"Do you vow to protect the ck w pack with your very life?"


    “I do.” She presses the tip of the knife gently against my palm, and I bite back a


    sharp intake of breath as the cool silver de pierces my skin.


    "Will you ce the safety of every member of the ck w pack above your own?"


    "I do." Slowly, almost hesitantly, she drags the knife''s edge down my hand, leaving a thin line of blood in its wake.


    "And do you promise to put the life of the Alpha of ck w before your own?"


    Her gaze remains fixed elsewhere, refusing to meet mine. "I do."


    "Do you swear your unwavering loyalty to the ck w pack..." She inhales deeply, then exhales with deliberate calm, "...and to me, as your Alpha?"


    This time, I don''t respond right away. I want her to see the sincerity in my eyes, not just hear the words I say. When she finally meets my gaze, I catch the flicker of pain and doubt there. She thinks I''m hesitating, second-guessing. But this—this pledge— is one of the few things I am absolutely certain about, especially considering where my mind was a month ago.


    Gently, I turn my hand over in hers, letting our blood mingle. I sense her instinct to pull away, but I hold firm.


    "I swear my loyalty to Alpha ra Carman and the ck w pack as their new Beta. I will dedicate myself to protecting every member to the fullest extent of my ability." A surge of energy pulses from where our hands connect, flowing through me and radiating outward no doubt reaching the rest of the pack. They all know now. The new order has begun, and I am part of it.


    We need to find Richard next. He should be alright, but I want to be certain he harbors no resentment, and that he isn''t spiraling into panic if he''s somehow involved with the rogue situation.


    “F*CK YEAH!” Jax''s voice sts into my mind, making me wince. "About time! You two are the absolute worst at this whole mate thing."


    "Are you done?" I ask, already dreading his relentlessmentary.


    "Not even close. You might regret the fact that we have constant ess to your thoughts now," Jax chuckles.


    "You''ll have to excuse him," Dev interjects. "He''s not exactly the most socially skilled. Friendless, really." I roll my eyes at that.


    "What?" ra tries again to pull her hand free, but I''m not ready to let go just yet.


    "Jax and Dev are always the first to say hello," I say, tapping my temple with my free hand. She responds with a matching eye-roll. "Richard is our first stop. We''ve got a long day ahead, and I want to check in with the former Beta and the Delta. I need to figure out if we should be recruiting another team member."


    "Aren''t you a bit presumptuous?" she teases.


    "No, just practical and efficient. You need a reliable team. My gut says Jax and Dev should share the Delta title, but if Sebastian isn''t a problem, they should be promoted to lead warriors. The three of them can handle training duties together. You need more fighters on your side-it keeps the pups and teens upied, making them less vulnerable. Your focus should be on the rogues and witches; their focus should be on the pack members. You can''t do this alone. That was probably your father''s biggest mistake."


    She gives me a look, skeptical.


    "Don''t stare at me like that," I continue. "He was cautious-maybe too cautious. Instead of confronting the problem head-on, he kept everything close to the chest, and that secrecy got him killed. He might have had answers to questions we''re still asking, but he didn''t want you to inherit his mess. Now, that''s exactly what you''re doing and it ends here. Now."


    I finally let her hand slip from mine and step forward, leading the way out the door. I may be her Beta, but I am also her mate. Inside this home, we stand as equals. Outside, she is the leader, and I can make it look seamless-but she''ll always know I''m standing beside her, never behind.