“And visit. There’ll be a lot of disappointed people if you don’t.”
“I’ll visit.”
Davis pulled back, gripping Connor’s shoulders. “I’m proud of you. You know that, right?”
Connor’s throat closed up. He nodded.
“Good.” Davis released him, stepping back and clearing his throat roughly. “Right. I should get going. I’ll arrange to have your house packed up and your stuff sent here for you and yeah…you’ll be missed.”
He shook Leyden’s hand, said something Connor didn’t quite catch about taking care of his mate, and then headed for the door. Connor watched him go, feeling the finality of it settle over him.
His old life, his old pack…gone.
Leyden’s hand found his, fingers threading through Connor’s. “You okay?”
Connor looked at his mate, at the man who’d upended his entire existence in the span of a week. Who’d been patient, understanding, devoted. Who’d chosen Connor knowing exactly what he was getting.
“Yeah,” Connor said quietly. “I think I am.”
And through their bond, he felt Leyden’s relief, his affection, his absolute certainty that they’d made the right choice.
Connor squeezed his mate’s hand and chose to believe him.
Chapter Fourteen
“So you’re telling me that Mrs. Peterson’s tree is dropping leaves on your lawn and you want me to… what, exactly? Order the tree to stop?”
Walter shifted his weight, looking sheepish. “Well, I thought maybe you could talk to her. She won’t listen to me, but as alpha mate…”
“Walter.” Connor pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s a tree. Trees drop leaves. Rake them.”
“But it’shertree…”
“Growing onherproperty. Which means you have zero authority to demand she cut it down.” Connor leaned back in his desk chair, fighting the urge to bang his head against the wall. “Is there anything else?”
Walter opened his mouth, then closed it. “No, I guess not.”
“Great. Thanks for stopping by.”
The moment Walter left, Connor dropped his head into his hands. That made seven pack members today. Seven separate problems that could’ve been solved with basic common sense and zero alpha mate intervention.
His wolf grumbled irritably. This wasn’t what Connor had signed up for.
Being Davis’s beta meant security work, enforcer coordination, threat assessment. Real problems that required Connor’s specific skill set. Not mediating disputes over fallen leaves or whose turn it was to clean the pack hall bathroom.
A knock sounded at the door.
Connor suppressed a groan. “Come in.”
Janet Moseley - one of the new enforcers they’d hired - poked her head inside. “Sorry to bother you. Got a minute?”
“Sure.” Connor waved her in, relieved to see someone who might actually have a legitimate issue.
Janet shut the door behind her, looking uncomfortable. “This is probably stupid, but Marcus won’t listen to me. He keeps taking the north patrol route even though it’s my scheduled shift, and when I confront him, he says you’ll back him up because he’s been here longer.”
Now that was something Connor could actually address. “Marcus is wrong. The schedule’s the schedule. I’ll talk to him.”
“Thanks.” Janet relaxed visibly. “I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, but…”
