Page 65 of Chosen Destiny

His shoulders sagged as if my answer had taken a ton of weight off them, and he nodded. “Yeah, that’s fair. But she’s why I’m here.”

“You’re not taking Jazzy or Stevie back with you.” Jack took a step forward, blocking Stevie from Theo’s view while wedging himself between Bodey and me. “If that’s your goal, turn your weak ass back around and go home.”

Blowing out a breath, Theo fisted his hands together. “I really need your two guards to shut the fuck up. They’re making this harder.” His eyes narrowed as he stared me down.

“I’ll show you—” Jack moved forward.

“Let’s hear him out.” I’d laced alpha will into my voice. I hated to do it, but things were going to get chaotic if I didn’t intervene. Power vibrated through the room, echoing off the walls and crashing back into me.

Jack’s mouth shut almost comically, and Theo’s eyes widened.

“Damn.” Theo stumbled back a few feet. “I knew you were strong, but this is the first time I’ve experienced it like that.”

I rolled my eyes as Samuel shook his head.

He’s stalling,Samuel linked to Bodey and me.

I was big enough to admit he was right and glared at Theo.

“Time’s ticking, and I’m out of patience,” Bodey snarled beside me. “Do you know how damn hard it is having you here in our house after all the shit you pulled with her? Say what you need to say, or get thefuckout.”

Theo looked at me as if he expected me to come to his aid again.

All I did was shrug and add, “I’m in agreement with him.”

Theo straightened and lifted his chin. “Fine.”

That was his tic for when he was getting ready to do something he didn’t want to do. I’d sometimes seen it when he was younger and preparing himself to protect me from Zeke. After realizing it had only made things harder for me, he’d stopped.

This was the first time his preparation had been directed at me, and I braced myself for whatever he would say next.

I held my breath, not wanting to make a sound, when he dropped the final blow.

“I want to submit to you,” he said quickly.

My head jerked back, and I blinked. I must have heard him wrong.

“Not happening.” Bodey shook his head. “That would make you a royal advisor, and you have no territory to rule, nor do we trust you.”

I snorted bitterly. I hadn’t picked up on that. This was a Zeke-style move. As I suspected, the two of them were colluding.

“Fine.” Theo nodded and homed in on me again. “Then who do I need to submit to? I want to be part of this pack. I don’t want to be your enemy and separated from you.”

Bodey stalked toward him, and I didn’t intervene. Whatever game Theo was playing, I was over it, and my mate needed to know I was firmly with him. I’d never want him to feel discounted.

“She’s my mate.” Bodey gestured to his neck and the faint scar from when I’d claimed him, then pointed at his tattoo. “You need to get it through your thick head.” He grabbed Theo by the collar of his shirt and shoved him into the wall.

“I didn’t mean it like that!” Theo’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “I don’t have those feelings for Callie, not anymore. I meant I don’t want to be part of Queen Kel’s territory.”

I winced. I wasn’t sure how to process that he’d been genuinely interested in me before.

Bodey’s hand fisted, and I had no doubt a punch would be thrown.

“Look, I’ll submit to you.” Theo lifted his hands again to prove he wasn’t trying to cause problems. “I want to belong to your pack, but when I submit, the rest of Oxbow will come with me. Do you have enough room for us?”

My. Heart. Stopped.

Never in a million years would I have dreamed that Theo would be willing to submit to Bodey. They hadn’t liked each other from the start. Although one explanation made sense.

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