberately avoided making eye contact with the Beta, but I did address Jeremiah directly.


    "I wouldn''t dream of leaving without you," I said, my voice carrying a yful, almost storybook princess tone. "After all, our fathers insisted we work together so badly." I paused, then added, “But I hate leaving things unsettled. Honestly, I did think about going back to the site alone—to see if I could get a clearer picture without all the chaos and distractions."


    Jeremiah''s expression twisted into disbelief. "You were seriously going to go out by yourself? With a killer still on the loose, and likely targeting you? I thought you were supposed to be smart."


    I clenched my jaw, determined not to let his words get under my skin. “For your information, I never go anywhere alone—especially not now." I gestured toward Jax and Dev standing nearby. "My warriors only give me space when I''m in my bedroom."


    Jax muttered under his breath, "Thank the Goddess for that."


    I ignored him but noticed the range of reactions around the table. Taking a deep breath, I continued, "And I only considered going alone because, as an Alpha, I have to weigh every possibility, no matter how reckless or dangerous it may seem." Before Ben could interrupt, Rayna jumped in. "You said ''warriors'' but you don''t have a Beta protecting you?"


    "No, not at the moment,” I replied, feeling a twinge of frustration. "My father''s Beta never had children, so there''s no lineage to continue. I''m sure my enemies will exploit that weakness once they realize it if they haven''t already."


    “Well, you kids should get moving,” my father said, wiping his face with a napkin before tossing it aside. “Patrol reports show no activity in thest few hours. It should be safe enough to investigate."


    I pushed my chair back and stood. Jax and Dev rose alongside me, as did everyone on Jeremiah''s team—including his Luna. I was surprised he allowed her toe along, considering the danger, but I wasn''t about to stop her.


    "You and your mate are both going. Why shouldn''t theye too?" my wolf''s voice whispered sharply in my mind. Usually, it was her and me against the world.


    "It''s nothing against her," I replied softly. "I''m actually d she stood up for herself without waiting for his permission. It''s just... they were mated recently, and it must be tearing him up inside to have her in harm''s way."


    "Or maybe,” Jax offered with a smirk, "after your father warned about a possible traitor, he feels safer keeping her close."


    "That''s a good point," I admitted.


    Jeremiah broke the silence with a teasing grin. “So, are we going to talk about your smoking-hot mate and the fact that you''re thinking about rejecting him?"


    “Nope. Not even a little,” I said firmly. “Let''s focus on handling this first. We can deal with the mate dramater."


    Leading the group out the back door of the main entry hall, I headed toward a peaceful, tree-lined area where everyone could shiftfortably. We kept bags nearby for clothing, so our wolves could carry them if needed. Jax, Dev, and I helped everyone get settled before we all spread out to shed our clothes and shift. Finding a quiet tree, I began peeling off my shoes and garments like the others.


    "Don''t kill us, Alpha. Just testing a theory," Dev''s voice called out, breaking the calm.


    "What on earth are you talking about now, Dev?" I asked, ncing up.


    "Tell us you found your mate without actually saying it." I looked up to see Jax standingpletely naked less than a foot from me.


    GRRRRRR! The low growl that escaped my throat made every hair on my body stand on end.


    I took a step back, shaking my head. "Not the best time, man."


    Jaxughed, shifting into his wolf form before bounding off into the trees alongside Dev''s wolf. What an asshole.


    Turning back, I caught sight of the Beta standing frozen, looking like an underwear model with his thumbs hooked into the waistband of his boxer briefs. The low cut revealed the deep V of his abdomen and the faint happy trail beneath. I had to agree with Jax-today was definitely going to be interesting.