"Have a seat, Ben. We need to have a serious talk before you leave," the Alpha said firmly, his tone leaving no room for refusal.


    I hesitated for a moment, heart thudding in my chest. "Is something wrong, Alpha? Did something happen to ra or Junior?" I asked, anxiety creeping into my voice.


    He fixed me with a steady gaze. "I''m waiting on a few answers myself, but your reaction just made my decision easier. I want you to be straightforward with me. Is ra your mate?"


    My breath caught in my throat. I hadn''t voiced this truth aloud to anyone before, but if he demanded it, I had no choice but to confess. I looked down at my hands, my voice barely above a whisper. "Yes, sir." There was no shame in my admission—just a quiet eptance-but for some reason, I felt unusually subdued.


    "Has she rejected you?" he asked next.


    My eyes shot up to meet his, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure he could hear it. "No, sir."


    "And do you intend to reject her?" His question was sharp, probing.


    "That''s a tougher question to answer, sir,” I admitted, my mind racing. "Neither of us has really had the chance to consider it fully. She''s the rightful next Alpha, but many males in her circle expect her mate to take the title, which would push her into the Luna role. She doesn''t want that, and I don''t want that for her. I don''t want to be an Alpha-I''m proud to be a Beta. This is the role I was born for, and I won''t be forced into anything else."


    He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands over his stomach, clearly rxed but watchful. "What about your feelings for Kennedy?"


    “Sir?” I blinked, confused by the sudden shift.


    He gave a knowing smile. "I thought there mighte a time when I''d have to order you, as Alpha, to let her go. It didn''te to that, but it was close."


    I rolled my eyes and nced out the window, trying to hide the flush creeping up my neck. "Was I really that obvious?"


    “You were,” he said, "but you were also blind."


    My gaze snapped back to him, curiosity and frustration mixing in my eyes. "What do you mean, sir?"


    "As soon as you all turned eighteen, and we confirmed she wasn''t mated to any of you, she started pulling away-romantically, at least. You were the only one who didn''t notice. After the ident, I knew she was special. No ordinary human could have survived that attack. I assumed she would mate with someone, but I never agreed with her mating with Jer the way Beth did. They''re too much like siblings. Now that you''ve seen her marked and mated, how do you feel about your own mate?"


    I exhaled slowly, trying to put my feelings into words. "It''s not obsessive like Jer and Rayna''s, but she''s always on my mind. Right now, I want to get back to her—I know something''s wrong, I can feel it. But it''s not tearing me apart to sit here and talk with you. Once we''re done, I''ll leave."


    "That''s probably because neither of you has fully epted the bond yet. And you can''t keep traveling back and forth the way you have been for months. So, I spoke with your father and your brother." His voice dropped, and my stomach tightened as I braced myself. I didn''t want to hear what wasing. “I''m sending you to ck w-permanently. ra needs a Beta she can trust, and it seems she trusts you. That''s something I understand well, since she doesn''t give her trust easily."


    “But, sir,” I protested, “Jeremiah and Rayna just had pups. I''m needed here..."


    "In ck w," he interrupted firmly. “You''re more valuable to them. You''ve had the best training and upbringing. You have friends and family who will support you no matter where you are. ck w doesn''t have the same luxuries we do in your area. Like I said, your things are already on their way. Your father and I have started training your brother, but we might send him to you from time to time so he can gain some real-world experience away from home." He took a deep breath, then leaned forward, shuffling some papers on his desk. "Now, there''s something else we need to discuss your witch problem.”