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The apartment had doorways my bear could fit through, too, and the bed would hold my weight if our beasts wanted to curl up together for a nap. How had I ever thought I’d had a good day before now?

Two weeks passed, quickly, while I helped out in the office and Tyler did a different job. Paperwork was not his thing. Karma had some big charity event she was organizing and very happy to have me pitch in on the day-to-day office things. We worked eight hours and not a moment more, quite an improvement from my previous long hours and Tyler’s endless days and nights.

I was implementing a new system of vendor documentation when my mate came into the office. Pushing my desk chair back, I patted my thighs. “Good timing, mate. I’m ready for a break. Let’s make out.”

“Umm…mate?” He entered and stepped to the side. “I’m not alone.”

No, he certainly was not. My den alpha filled the doorway, his shoulders brushing the frame on either side of him. Warren was a big bear, one of the biggest I’d ever met, but Bruno? He was imposing at the very least.

“Good afternoon, alpha.” I stood, as one does when one’s alpha enters the room, and came around the desk to greet him. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

He took in my workspace, a very nice office with a big window overlooking the valley and more of the Superstitions that surrounded us. “Is this what you want to do with your time? Sit indoors and write things down?”

I let his question go by because what answer could I possibly have that wouldn’t start an argument? “You’ve met my mate, alpha?”

“Not formally.” I hadn’t forgotten how he loved to stand on ceremony.

“Then I would like to introduce Tyler, my mate. Tyler, this is Bruno, our clan alpha.”

A brief frown brought his brows together before his forehead smoothed and Tyler held out a hand. “Very pleased to meet you, alpha. My mate has told me many stories about your den and what a wonderful childhood he had there.”

“Makes you wonder why he was in such a hurry to leave,” Bruno growled, but he was gracious enough to take Tyler’s hand, holding it a moment while he looked him up and down, assessing. “Maybe you can convince him to come home. Warren’s little club is amusing, if you don’t mind being surrounded by miles of rocks and sand, but our den is in the forest, where bears belong.”

“Alpha,” I growled before managing so smooth my tone. “What brings you here? Visiting Warren and Karma?” Highly unlikely, especially since he’d already broached the topic.

“Den business in Phoenix.” He didn’t elaborate, but why would he? In my current situation, I was lucky he considered me den at all. Many shifters were declared rogue when they lived outside their grouping. “And one more attempt to get you to consider your responsibilities to your den before I offer your position to another.”

When I left, the primary beta spot had still been held by an older bear. A very kind person wo always had candy in his pocket for cubs and time to help out anyone who needed him. He’d taught me to catch salmon in my claws and how to bake bread. Neither of which I had done in a long time. “Kendall?”

“Kendall wants to retire. He’s been waiting for you to return, but he is getting past the age where he wants the job. He is tired and wants to take a trip to Alaska to visit his mate’s kind and do some fishing. It’s your turn.”

Ooh turn on the guilt.

“Alpha, I—”

He held up a hand, imperious to a fault and shutting down whatever I’d been about to say. “Don’t answer now. If you do accept my offer, it’s a lifetime commitment, until you’re as old Kendall. Your mate has something to say about this choice. There are no other foxes in our den, at least at this point, and that may be an issue for him…”

Tyler’s lips parted, but I gave him a quick head shake. We needed to take our time and discuss what it would mean both to me and to him if we did this.

“My mate comes first.” I glanced back at the desk with its paperwork. Den beta would also have some of that, but not all day, not even every day. There would be a lot more time outside and dealing with people’s issues. I didn’t know if a fox skulk operated the same or if he’d been in a position to have that knowledge before he left.

“Of course.” He turned to Tyler and shook his hand again. “Very glad to have met you, fox. Our Dimitri was indeed blessed by Fate and the Goddess.”

“Thank you, alpha. You’re too kind.” Tyler lowered his head, baring his neck and making my heart beat faster. He would be such a good fit in the den, if we chose to go there.

“I’ll be about my business, then. Let me know your decision as soon as possible. For Kendall’s sake if nothing else.”

“Alpha, is he well, our beta?”

“Yes, just tired.”

“I’ll speak to you soon.” Watching him leave, for the first time I seriously considered what it would mean to be the beta.After I lost my job, it was just one option that I hadn’t given much thought to, but now, as a mated bear, I had to consider my future family and Tyler. Where would be the best place for them?

“I really did have a great time in the forest growing up,” I said.

“Your alpha is nice.” Tyler came into my embrace. “Do you want to go home?”

How long since it had been home? “I don’t know.” And before I could ask Tyler to make the move, I needed to be sure what my own thoughts on the matter were.