27 - ra


    “Ben?!” I asked, still half-expecting him to be right there beside me.


    "Yeah..." came his quiet reply.


    "What?" I nced over at Jax, who didn''t look the least bit embarrassed, clutching his phone with a raised eyebrow that seemed to challenge me. I just shot him a sharp re.


    "El, do me a favor, will you?"


    I sighed heavily. "What is it, Ben?"


    "Go for a walk. Take some deep breaths. Might help you clear your head and see things more clearly." I immediately looked toward my team. That was Ben''s subtle way of signaling that someone might be listening in. Tilting my head toward them, I grabbed the phone and kept up the charade until we were sure. We each took a corner of the room to search. I''d already cleared out as much clutter as possible from my dad''s office, trying to minimize hiding spots for any bugs or devices, but somehow, someone was still managing to get in. Now that we''d started narrowing down suspects, I had a few ideas. We just needed to catch whoever it was red- handed; without solid proof, nothing would change. That had been my dad''s biggest frustration all along.


    Ben rambled on about where else we should search for clues, what patrol schedule adjustments I needed to make, and even his uing trip to Dark Moon. Apparently, his endless chatter was announcing his absence to our enemies without him realizing it.


    Jax waved a hand and pointed toward a spot. So, someone wanted a recording of one of the pack members giving me a hard time or maybe they just wanted to make sure it happened. Either way, it was usible. Dev signaled with two fingers. I was beyond tired of these code words and sneaking around inside my own house. But if I locked down the packhousepletely, I''d be exactly what the rumors said I was. This whole thing felt like a long, exhausting game.


    “Hey, Alpha. We''ll let you catch up. We''ll meet you for patrols,” Jax said. Both he and Dev slowly dismantled the devices, pocketed the parts, and left. Whoever was nting these clearly knew I''d find and destroy them. Why else would they think I spoke freely anywhere? Maybe that was the point-to keep me quiet.


    Finding nothing on my side of the room, I returned to my desk.


    "All clear, I think," I whispered, taking Ben off speakerphone. "Do you think they''re trying to make me paranoid enough to stop talking, or are they just gathering intel to stay one step ahead?"


    A wave of exhaustion washed over me again.


    "Honestly? Probably both. It''s happening right under your nose, in your own home. It''s designed to make you doubt everyone around you, to iste you. And in some ways, it''s working. You only trust a handful of people now, and it''s preventing you from doing your job properly anywhere in the packhouse."


    "What about the rumors? I''m sure Dev and Jax told you more details since you seem calmer than I am."


    "They did,” Ben said quietly.


    "And...?"


    "And what? You want me to repeat them? Because I''m not going to," he replied sternly. "You''re not the first Alpha to face threats or have people angry at you. There''s always someone upset about something. Every Alpha has to deal with it.”


    "But I''m a female..." I trailed off.


    “So what? You''re not the first female Alpha in our history. Maybe it''s lessmon because the bloodthirsty, overprotective, alpha-male instincts tend to be male wolf traits, but you''re far from unique. Females can and do make sessful Alphas." I let out a bitterugh. He made it sound so simple.


    "You didn''t hear the uproar when I was fourteen and my dad told his team he''d be training me to seed him, without waiting for my mate to join us. Several council members and Elders loudly voiced their distaste for a female Alpha.”


    "Forget ''em," Ben said with a shrug. "They probably have cushy jobs with cushy paychecks they don''t deserve. Every powerful woman I''ve known has made her top people work hard. They''re probably just afraid of what change means."


    "How do you know so much about the ugly side of being an Alpha?"


    "Alpha James never hid that side from us. He believed we should all be prepared, so we could handle what we can control and support pack members through what we can''t, working alongside Jer. The more I think about it, this all probably ties together."


    "How much time have you had?" I asked, wanting to shift the topic. I was dangerously close to revealing something personal.


    "Too damn much. We stopped to swap patrols, but Dark Moon is six hours from my packhouse, and I drove to and from yours and Junior''s packs alone yesterday. I needed something to focus on while trying to drown out Tommy''s tone-deaf singing today."


    “HEY ELARA!” Tommy''s loud, sing-song voice echoed, followed by exaggerated kissing sounds and then a muffled ''oomph.''


    Ben chuckled softly-probably as close toughter as I''d hear from him. "Anyway, I was saying, what if all of this—the drugs, the rumors, the devices, and your mom— are connected somehow? The timing''s too coincidental. We just need to figure out how it all fits."


    "We?" My stomach fluttered unexpectedly. I couldn''t afford to feel this way. He had a girlfriend, or someone he wasn''t ready to give up for the bond.


    "Yes, ''we.'' Maybe we can talk to your dad. He has to have some insight. I''ll be back in a few days,” he growled. "I''m too deep into this now, with you and Junior. I need


    to see it through. It feels like we''re getting close." The fluttering in my stomach turned heavy, like lead. Clearly, this was just a job to him.


    "ra?"


    "Hmm?" I realized he''d been talking and I''d missed it.


    "I said, send me your number so we don''t have to go through Jax if we have info." "This works. We''re always together anyway..."


    "ra." His voice dropped low and stern, making me shiver. "Send me your contact from Jax''s phone. Now. I don''t like extra steps or hoops to jump through.” That growl in his tone made me freeze. "I''m waiting."


    Finally, I shared the contact. I wasn''t sure why I''d been hesitating. He was right— cutting out the middleman was better. But when Jax and Dev shared information, it was easier to keep my distance. I didn''t want to get too attached to his voice.


    "Got it.” His voice was muffled as I assumed he pulled the phone away to check. "Now..."


    "ra! I hate to interrupt this absolutely terrible flirting session, but I need your boy..." Ben''s voice trailed off as Tommy shouted over him, followed by a series of muffled grunts, groans, and the rustling of fabric.


    I smiled, imagining them squabbling like kids in the car.


    "We''ll talk soon," Ben''s gravelly voice said before the line went silent.