“If it’s self defence, there won’t be time for me to bring their problems to you.” Brax slams the door behind him.

“You know it wasn’t just me that was attacked, he was too.” Neah mutters “And you are treating him like the enemy.”

“My priority isn’t to protect him.”

‘But she has a point.’ Aero tries to reason with me, ‘He did exactly what you asked him to do. He protected our mate. The moment he killed them, he could have just got up and walked away, but he didn’t.’

“He doesn’t have to help. He could leave at any time, but he is still here.” Neah sighs

“Yeah, because his mate is here.” Damien retorts

“You found your mate here too, Damien.” Mallory smiles sadly.

Damien frowns at her. He just didn’t speak of my sister. He acted like it was nothing more than a blip in his timeline.

“I did too. It happens.” Mallory continues

“This is different.” Damien shakes his head

“How? You lost it when Salem took Raven. Just like Brax is pissed that someone has taken his mate. You two have more in common than you realise. Or maybe you do know it, you just won’t accept it. I mean, you have even started carrying a gun again, just like when you were human.”

“Mal,” Eric starts

“No.” Mallory stands up and holds Logan out to Eric. “I just need a minute.”

Neah passes Evrin to me and follows Mallory out of the office.

“I should go after….” Eric mutters, trying to give Logan to Damien.

“Let Neah talk to her.” I tell him I don’t think any of this is about what happened out there this afternoon.” I glance at Logan in Eric’s arms. Mallory had been holding him, and bouncing him up and down, but not once did she look at him. It was more like she was just going through the motions. “Shit.” Damien mutters. “I didn’t think. She didn’t say anything.”

“She wanted to be here.” Eric adds. “She would have said if it was too much. She loves the twins. Maybe for a brief moment, she…. forgot.” He sits in the empty chair and leans forward while resting his elbows on his knees. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

“You can’t be in her head twenty four/ seven.” I offer. “She needs to let herself grieve.”

“You’re right.” He sits up straight. “So what are we going to do about this Cooper?”

“We stick to Neah’s plan, for at least a few days. Everyone of us needs to pay attention to the pack and people’s movements. Especially those that come and go from the pack.”

“And then?” Damien asks

“Then we can make a plan. But first of all, you need to take this Blood Oath and become an official part of Black Shadow. I need you to be able to link everyone and I cannot expect the Lycans to make an oath yet.

“I thought you had planned a fancy ceremony?” He cocks an eyebrow at me, a smirk lingers on his face.

“There was supposed to be one, but something tells me you would rather just get it over and done with.” “Good.”

“There is something else.”

Eric nods his head at me. I had already told him my plan, but whether Damien would agree or not would be a different matter.

“What is it?” Damien asks, his gaze shifting between Eric and I.

“I want you to be a representative of Black Shadow.”

“Doesn’t my role as Beta already signify that?”

“Yes, but I want you to become a Black. Whether you like it or not, you are one of us.”

He laughs, “You’re joking right?”

“You do realise that as you were

mated to Raven, you are family. I know Neah, see’s it like that. I see

you as more of a brother than what Jenson ever was. I don’t give a shit what your gic makeup is you are one of us.”

He looks over to Eric. “He’s serious?”

“About as serious as it comes.” Eric muses

“Then why didn’t you….”

“I took the Beta oath. Becoming a Black was not something I could do even if I wanted to. I have parents and they would hang me if I tried to ditch the family name.”

I clear my throat. “The question is, Damien, how important is your surname? And do you see yourself being a complete part of this pack?”