Page 6

Miles

The Next Morning

The Day of the Bonding Ceremony

In the early morning hours of dawn, after several rounds of passion with Marissa, the motel room is quiet except for her soft breathing. She lies across my chest, her hair splayed softly around her like a halo. I caress her gently, but a raw pang of guilt strikes me deep.

Paisley. Soft, sweet Paisley.

It hits me in this moment that I love two very different females at the same time.

Paisley is soft, vulnerable, caring, generous, and so much more.

She makes me feel like she needs my protection.

Marissa is passionate and full of life's gusto. When she wants something, she goes for it, needing no protection at all. She’s vibrant, independent, and all-encompassing .

I sigh. Being with Marissa while mated to Paisley is wrong. I’m so confused. I can't go through with the bonding ceremony right now. I need to clear my thoughts and figure out what I want and where to go from here. And Paisley deserves to hear this from me.

I ease myself out from under Marissa, careful not to wake her, and slip out of bed.

I grab my clothes and sneak into the bathroom.

Once dressed, I leave the motel room and head to the pack house.

I dread this conversation. Guilt gnaws at me, but not enough to stop me before I fully grasp the magnitude of the consequences.

Maybe Paisley can forgive me for this indiscretion. But at this point, I’m not entirely sure if I still want to mate with her now that Marissa’s finally back. I need time to process this and then make a choice.

If I choose Paisley, I’ll have to cut off Marissa, and my feelings for her run deep. She’s the air in my lungs, the blood in my veins. A large part of my heart that had ceased to function now beats out of my chest, and I feel whole again.

But choosing Marissa means utter devastation because I’ll be losing my soulmate, my port in the storm, my sunshine, and my only chance at true happiness.

What do I do ?

It takes about an hour to get back home to the pack house, and it’s eerily quiet.

The remains of Paisley’s bachelorette party are scattered about.

Ripped streamers hang from the ceiling, and garbage, cans, and bottles litter the tables.

As the Beta female, it seems odd that she’d leave the pack house in such a mess.

I quietly ascend the stairs to the third floor, where she and I reside.

Opening the door, I see nothing out of place in our living room and kitchen area.

Paisley keeps the place immaculate. When I open the bedroom door, the bed is undisturbed.

Her side table drawer lies beside the bed with its contents strewn across the floor.

Weird. I pick up the mess and put the drawer back.

Her clothes are in the closet. I check the bathroom, but it’s empty. Her scent lingers faintly in the air. But she’s nowhere to be found.

She must be in a snit because I didn’t come home last night. I think haughtily.

I head into the hallway and over to Alpha's office. I knock and hear a muffled growl. "Come in, Miles." As wolf shifters, our senses are enhanced so we’re able to determine who is nearby, mostly by scent, even if we can’t see them .

I plop down in the chair and meet Alpha's stern gaze with a sigh. He doesn't say a word. His unflinching glare seems to take my measure and find me lacking.

"I… I'm calling off the bonding ceremony."

"You already did."

My eyes snap up to him. I nod. "Fair assessment."

"Do you have anything else you want to say to me?"

"I want to tell Paisley myself. She deserves a face-to-face conversation." I admit.

Alpha nods. "I think she already knows, but I agree that a talk with her is warranted when you see her again. She is worthy of that and more."

He eyes me disdainfully. "Like faithfulness. Don't seek her out. Let her come to you."

I lower my eyes. “Someone already told her?” I ask, my voice tinged with shame.

"Anything else you want to say?" he repeats, ignoring me and my pathetic pity party.

Alpha Blake

Meeting with Beta Miles Continued

"Anything else you want to say?" I ask again. Disgust roils through my gut as I look at this male, whom I no longer consider a friend. Not after what he did to Paisley.

Beta Miles shakes his head and lowers it. "No."

"Then it’s my turn. I want you to know I’ve never been more ashamed to call you my Beta." I grit out. "Your choices of late have made me doubt your ability to make sound decisions under pressure."

"That’s unfair. This is about my personal life, not my professional life," Miles protests angrily.

“And you know how serious it is to damage a mate bond!” I yell.

“Our world suffers from population decline, and you—you actually found your true mate, your soul-bond connection. That union is the only real chance at a family. But you throw Paisley away, knowing full well that chosen mates like Marissa seldom conceive! If she doesn’t run off again like she always does! ” I jab viciously.

