Benedict finally found Ebony, but not before she’d gone to visit Peter. He’d not spoken to her and with Franco in the room, he couldn’t pull her aside and explain himself. What Magnus didn’t understand when Franco had spoken to Benedict before Ivory spoke to him with Magnus present. Franco had argued with Benedict because he’d assumed Benedict would abandon Ebony with him. That’s where Benedict suspected, upon reflection, that Ivory received her belief that Benedict would leave Ebony in favor of Franco. But that wasn’t the case at all. Franco misinterpreted Benedict’s silence and upset about their argument. When Benedict left Franco’s side to go to Ebony’s, he’d told him he didn’t think he was ready to decide something like that. Peter had died almost an hour before this, and Benedict felt numb to it right now as he watched Franco and Ebony fall apart. Franco’s anger at Benedict now was too much, and he wouldn’t accept Benedict’s comfort. When Benedict tr
Ran’s phone blew up with calls from his home pack. With his parents and the board, they tried to provide him with instructions about what to do with a possible wayward kidnapped pup who’d grown into an adult wolf shifter. The issue was difficult to solve because the instructions conflicted radically. His mother wanted Ran to bring Benedict home. The board wanted to imprison him until they could discern if he might have the possibility of becoming a danger to any part of the pack. After all, he’d received a lot of heavy influencing from his father, who turned out to have been an enormous problem for the pack. Now they feared his pup would be the same problem. The board wouldn’t take his word as proof or allow him to take responsibility of Benedict. Then the issue that was Franco and Ebony came into the equation and everything ground to a halt. No one would move until the board met, and they decided on the correct method to continue with Bene
They completed the plans to send Peter away quickly. It all felt too soon for Ebony, but it must be done. Franco attended the services, but mostly kept to himself. Benedict struggled with the idea that a pack could summon him at any moment. It wasn’t the easiest situation as Con, Magnus, and Ran all pushed Benedict to talk to them about his life. Ebony wondered if part of Franco’s problem wasn’t his questions about his mating instincts, but his feelings about being left behind and Benedict receiving all the attention. She might be the one receiving Franco’s frustration and anger. Goddess, she didn’t want to lose anyone else. She’d only just found them, and she was sending one off to the next stage of his existence. Wolves gathered, pyre laid by lake, awaiting lighting and floating. Only a few spoke words. Only Ebony, Benedict, and Franco knew Peter. But for his effort and losing his life, Ebony’s father honored him as a warri
Ebony and Benedict slipped away to have time alone together in what felt like was forever. When they locked the door and looked at each other. “This feels weird.” Was the first thought Ebony could think of what to say aloud as she stood there looking at the wolf who insisted he was her mate still. The last one standing, the last one here. “I don’t think it’s us being together that feels weird. It’s realized the others aren’t here and we feel guilty because we don’t need to consider them into what happens between us,” Benedict said to her. He agreed, but didn’t agree. She looked down as she thought about it. “Yeah, I guess. I mean, trying to spread my time out between three was a full-time job. I always wondered in the back of my head if I was being fair to everyone.” Ebony said. She continued her thoughts from what he thought happened inside both their minds. “I must admit, it was exciting and a learning experience. But I wis
The Council finally called in the wee hours of the morning. Benedict expected his phone to ring and perhaps Ran’s. Not Ebony’s father’s, Magnus, and Con’s phones as well. The Council wanted him to show up as soon as possible with added demands. Benedict must appear with his prospective mates or mate in tow. The Council representative didn’t want to know about his loss of Peter or that Franco had left him. One or one hundred possible or current mates and pups must appear with him. The only issue was they must be with him. There were more demands, and Benedict wasn’t sure how he was supposed to achieve one of them. He must arrive with proof of his blood ties to the pack. A human DNA test would work if they had time, but they didn’t have that time. He might have a week or less. They wanted him to give them a list of his skills, education, and work experience. They wanted to know what his hobbies were. “I feel like I’m applying for a job, not verifying who I
“They will accept this?” Benedict had waited for Ebony’s mother to finish with the testing. She’d taken a lot more than blood from both he and Ran. Hair, skin, blood, and more that he wasn’t willing to talk about. Then she warned them and the council it would take time. If they wanted it done properly, they’d have to sit on their hands for a while. That’s what Benedict overheard her say. He’d come to like her over the last week. She didn’t take guff from anyone. No wolf of her own and she still stood toe to toe with Michael and other alphas. It wasn’t something Benedict expected. “If they don’t accept it then that’s their problem and you will never find anything that would make them happy. This is your copy, and they are right now mulling over theirs.” Benedict had to sit down for this. Ran entered the room. “Are you ready? Do you have everything? Benedict?” Ran stopped and stared at them. “Are those the results?” “Oh, yeah,
They left the colorful swirling void through an icy blue portal. It closed behind Con with a snap. With only six people using it, the mages didn’t need anyone present to manage keeping the opening open for everyone. They stood there in a stone cave where a carved entrance stood. “Well, this is the home portal for the pack. We have a cave system that runs through the mountains that border our territory. The packhouse is not far, and we aren’t deep in the cave.” Magnus said as he watched the light of the mage portal close behind him. “I guess this is one way to keep the portal quiet around here.” Ebony said as she looked about what appeared as a cave that someone worked the stone into an almost hidden room. “Oh, they’ve used this long before we settled here. No one at the University could tell us who built it. That somehow became lost to time. So don’t listen to anyone if they try to tell you the Fae built it. They never needed these thing
“This way. Can you please take this up to the rooms? You know what goes where. Thanks Clay.” “Hey, what are you doing?” “Taking Benedict to meet mom and dad. It’ll take a minute, but can you see mom waiting any longer?” “Okay, yeah. That’s something I want to see, but I don’t think I want to experience when dad sees him.” “I thought your mother spoke to your father and explained what happened?” “Okay, I don’t know the entire story. I thought she’d have to before the council said something, and dad found out that way.” “Maybe we can manage it differently then.” “What are you thinking we might do differently?” “Warn her. I’m here and she can prepare your father before that. Tell him I am here and who I am to him?” “I guess, but wouldn’t the results arriving be enough to have triggered it?” “It may have, but no one heard them