14 - Ben


    Honestly, I''m at my wit''s end with this woman. For three days straight, she''s t-out refused any help and has even pushed back against having a protection detail assigned to her. I get that she needs to coordinate with Ma Jr.-he has his own team, his own age group-but she''s deliberately choosing to go it alone, flying blind. I just don''t understand why. And to make matters worse, my wolf is reacting to her stubbornness by wanting to step in and guard her around the clock, twenty-four


    seven.


    "Jer, I need you to help me out here. She''s driving me insane. Just send me home or send me to Junior''s ce—I don''t care—just get me out of this mess." I run my fingers through my hair again, the tension pulling at my scalp. I swear, if this keeps up, I might start tearing it out. I just came back from checking on ra and her leg. My wolf can''t go more than two hours without checking in. She healed quickly, but I know that leg is still sore, even if she won''t admit it. She refuses to rest it longer or keep a team with her, and I''m worried she''s going to get someone else hurt with her reckless behavior. Once again, I noticed only Jax and Dev are with her, prepping and nning. When I asked why, her answer was sharp and clear: she doesn''t need an entourage to lead.


    Suddenly, a wave of calm warmth washes over me, like a soft nket settling around my shoulders. It flows down my body until it reaches my toes, and I feel a small hand press gently against my back. I was so tense I hadn''t even noticed Luna approaching me. "You''ll figure this out, Ben. She''s your mate," Rayna whispers quietly behind me. Everyone else, except ra and me, has said it aloud—the word ''mate.'' Neither of us has dared to acknowledge the bond openly. There are obvious signs now, undeniable after her attack the other day, yet we both stubbornly refuse to speak of it.


    "That''s actually why we brought you in," Alpha David says from behind his desk. It hits me how disrespectful I was about his daughter, right in front of him. Before I can apologize, he waves me off. "This started years ago, but she''s determined to prove herself without any help from her mate. You seem to be fighting for her just a little harder than she is for you. Both of you have things to work through before you can truly ept each other. I just hope it''s not toote."


    I stand there, silent. He''s not wrong. I''m still in love with Kennedy, and I''m scared I always will be. I don''t understand what the Moon Goddess was thinking, letting me fall for someone who wasn''t my mate. She took my whole heart with her to the Dark Moon.


    Jeremiah breaks through my spiraling thoughts. "We have to head back to Silver Crescent. Dad wants to coordinate after ra''s findings and the little intel we got from the rogue we caught."


    I take a deep breath, feeling both relief and anxiety about leaving. At least I''ll get some peace. "I need you on point here and with Junior," Jeremiah almost whispers thest part, and I stop breathing for a moment.


    "What!? You''ve got to be kidding me. No offense, Alpha David." I start pacing again, frustration bubbling up.


    "None taken," David replies calmly. "I know your rtionship isn''t the most stable, but you''re the best person for this role because of your connection to our pack."


    "You do realize she''s probably going to try to kill all of us in our sleep after this, right?” I mutter to the ceiling. “Especially since she wasn''t part of the decision."


    “Well, she isn''t Alpha yet. This involves so many people, and we need to get a handle on it. We have to coordinate with the packs bordering theke and ours to understand how deep this goes. She has to follow orders just like you," David says, sounding a bit like a frustrated parent. “She''ll do what''s best for the pack, even if she doesn''t like the process."


    "When do we leave?" I ask Jeremiah.


    "We leave in an hour. I''ll have you traveling between the packs about every two weeks. Junior will need help too—his whole team is young, like ours. His mom wants to meet and review what they''ve discovered now that we''re all involved and seeing simr patterns. So, we''ll stop there on the way and update you if anything newes up. Tommy and Jason will alternate traveling with you, depending on where Rayna and I are. Keep an eye on Jason-he''s been acting strange since our encounter at theke."


    Perfect. I get to babysit our Gamma and the crazy Alpha. Thanks, Jer.


    "So, who''s going to tell ra that I''m sticking around at her and my Alpha''smand? Because I''m not volunteering for that," I say, sinking slowly into a chair as the information settles in. I was hoping for a break from the constant push and pull of the mate bond, some distance between us.


    "I''ll leave that to you two," Jerughs. Asshole.


    "When is Junior expecting me? And is it just going to be Jason and me, or should I n on ra, Dev, and Jax joining us?"


    "Honestly, that''s up to her. If her mother and I had any say, she''d spend another day or two healing. But with her pack in danger, she won''t want to be left out of anything. She also wants to revisit the waterfront..."


    "Absolutely not! No offense, Alpha David, but thest time was a disaster, and she only had Jax and Dev with her."


    "I agree," he says, "but it''s not a decision I''m going to make for her, nor would she let me."


    "We have to go, Ben. A storm''sing tonight. I''ll be in touch after I talk to Junior. Try not to antagonize your—" I cough to cut him off. "We''re really doing this?" My annoyed expression doesn''t waver.


    "Fine. Don''t antagonize ra. You need to check out the waterfront; she''ll want to go with you. Look into Red Fang''s section of the waterfront. We need to learn more about it. Dad thinks something''s being transported. But what could be so big it has to travel by water and still stay hidden? And what about those scent trails?"


    I nod. "I''m on it. Let''s see what kind of weather this storm brings. Winter''s been mild so far, but I''m worried it''ll make our investigation harder."


    I stand, ready to leave. I have my orders, and the Alphas have their own farewells


    and ns. Somehow, I''ve just volunteered myself to break the news to the ice queen that her favorite Beta is sticking around for a few more weeks.