“I don’t want you to leave the pack,” Ryan says. “I want to avoid that at all costs. So, I’m going to let Ben go.”The relief I feel at those words is incredible. My body sags. The adrenaline leaves me.He’s going to let Ben go. He’s going to be safe. That’s what I care about most right now. My brother isn’t going to be executed due to my actions.“Isabel can’t live here,” Ryan continues. “She can’t stay here because it’s against some very important rules. She may be your mate, but she is also a rogue and you have to recognize that some difficulties come along with that. It’s just how things are.“However, I know that you’ll let this pack go before you’ll let her go, so I’m not going to even ask you to consider such a thing. I’m not going to pit this pack against Isabel.“Rather, I’ll let you two live in peace. And we can work out ways that you can see each other without breaking pack rules. I don’t want to keep having these discussions. I don’t want to have to keep dealing with t

“It really has been wonderful meeting you,” Helen says as she gives me a hug. “I’m so impressed by your strength, your willingness to work hard and never give up, and you dedication to your family.“I’ll be honest when I say we’ve all heard some things about your family that haven’t been fully great. They may have colored our perception of you, though we’ve tried to cast that aside to get to know you.“I’m glad we have. I’m glad we didn’t stick to old bias because I can tell you’re a wonderful young lady.”“Even more importantly,” Garrett says, worrying me. He’s certainly the toughest one of the bunch, “you make our son happy. That much was apparent right away.“We’re incredibly proud of him anyway for becoming Beta of the pack. That’s a high honor and we’re grateful that our son achieved it. “But we want him to be happy more than anything else. So, if you make him happy, and it seems like you do, we’re more than happy to welcome you into our lives.”“And maybe even someday into

“Ben, this isn’t fair!” I say, knowing how much like a child I sound. But no matter how much I press him, he won’t elaborate on what he said. He won’t give me the answers I deserve. The answers I need to make sense of everything.“What’s not fair is the fact that you don’t respect me even after all I do for you,” Ben says. “It’s not fair that you still won’t trust me. It’s not fair that you’re jumping down my throat right now.“I love you Bel, but this is getting ridiculous. I’m not going to fight with you. I’m going to bed and I’m going to sleep soundly knowing that I’m doing my best to protect you.”With that, he goes upstairs before I can say anything else, leaving me more confused than ever.Is he right? Maybe a little. I do believe he is doing his best to protect me. I always trust him like that. He would never do anything to knowingly put me in harm’s way.But I still can’t imagine what that has to do with the rogues. And I still want him to tell me what’s going on.It se

I panic because I know. I can hear them and I think they want me to hear them. They want to torture me like this.These wolfs are the kind of sickos that get off on other people’s pain. They’re drowning in mine and they love it.“Hey Ben,” Nathan says, as nonchalantly as ever. It’s as if he’s my brother’s best friend and they’re having just a normal, everyday conversation.I suppose that’s what it feels like to him. This probably all feels so normal and risk free.“No need to be rude,” Nathan says. “I appreciate your help so far, but it’s only taken us so far. We have bigger plans that we need Isabel for. “This is nothing against you, of course. We meant what we said about not harming her if you helped us, but that was when we only knew she was your sister. Now we know she’s the Beta’s mate, things have changed. That makes her even more valuable.”These are the people Ben has been hanging out with, and suddenly it all makes sense. They must’ve threatened me. That’s why he’s been

Despite the rules of only staying at James’ house once a night, Ryan makes an exception and allows Ben and I to stay at James’ house for the night, since we both are so drained, sore, and just plain exhausted after the fight.We wait up anxiously for James to get back home after he gives us the key. And finally, after worrying for so long, the door opens.James walks in all bandaged up and bruised.“Where’s my hug?” he asks with a grin.“I don’t want to hug you,” I reply. “I worry I’ll break you. I don’t want to hurt you even more than you’ve already been hurt.”“Going without a hug would hurt me more,” he argues. “Come on. One hug?”I hug him as lightly as possible before giving him a light kiss. Once we part, Ben stands there looking uncertain.“I wanted to thank you,” he says, walking up to James. “I know things haven’t always great between all of us, but you saved my sister. You fought hard even when you were hurt.“There’s a lot to admire about you, James. So, I do admire