Listen to me 147

Benedict Winslow, IV

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I spent a sleepless night walking around the pack wondering what I did that was so wrong that Beatrice could never find it in her heart to love me. I tried to be a good mate, a good Alpha, a good father, and a good man. But nothing I did was ever enough. She never could get over Sawyer. I thought after Roman killed him that she could let it go, but it only seemed to fuel her anger at Sawyer and Althea’s children.

I know that Benedict will banish Beatrice from the pack. He has to, I understand that. Honestly, I should have done it. She’s become power hungry, cruel, and vengeful. Those are not the characteristics of a Luna. I let it go, hoping that she would change, but she didn’t, she hasn’t, and I have to accept that she never will. My mate never loved me. Her heart has always belonged to another man.

Throughout the night, Beatrice has been pushing against my mind link, wanting me to bail her out I’m sure. I shut the mind link, forcing her out, but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t felt her pushing against it all night. She didn’t sleep any more than I did.

When Benedict links me that it’s time to meet, I begin making my way to my office. No, it’s his office now. He’s Alpha now. Whatever he decides today, his decision outweighs mine. In some ways, I’m glad that I won’t have to be the one to banish my mate. But I also feel sad that Beatrice couldn’t stop her need for vengeance. It’s done nothing but cause a rift in our family and therefore, our pack.

As I walk back to the packhouse, what I haven’t decided is, can I continue to live with Beatrice?

‘We have decided,‘ Resno, my wolf, says with sadness in his voice. ‘She’s never been a true mate or Luna to us.

I close my eyes, still holding on to hope that maybe, just maybe, she’ll have seen the light overnight.

‘We were fools to believe she would change, Benedict. Stop being a fool. It’s time for us to let her go, Resno says.

‘Are you sure?‘ I ask. It feels like a failure to reject her.

‘We are already failures. She never loved us and we couldn’t love her enough to make up for it,’ he says.

It says a lot when a wolf gives up on a mate bond.

‘I was a fool not to accept the gift that the Moon Goddess gave us way back when. If I could do it over, I’d accept our mate, regardless of her rank,’ he says.

We can’t live on ‘what ifs‘. We have to live on what we have and the decisions we made. We chose Beatrice and now we have to live with that decision.

When I get to the Alpha’s office, Bethany is already there.

“Dad,” she says, then wraps her arms around me in a hug. I may not have gotten much from Beatrice in our mate bond, but I got two of the most amazing pups in the world.

“Hey, Sweet Pea. How are you doing?” I ask her.

“How are YOU doing, Dad? I’m so sorry all this is happening.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. None of this is your fault, Beth.”

“I’m sorry that YOU have to go through this, Dad.”

I hug her again, then feel the air shift. I look up to see Benedict and Alpha Sloane walking into the office.

“Hey Dad.” he says.

“Hey. Have you decided what you’re going to do with your mother?” I ask.

“She hasn’t given me a choice, Dad. There’s only one choice. You know that?

1 look at Alpha Sloane. “I think this is a family discussion, son.”

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“Sloane is the reason that we’re here, Dad. Don’t think, for one second, that I’m going to ask her to leave. I asked her to be here, not only to support me, but to be a witness. She has a right to know why mother hates her, just as much as I do. So, if this is a ‘family affair, then consider Sloane family,” he says, already acting like he’s Alpha of this pack.

‘He is Resno says proudly. Our son is the Alpha

we trained him to be.

When Beatrice is led into the room by warriors a few minutes later, she looks around the room, then focuses on me.

“Benedict! End this! This is crazy. I’m being treated like a prisoner in my own home!”

I lower my head in defeat. She still doesn’t get it. She doesn’t realize that there are consequences for her actions.

“BEATRICE!” Benedict booms in his Alpha voice, forcing my mate and his mother to turn and face him. “Father is no longer Alpha of this pack. He cannot do anything that I do not condone. You answer to ME now.”

“What is SHE doing here?” Beatrice asks, her voice so full of venom that I’m surprised it doesn’t drip on the floor at her feet.

“SHE has a name. Sloane. Use it. And she was invited here by me Benedict says.

“Benedict, do you really think…”

“SHUT UP, MOTHER!” he roars in his Alpha voice.

Beatrice’s mouth snaps shut.

“I want to know why, Mother. Why have you worked so hard to keep me and Sloane apart?” he asks her.

“She’s not worthy of you, Benedict! She’s not worthy of being a Winslow! If you wanted to slip your dick into some off–color Alpha, fine. But you started acting like she was important, and she’s not! Stop letting her control your actions. She’s nothing but a whoremonger trying to make a place for herself in this world.”

I’m surprised when my son doesn’t explode at Beatrice for her words about Sloane.

