10 Ben


    The urge to protect her gnaws at me relentlessly. After just one day here, my Beta instincts have kicked into overdrive. My wolf and I are certain Jeremiah is safe-for now. We know Jason and Tommy will watch over him and Rayna if anything goes wrong. Judging by the tense nces exchanged at the training grounds earlier and what I saw in her office, only her parents, Jax, and Dev truly have her back in this ce. Everyone else seems to have their own agenda, and that fact infuriates me to no end.


    “Beta instincts, my ass," a voice grumbles inside me.


    "Quiet,” I snap back. "The only thing I''m good for right now is being her Beta. She doesn''t want a mate any more than I do. The Goddess must have messed up this time."


    "Keep telling yourself that," the voice teases.


    Jax and Dev take the lead as we walk down yet another long, narrow hallway. ra doesn''t stop them as they push open the door at the end. I hesitate in the doorway, unwilling to invade their space with my scent. The room is clearly theirs— personalized in a way I wouldn''t expect from warriors. To me, it looks more like a cozy apartment: a sitting area, a small dining space, a hallway likely leading to the bedroom and bathroom, and arge sliding ss door that dominates the back wall.


    "You cane in. Being in our home won''t suddenly turn you gay," Jax jokes with augh.


    "I''m not worried about that," I reply, "I just didn''t want to leave a new scent in your personal space."


    Dev nudges ra yfully. "Look at you, being considerate. See? You should learn manners from your boy."


    "He''s not my boy," ra snaps.


    "I''m not her boy," I say at the same time.


    They exchange a knowing look, sharing something silently through their mindlink, then smile and begin searching through their rooms.


    "For the record, you smell good. So we don''t mind your scent here," Dev grins and winks at me. I try to suppress augh. “All I know is if there are recordings of us, I want copies. Thest few days have been epic. Imagine reying that."


    Jax growls at his mate. "Save it, you two. We need to test this theory first. Then you can get it on until sunrise—or until I call you out on patrol again. Whicheveres first."


    After spending an hour searching, wee up empty-handed, but they promise to keep looking just in case. Moving on to ra''s room, I barely take two steps inside before spotting it: a small device hidden in a nt on a high shelf. I grab ra''s arm and pull her over, signaling everyone to be quiet but continue the search. Her eyes widen in shock. This confirms she''s a target-not just any random pack member. If it were me, I would have bugged the rooms of her main bodyguards too. Whoever nted these devices is clearly new to the game. Like in her office, we find three bugs total-hidden in a nt, a picture frame, and a book. None of her other spaces arepromised. The only scents in the apartment belong to her, Jax, and Dev. Once I dismantle the devices, we finally speak openly.


    "They''ll figure this out eventually. I just don''t know how often they check these or if they''lle back and nt more. I don''t want to make you paranoid, but this is something we''ll need to check every single day."


    "We?" Jax raises an eyebrow. "Are you sticking around then, tech boy?"


    "I''ll do whatever my alpha thinks is necessary."


    "What about our alpha and your m..." ra ps her hand over his mouth. He shoves her yfully, and suddenly they''re all at itughing, shouting, and jumping over the couch, racing around the tiny table. Their energy reminds me of the guys and Kennedy. My chest tightens painfully at the thought of her. The ache is so sharp I instinctively rub the spot over my heart, desperate to ease the pressure. I say nothing and quietly slip out of the stifling room.


    For a few hours, I managed to forget she left, and the hollow space she left inside me. I make my way to the main floor, then out to one of the many cozy spaces behind the house designed for rxing or entertaining. The cool evening air is a struggle to breathe in, but I sink into a chair and pull out my phone. Opening the photos app, I find the folder that holds my personal torment. I stare into those blue eyes her eyes-smiling back at me. It was a random summer day, just hanging out by the pool. Her stunning body was on full disy in a bikini and a pair of short shorts, but it was the look in her eyes that captured me: sultry, intense, and meant only for me. She gazed directly into the lens-into my soul.