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Yesterday proved that to me. When I let my walls down with Zeke, it was like I was shedding that lingering shred of doubt from my mind and finally accepting them. I have to ease back into the familiarity I had with Zeke. There’s still so much that I don’t know about the others, though. I have to get to know Arsenio, my fire-loving mate, work to accept Zayn into this world, and find a way to bridge the gap with the gruff, stubborn Alpha, Everett—but I want to. I want to do all those things. I want my mates, and I want to see what life we can have together.
A knock at the door reverberates through the silent room and Silas eases open the door.
“I have Isabella with me, Alpha,” Silas says, motioning her forward.
“Thank you, Silas.” I straighten in my chair, switching back into the role of Alpha.
Isabella steps into the room, her long blonde hair pulled into a tight bun at the top of her head. She’s clad head to toe in her black fatigues, having just been pulled from a guard station somewhere in the manor.
“Good morning, Alpha Draven,” Isabella says, slightly bowing as Silas closes the door behind her.
“Good morning, Isabella. Please take a seat.” I motion further down the table to one of the empty seats on my side so she can see Silas, Seline, and me.
Silas takes his seat, each of us turning to face her as she sits a few spaces down but still close enough to hear each other easily.
“How are you doing?” I ask. “I know that the last time we saw each other was a hard time. How have you been doing since then?”
“I’ve been … all right,” she says, her shoulder slumping slightly at the admission. “Some days are harder than others, but I’m just taking it one step at a time.”
“You should take more time off if you need—”
“No,” she blurts, cutting me off. “I mean, sorry, Alpha, it’s just … I took enough time off. I need to be doing something. I can’t just sit at home while the Langleys are still out there, and my friends are still in danger. I couldn’t live with myself if …”
“I understand, Isabella. I understand the drive for vengeance, but if you go in there without a clear mind, you could end up getting yourself, or someone else hurt. Trust me, you need to take that time to grieve.”
“I have,” she declares, squaring her shoulders. “Oliver was my friend, and I know his death isn’t something I’ll get over easily, but I’ve come to terms with it. I understand that it wasn’t my fault, and I did all that I could to save him.”
I nod in understanding, taking a moment to let her declaration set in. Her dilemma is exactly what I’ve been working through. I took the time that I needed to process the grief after seeing that video, hell I’ve been finally processing the death of my mother since being thrust back into our family home. I finally understand what Jasper and Zeke meant. Because she isn’t weak. She’s one of the strongest people I know for being able to process all of that when she very easily could have fallen down the dark hole of despair, and no one would have blamed her.
“I have an opportunity for you then.” I clasp my hands on the table, confident that she can handle the task we have for her.
“An opportunity?” she asks, her head tilting slightly. Her mouth opens and closes as though she were prepared to have to further argue her case.
“That’s why we brought you in here today.” I smile, watching some of the tension ease away and her rigid posture relax a fraction. “But I want you to know that at any time, you can let any of us know if it’s too much—”
“It won’t be,” she interrupts. “It would be an honor.”
“You don’t know what it is yet.” I chuckle. “But it is a promotion. I’d like for you to be one of the betas in my inner circle.”
“Really?” she gasps, her eyes widening as she looks between Silas and me.
“Really, Isabella,” Silas huffs out, amused. “Skylar saw real promise with how you handled the Langley attack, and I also recommended you for the position.”
“Thank you.” She clasps a hand over her heart, bowing first to Silas and then to me. “I won’t let you down.”
“I would be honored to have you in my inner circle.” I clasp my hand to my chest in answer, my heart warming at the genuine reaction. “But there is a special task that comes along with this new position.”
“Anything.”
Wespendthenexthour getting Isabella caught up on everything that has been going on. We show her the videos, laying out the issues regarding Monte, and the knowledge that someone close to my father was the one who put the hit out on him and finally took the matter into their own hands.
“So we need to know one way or another if Monte has anything to do with this, and if he does, we need irrefutable proof,” I explain and close the laptop, silently hoping it’s the last time I have to play that video. “That’s where you come in.”
“You want me to spy on Monte?” Isabella asks hesitantly, her gaze shifting to Silas and Seline before settling on me.
“Yes. We don’t know who else we can trust right now in the higher ranks, but we both trust you,” I say, holding her gaze. “No one else can know about this.”
“I would never tell another soul, but how am I supposed to spy on him?” Isabella frowns, focusing on the laptop as though she’s remembering the video.
