Rhett sat at his desk, staring at the security footage on the wall monitor. It looped through drone footage of the eastern border, interspersed with infrared signatures and coded timestamps.
Still no sign of what had taken out patrol two. Still no sign of peace inside his own damn chest. A quiet knock came at the door, followed by a voice that didn’t wait for permission. “Still brooding over the fight, or the female?” Tarek, of course, strolled into the office like he owned it. Which, to be fair, he kind of did. He was the only person in the entire pack who got away with talking to Rhett like that, and he’d earned it. Rhett didn’t look up. “Don’t you have actual duties?” “I do,” Tarek said, shutting the door behind him “But watching my Alpha get thrown on his ass in front of two dozen warriors is part of my job description. You just made it more entertaining than usual.” Rhett’s lips twitched, but he didn’t smile. Six years as his Beta. Ten as his brother-in-arms. Longer as the only person Rhett trusted to call him out. They’d grown up side by side in Blackstone, fought together, nearly died together. Where Rhett was rigid and internal, Tarek was all dry humor and instinct. A tactician who could read a battlefield, or a boardroom, faster than most people could blink, but Tarek wasn’t smiling now. He dropped into the chair across from Rhett, leaning back with casual ease. “Let me guess. You’re trying to figure out how to keep Mira close without letting anyone smell how badly you want to bend her over that sparring mat.” Rhett shot him a glare. Tarek held up a hand. “Hey, I’m not judging. She’s a wildfire wrapped in leather. I’d want her too if I didn’t like breathing through my own throat.” Rhett turned off the monitor. “Say what you came to say.” “Fine,” Tarek said, sitting forward. “I’m not blind. The bond is obvious. Your pack doesn’t know, not exactly, but they snse something is up. They can smell tension, and the one person who doesn’t seem remotely rattled by it?” “Jace Rowan.,” Rhett responded. Tarek nodded. “Exactly. Beta from Hollowshade. Clean record. Quiet. And apparently just as tangled up in Mira as you are.” Rhett leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. “You think he’s competition.” “I know he is,” Tarek said. “And I don’t think he’s trying to be. That’s what makes it worse. He watches her like he’s seeing something holy. Like she’s the first clear sky he’s ever looked at.” Rhett’s jaw tightened. He’d seen that look too, and it twisted something in his gut he didn’t like to name. Tarek leaned forward. “You’ve never cared about romantic entanglements before. I’m not saying don’t care now, but you need to remember who you are. You’re the Alpha of Blackstone. You can’t afford to fall into a bond that splits your focus, divides your authority, or gets used against you.” “I didn’t choose this,” Rhett muttered. “No, but it’s choosing you. And maybe not just you.” That got his attention. Rhett glanced up, eyes narrowing. “You’ve noticed.” The words hung in the air like smoke.Tarek rose and paced toward the window, arms crossed over his chest. “You’ve always been steady. Brutal when you had to be, but never reckless. But this bond—whatever it is—is making you think instead of act. It’s making you hesitant.” “Iwasn’t hesitant,” Rhett barked, a little too sharply. “You held back,” Tarek said without turning. “In the ring. You gave her the win.” “No,” Rhett said firmly. “She earned it.” That made Tarek pause. Then he turned, brows lifted. “Huh. That almost sounded like admiration.” Rhett rubbed a hand down his jaw, tension pulling tight at the base of his skull. “She’s strong,” he admitted. “And smart. She doesn’t posture. Doesn’t need to.” “And the Beta, Jace? He watches her like she holds gravity in her palms. And the way he looks at you. Rhett tensed. “He doesn’t look at me.” “Not yet,” Tarek said. “But give it time.” Then Tarek added, “You know what that would mean, right? If it’s not just a bond with her. If it’s a triad.” Rhett stood, pacing slowly behind his desk. “It’s not.” “You sure?” Tarek challenged. No answer. Tarek pressed. “Because if it is, you know what the Council will do. Triad bonds are forbidden. Not just frowned upon—forbidden.” Rhett nodded. “I know the law.” “Then you also know why. Power imbalance. Historical abuse. One triad tore through six territories before they were stopped. Every pack council since has treated triads like loaded weapons.” Rhett clenched his jaw. “You think I don’t remember the stories?” “I think you’re trying not to,” Tarek said. “Because if the bond is pulling on all three of you, then you’re standing on the edge of something that could break this pack… or change everything.” “I’m not gay Tarek, shit, I’m not even bi. If there are any signs, I’ll reject him,” Rhett growled out. Tarek gave a dark chuckle. “You think that matters? If she accepts both bonds, do you think rejecting him will matter? The bonds don’t untie themselves just because you’re too stubborn to make a move on a dude.” Rhett dragged a hand through his hair. His wolf prowled beneath his skin, not in rage but in unrest. Restless. Caged. “I can’t afford a weakness right now,” he muttered. “And a mating bond—let alone a triad—that’s exactly what this looks like to the Council.” Tarek’s tone sharpened. “Or a weapon. If you own it.” Rhett stopped pacing. “Make no mistake,” Tarek continued. “They’ll come for you if they think you’re building something too powerful, but if you walk that line right, if you learn how to control it, you might not have to bow to anyone again.” Rhett didn’t answer right away. The idea of turning something forbidden into a strength wasn’t new. That’s how he’d built Blackstone’s power in the first place—by doing what others feared and doing it well. This however wasn’t a decision about war or territory. This was personal. Rhett didn’t answer. Something inside him had shifted when he caught Jace watching Mira. Not with challenge. Not with jealousy. With awe, and there had been something beneath it. Something that made Rhett’s wolf stir—not in warning, but in recognition. That was the part that scared him. “You want my advice?” Tarek asked, dropping back into the chair. “No.” “Here it is anyway.” He leaned in. “Figure it out. Fast. You don’t need a mate right now, and you sure as hell don’t need two. But if that’s what this is? You better either claim them both or walk away from both.” Rhett met his gaze, eyes cold. “You think I’m weak. Tarek’s expression sobered. “I think you’re human, Rhett. And I think that’s the part you’ve spent too long pretending not to be.” Silence stretched between them. Finally, Rhett exhaled. “Keep an eye on the others in the task force,” he said. “Especially anyone sniffing too close to Mira or Jace. If this bond makes us a target, I need to see it coming before it lands.” Tarek stood, satisfied. “Already on it, and boss?” Rhett looked up. “Don’t wait too long to decide if you’re protecting your power… or your heart.” The door shut behind him. Rhett sat in the silence that followed, fists clenched at his sides, the scent of pine and leather still lingering in his senses, and for once, he didn’t know if control was strength… …or cowardice.
