Slade had nodded and pulled up the picture of her and his unit, zoomed it in on her. Alpha Gretta, he knew, had already met Ori, had seen her on his arrival day, the others had not. She also saw they’d been angry with each other.
“So, son.” it was Alpha Hailey “you have got yourself a very desirable female Beta, I see, and one with the strength of a pure Beta bloodline, and she’s just come of age?” she asked.
“Yes, father wants me to pass her over for her younger brother, because she’s a girl, she will go into heat, have pups or move to another pack.”
“Those things are all true,” Alpha Gretta nodded.
“I know but,” he sighed.
“Look Slade, honestly, looking at your Beta, knowing her bloodline, she’s likely to find a strong Mate, Beta or Alpha ranked.” Patrick told him “And move away.”
“A fully ranked member with pack leadership, like yourself, an heir or an actual Alpha or Beta to their own pack.” Tyler nodded “your father and his unit, her father even, are all aware of this. They are prepping for her leaving the pack already.”
He sighed “I understand that, but it doesn’t need to be made to happen now. It can wait till she finds a Mate, right? That’s what I want, to keep her until I have to let her go.”
“Hmm.” it was Hailey. “Okay, let’s look at that, you say that it could take time, years even. Let’s explore that a little for you. You’re already bonded to her. We can clearly see that. You will take over in what 6 or 7 years from now?”
“When I’m like 30, dad says.” He shrugged “there’s no rush. We’re a large pack with a lot of businesses for me to learn, it will likely take many years to understand and be able to manage them. I do agree with that assessment, he’s made.” He nodded.
“Okay, let’s say that’s when it happens, when she’s 30ish herself, she’s been your Beta for 12 years, give or take, she’s suddenly mated to another, let’s say an Alpha of a pack, has to leave to be his Luna. Your pack is now left in deficit, and you have no Beta then, after 12 years together.”
He sighed now, didn’t like where this was going.
“It’s not so easy to replace a Beta after all that time,” Patrick stated with a sigh, “for you, your Gamma and Delta, to form a bond of trust with someone new, integrate him into your pack and your unit.”
“Or her,” Slade commented.
“Oh no, it will be a him,” Gretta told him. “You and your unit will kind of be at a loss, and bringing another female Beta into your unit, you won’t want that.” she stated “Because Slade, there in the back of your mind, their minds, you’ll all be thinking. When’s it all going to happen again? When is she going to leave us too?”
“You’ll choose a male Beta for the very reason your father is trying to get you to do it now.” Alpha Tyler nodded “Instead of four, five or ten years down the track. He’s trying to save you and your unit that loss, and the trouble of finding a suitable replacement. One that you will all compare to her at every turn, because you miss her, likely even want her back at times.”
Slade sighed heavily now as he looked at them for a long minute, “I’m not getting what I want am I?” He murmured as he looked down at Ori in the picture.
“Unlikely son.” Tyler stated, “it’ll also be for the best, I’m afraid.” He did sound apologetic to the ear.
Slade walked out of that office, no happier than when he’d walked in. He felt Gretta’s hand on him a moment later. “Slade, you might still get what you want, just not how you expected it.”
“What?” he frowned at her.
She smiled at him. “Silly boy, you haven’t come across her on the full moon yet have you!” she smiled at him, “I saw you two butting heads, the way you look at her photo, you like the girl. More than your willing to admit to anyone.”
“She’s my Beta, nothing more.” he stated simply.
“Alright,” she nodded, “you’re going home for the next full moon aren’t you?”
He nodded, “Yes, a family thing.”
“Well, you could get your Beta, have her by your side, just in a different capacity, son. I agree with the other council members, that she’s likely with that bloodline. To mate off to an Alpha Wolf… You’re an Alpha Wolf are you not!” she stated, and then just turned and walked away from him.
Oriana
She was laying in her bed at sunup trying to decide what to do about the pup she was carrying inside of her; just two weeks along. She couldn’t actually hear the heartbeat of her pup, so it was fine right this minute. She only knew she guessed, because China wouldn’t shift them, didn’t even think China had known herself until that moment.
The decision to go down to training was made for her, when Alpha Roman mind-linked to her ‘Oriana, please come to my office, I’d like to talk to you.’
‘Yes Alpha. Training?’ she inquired.
‘Not today.’ Was all he said before closing out the mind-link.
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