Miles sputters, his face flushing red.

“You don’t know how lucky you are!” I reiterate. “How my heart longs for a mate, while you all but destroy yours! ”

“What do you mean… destroy?”

I shake my head. As the Alpha here, I’m aware of everything that goes on, even closed-record emergencies. But that’s not my story to tell, so I tune out his question.

“I discussed the matter with the Alpha Commander this morning. We've agreed to place you on a ninety-day probation period. At the end of that time, I’ll assess whether you can continue as my Beta.”

"You've got to be kidding me, Stone! You know me. We've been friends for years." Miles snarls. “I’m a good Beta!”

"The Alpha Commander is sending a candidate to co-beta with you during the ninety days," I say, ignoring him. "After that, you’ll either share the role, or he’ll replace you. His name is Knight Pierce, and he'll be here tomorrow."

"W-what?" he stares at me in astonishment. “Un-flipping-believable!”

"Alpha Commander would come by himself, but he has his hands full in the city," I growl. "Now gather your composure. I have more important things than your blasted love life to take care of. "

He straightens up in the chair, clenches his jaw, and pulls himself together, but it’s clear he’s barely holding his smoldering rage beneath the surface.

And, unfortunately for him, I’m not done yet.

"We had a medical emergency last night that I won't discuss further. The patient requested sealed records and anonymity. I can tell you they were airlifted to a major hospital and nearly died from their injuries. I’ll be checking their condition on the way to the scheduled tech conference in Stone Mountain City on Monday. You do recall that, I assume?"

"Yes, Alpha."

"I don't know how long I’ll be gone, but I expect you and Beta Pierce to work together seamlessly in my absence. Understood?" I order.

"You can count on me."

"I’ll leave once Beta Pierce arrives."

"Understood."

There’s a tentative knock at the door. Greyson North sticks his head around the corner. He’s our Chopper One Lead as well as our Lead Enforcer. "Alpha, we have a... visitor here to see you and Beta Miles."

He looks at my Beta like he could kill him. I bet he feels that way, too. It's understandable. North worked with Paisley last night as she clung to life, being flown out to Stone Mountain City Hospital. Her records are sealed, but as the Alpha, I’m informed of everything that involves this pack.

North leans back as Marissa trots into the room, acting like she owns the place. She’s gorgeous, tall, and willowy on the surface, but her attitude reeks of gloating and smugness.There’s an ugly, mean-girl vibe about her that Miles seems blind to.

I grind my teeth so hard I could spit sand.

She flounces up, wraps her arms around Miles, and slides into his lap like she belongs there.

And—

It.

Sets.

Me.

Off!

"Come in here, North." He slams the door and steps forward. His aggression isn't aimed at me but at the idiots cluttering my office. That only fuels my anger as I seethe beneath the surface.

"Marissa, you’d do well to remember conduct yourself properly in my office and not act like a streetwalker, " I roar.

Her shock is immediate; she stands, mouth agape. I’m sick to death of her games. Manipulative and callous, Marissa isn’t the only one responsible for the harm done to Paisley, a loyal pack member. Miles shares that blame, and it's time they both learn a lesson.

"Your actions last night were egregious. In case you’re not aware, mate bond interference is illegal in this territory. You’ve committed a crime."

Her mouth drops open, flapping like a fish out of water.

"North," I continue. "Take Marissa into custody and charge her with mate bond violation. Get her in a cell. Now!"

"Yes, sir!" North beams as he seizes Marissa by her arms from behind and snaps handcuffs on her. Grinning, he pushes her out the door.

Miles jumps up, protesting. "Wait! W-what?"

I jab him hard in the chest, my anger simmering just beneath the surface.

"Your ninety days started five minutes ago. Professional or personal? It's time to decide what’s most important! Yes, you have the freedom to choose who you want to be with, but that female doesn't have the right to interfere with a mate bond. From what I saw, she approached you. She coerced you. You’re not innocent by any stretch of the imagination, but what she did is against our laws designed to protect mate bonds. So, we’ll let Alpha Commander take it up. Choose now! "

He sits back down, pulling at his hair as he drops his head.

"Just try me, Miles.” I sneer eagerly. “Frig Around and Find Out."