55 - ra


    Growing up, our home rarely saw many visitors. asionally, a few Alphas and their entourages would pass through, but we never hosted grand gatherings orrge-scale events. I wasn''t sure how I''d feel about having so many people under one roof, yet surprisingly, it''s quite pleasant. I find myself lingering at the edge of the expansive dining hall, where Mnie and her Omegas have arranged several long tables. The sight isforting. They''ve relocated my parents'' table to the head of the room, positioned perpendicrly to the others, where Brianna, Marietta, Jax, Dev, Ben, and I are seated. It truly feels like a propermunal dining space.


    "I saw that," Jax growls quietly beside me.


    "What are you talking about?" I don''t budge from my spot but nce at him sideways.


    "You started to smile. I caught it before anyone unfamiliar with you did, but it was definitely there."


    "Shut up, asshole." That''s all I can manage. I won''t deny it—not to Jax or Dev. They''ve been through everything with me, and pretending otherwise would be an insult to their intelligence.


    "So, where''s your boy? I''ve noticed he hasn''t been glued to your side all evening."


    "What do you mean? He sat with me at dinner. We don''t have to be inseparable all the time. Not every mate is attached at the hip like you and Dev." I suppress the urge to shift ufortably.


    "How''s he handling the magic thing? I got the impression he wasn''t thrilled about being the only one affected by what happened today."


    "Would you be, if you were in his shoes?" I turn to face him directly. "He''s trained just as long as we have for his role, and he''s good at it. Maybe a bit overbearing, but that''s probably because hees from arger pack. And then to get here, expecting a smooth transition, only to have his ass handed to him by some unknown, uncontroble force? I''d be pissed too. And now, he''s stuck here." I hope thatst part doesn''t sound as whiny out loud as it does in my head.


    "What do you mean ''stuck''? He came here of his own free will," I try to interrupt, but Jax keeps going. "He chose to be part of this pack," I attempt to cut him off again, "And he follows your orders, even when he disagrees. His loyalty is with you, no matter how hard you try to push him away."


    "I''m not "


    “Bullsh*t!” He scoffs, but it stings-not the words themselves, but the feeling of denying the truth. "He''s as stubborn as you are, and he''s not going to run off with his tail between his legs. But every man has a breaking point. Don''t push him past it. You don''t want to know what that feels like."


    "How would you know?" I nce back at the crowd, avoiding his darkened gaze. I know he won''t answer. Something happened shortly after we were old enough to find our mates. Neither Jax nor Dev ever talk about it, not even to me, but I know it strained their mate bond for a long time.


    "I''m not sure where Ben is at the moment. And as for the magic, Brianna and Marietta have spoken to their coven members. The best theory we have so far rtes to his age. He''s the only one of us under twenty-one."


    "Speaking of that... how do you feel about being a cradle robber?" Jaxughs as he jumps out of my reach. I swing a yful punch, but it''s wild and misses. “I mean, you''re five years older than him." Another swing and dodge. I''m not trying to hit him -that would cause a scene-I just want him to shut up. "But I can see it. He does act older than you."


    Before I can retort, Marietta interrupts in her formal tone, "ra, can I steal you away from your very physical conversation?"


    “Sure.” I turn to Jax, "Behave. And keep those thoughts to yourself.”


    I walk with Marietta over to where Brianna is seated at the head table. Ben arrives shortly after, apanied by another coven member—Jesse, I think his name is.


    Once we''re all settled, Brianna begins.


    "We sent scouts out after today''s incident. Here''s what we know for certain: there are seven areas heavily imbued with magic along the border between your pack and Red Fang. Your suspicion that the rogues are using that part of neutral territory appears to be correct. We believe there are more conduits along your other borders, but that central zone was their main focus. You mentioned a cave at the water''s edge—we''d like to examine that as well."


    "How do these magic areas or bundles work?" Ben asks, clearly frustrated with the slow, methodical exnation. I''m sure Brianna intended to get to that.


    "Think of them like modern cell phone towers," Brianna exins patiently. "They''re central points emitting signals in a radius around them. These signals ovep to provide the widest coverage possible. The shadow markers create awork over your packnds, masking movement, sounds, and scents. Have you ever lost contact with any of your patrols?"


    "Not that I''m aware of. Maybe Jax and Dev know more—they''ve been handling patrols while I deal with Beta, Gamma, and Delta issues. Why?"


    "I''m wondering whether the markers are general or specific. If they''re general, then anyone stepping into the protected zone bes untraceable. If they''re specific to the rogues, I''m curious how such a wide was cast without anyone noticing or sensing a shift in energy. Magic always leaves a trace for those willing to pause and feel."


    "Would you like to visit the cave tomorrow?" I ask, hoping to solve that mystery and prove that Ben and I aren''t losing our minds.


    "Not yet. We need to dismantle these markers first, and that could take some time. The one we found today was hidden but not well, which suggests it was one of their earlier ones."


    We spent the rest of the evening discussing the pack borders and the likely locations of the shadow markers. I went to bed utterly exhausted, but for the first time in a long while, I felt a surge of confidence in our n.


    I didn''t even argue when Ben came in and settled onto my couch. The couch isn''t ufortable, but I know I should offer him a spot in my bed since he seems determined to stay close at night. Still, that feels too intimate for me right now. I just can''t. As I drift off to sleep, my mind and my wolf wrestle with theplicated necessity of mates.