“You know, Mother,” he says so calmly that it makes the hairs on the back of my neck rise. “It almost feels like you’re accusing Sloane of being the woman that you are, a whoremonger trying to make a place for herself in this world. Isn’t that what YOU did by taking Dad as a chosen mate? Didn’t YOU want to be a Winslow more than anything else in this world?” he

asks her.

When she doesn’t answer, I know that I have to.

“No, that’s not what she wanted.”

My son turns his head to look at me. “What did she want?”

“Benedict,” Beatrice says. It’s part plea, part threat. But her threats hold no meaning to me any longer.

“This all started LONG before you were born, Alpha Sloane,” I say.

Beatrice hisses at me. “Benedict.”

“Did

you

ever even love me, Beatrice?”

21:24 Fri, Feb &

She frowns, as if I’ve asked her if the sky is pink.

“If you won’t tell them. Bea, then I will. It’s time the truth came out.

“What. Truth” Benedict asks angrily.

“Your mother was always in love with Sawyer Clark,” I say. Both of my children and Sloane suck in air.

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“Yeah. They dated, they were an item until your mother, Althea entered the picture. Then, Sawyer dropped Beatrice and chose Althea as his mate.”

“Phoebe was his fated mate,” Sloane says.

“That’s correct. But he rejected her, not for Beatrice, but for Althea,” I turn and look at the woman I’ve spent my life trying to make happy.

“Did you get pregnant on purpose, Bea? Were you planning to make Sawyer think my pup was his?”

“What do you mean?” my son asks.

“Your mother got pregnant with you before we marked each other,” I tell Benedict. We’ve never identified the difference in the time of her pregnancy and the time of our marking.

“You were going to tell Sawyer that it was his child weren’t you? I thought, when you seduced me that night that you wanted me, that maybe you loved me. Then, you got pregnant and I was ready to do the right thing, to claim Benedict as my own.

was it Beatrice?” I ask her. But that wasn’t your intention,

She glares at me.

“Answer him,” Benedict snarls using his Alpha command.

“No. I never wanted you! But Sawyer

Althea and I got stuck with you!” she says, breaking my heart. Then she turns to

Sloane. “Your fucking bitch of a mother took what didn’t belong to her.”

“Althea was good at that,” Sloane says quietly.

“Wow, mother, you got ‘stuck‘ with the Winslow name. You got ‘stuck‘ with the power and wealth that comes with the Winslow name. Poor you. What a miserable life it must have been for you,” Benedict snarls at her.

“Benedict,” Sloane says quietly, putting a hand on his arm.

“No, Sloane! You heard her. She never appreciated the name that she’s flaunted like it was her right. If she hates being a Winslow, fine. Beatrice Winslow, you have disrespected and disregarded your Alpha’s orders. I hereby banish you from this pack,” Benedict says.

I knew he would, but it still hurts to know that Beatrice will now be on her own.

“No! No, you can’t!” Beatrice says.

“I can and I have,” Benedict says, his voice devoid of emotion. He’s done what I wasn’t able to do for nearly two decades. “Benedict,” Beatrice turns and looks at me with a pleading look that would have melted my heart in the past. But now, I know there is no love for me from Beatrice. Any ‘love‘ she’s showed me was manipulative to get what she wanted.

I nod and I see Beatrice relax as if I’m about to make everything right.

She’s wrong.

“I, Alpha Benedict Winslow, IV, reject you, Luna Beatrice Winslow, as my mate and Luna,” I say, feeling the sharp, stabbing

pain of my rejection straight into my heart.

“No, Benedict,” she growls, falling to the floor as I lean against the desk.

I look at my son. The only way she will accept my rejection is if he forces her to.

“Accept it,” he snarls.

“Benedict,” she says, as tears begin to stream down her face.

I close my eyes, unwilling to watch as my son destroys my mate.

“NOW!” he snarls at her.

I squeeze my eyes closed, waiting for the end of the bond I’ve worked so hard to make right.

“I… Luna Beatrice Winslow … please, Benedict,” she begs. Our son snarls and I refuse to look at her.

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“I accept your rejection,” she says and the pain rips through my body. I hear a thump as Beatrice falls to the floor as well, then I hear the sound of warriors coming in to get her.

“Dad? Dad, are you okay?” Bethany says, her arm wraps about me protectively. My body feels like it’s tearing apart from the inside.

“Take my mother to the train station. Give her a ticket to anywhere across country. Stay with her until she’s on the bus and give her this money before she leaves,” Benedict says.

I hear movement and Beatrice’s wailing cry.

“Get my father to the pack hospital,” Benedict says.

“No,” I growl. “I’m fine.”

It’s Sloane who takes my face in her hands.

“You’re not fine, Alpha. Listen to your son. Go to the pack hospital and let them care for you.”

I nod and a few moments later, I feel warriors lift me up and carry me away.

The bond may be broken, but I can still feel my mate, the woman I gave my life and love to, howling as she’s carried out of the pack, forever.

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Cedella

Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.