Page 74 of Rejected Broken Mate

"We must cut ties with the pack for everyone's safety. This means we will have to patrol our borders better, which means everyone will be putting in more hours."

"Hold on," Laura shook her head. "You guys do that on top of everything here?"

Owen waved a hand. "In a way. We've not had to patrol our boards like this before. This is all new to us."

Laura looked at me, and I could see the worry written across her face.

"This is going to be a very stressful time, so everyone needs to prepare themselves. We have been friendly with the pack for generations, so people will have feelings about this. But in the long run, the point is keeping everyone safe until we can get to the bottom of this."

"How long is this going to be?" Lucas asked.

Ayden shrugged. "I don't know. I have been trying to play nice, but it's going nowhere. I'm not playing nice anymore."

I ground my teeth together. I could see the look of exhaustion on him and Owen's face. Over the past year, I could tell things were starting to weigh on them a little more.

"Is this because of what happened with Ashley?" I asked, glancing at Owen.

I saw his jaw tense up and his nostril flared. He shrugged. "It was, but this is more. Word is Logan has been behaving this way with all the packs, and they think he's planning on going against anyone."

We hadn't had a change in pack leaders in years. Most leaders handed the spot down to their sons. The thought of a fight breaking out made me uneasy. People got hurt, and packs often were ripped apart when sides were forced to pick.

"When is this happening?" Thomas asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Tomorrow," Ayden said. "I already sent a letter."

Everyone fell silent, and we all knew what this meant. The pack was going to be on high alert, and people were going to voice their opinions. Everyone had been walking on eggshells over the past year, but that was soon going to change.

Ayden leaned back. "That's all. You guys should all head home. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to start up a sheet for whoever is going to be working overnight on patrol. We will have the police station help, too. I should know more details tomorrow."

As he dismissed everyone, Laura turned to me. I could see the concern on her face. "What does this mean?"

"We can talk about it at home," I said, taking her hand. "Let's just get home."

The drive was quiet, and as we pulled into the driveway, I looked at the neighbor's house. "Is Michael coming home?"

She shook her head. "No, I told him he could stay overnight."

"That's probably a good thing," I said as we got out of the car. Inside, Laura was quick to turn to me. "What does this mean for you guys?"

"Patrolling," I said with a shrug. "It's watching our boarding and not allowing anyone to pass from that side of the pack. Which means we need to talk with Michael about where we can and can't go when he goes out for runs."

She made a face as she slipped off her shoes. "He only ever goes with you, so that shouldn't be a problem. Should I be worried about all this?"

I reached out for her, pulling her against my chest. I wiped her hair back. The last thing I wanted her to do was worry more than she already did. "No, you shouldn't. We will be fine."

She swallowed. "You say that, but from what I heard, it's not that simple."

"It is," I said, pressing my forehead to hers. "Because Ayden has an amazing Alpha, and he makes sure we are safe.This sucks, but it's for the best, and I'm sure it's only for a short time."

Her shoulders sank. "I hope that's true."

Laura moved, heading into her bedroom and towards her closet. I stepped into her room behind her. I watched her walk, and I leaned against the door frame.

She paused, raising an eyebrow at me. "You're staring."

"I can't help it," I said, smiling. You're going to be my wife."

She blushed, walking back towards me. "I am, aren't I?"

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