Listen to me 148

Sloane

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I can’t believe Beatrice hates me, me and my siblings, because of something our mother and their father did. How could she carry that much hate around inside her for nearly twenty years?

The answer is, it ate her alive. It made her into the horrible woman that she’s become. I want to process what happened, I want to go to my room, close the door and withdraw into mysel But Benedict and Bethany are aching much more than I am. I need to be strong for them, because Benedict still has to tell the pack that his mother, their Luna, has been banished.

As soon as their father is out of the room, Bethany collapses onto the floor and begins sobbing.

I’m not good with emotions. I’ve always hid my own, choosing to react with my fists rather than tears. But Bethany is a good person and regardless of how she felt about her mother, it must burt to see her being removed from the pack forever.

I kneel down beside her, wrapping my arms around her. She surprises me by wrapping her arms around me and clinging to me as if I’m her lifeline. I hold her tightly, rocking her gently back and forth, just letting her get it out of her system.

I look up to see Benedict, standing behind the desk looking broken and defeated. I’ve never seen him look like this. He turns away, running his hands through his hair before walking over to the window and staring outside.

“Is dad going to die?” she asks.

“No, Bethany. He’ll be weak for a while and he may lose his wolf for a while, but he won’t die.”

Benedict turns and looks at me, nodding slightly before turning away again.

When Bethany finally stops crying, she pulls away from me. I reach up and grab the box of tissues off the desk and hand them to her.

“What are we going to do now?” she asks Benedict.

“I have to address the pack. I have to tell them that their Luna has been banished…” he stops, as he gets choked up.

I stand and walk over to him.

He tugs me into his arms, burying his face in my neck and breathing deeply.

“Thank you for being here. I know that must have been hard for you,” he murmurs against my throat.

“It was much harder for you,” I say, holding him as tightly as I held Bethany.

We stand there for a long time and I just hold him, letting him collect himself.

“What can I do, Benedict?” I ask.

“Stand with me when I tell my pack. Lend me your strength, Sloane. Just be here for me,” he says.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I tell him. I know I’ll have to call my grandfather, not only to tell him what happened, but to let him know I won’t be returning to his pack today. We have a lot of work to do, but we have the week to do it. Right now, I need to be here for Benedict and for Bethany, and probably for their pack too, if they’ll accept my help.

Benedict finally pulls away from me, sniffing and gritting his teeth as he fights his own tears.

“I’ll have to contact our allies, let them know that my mother is no longer part of our pack.”

“What about dad?” Bethany asks.

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“It’s his choice what he wants to do. He’s welcome to stay here, and I hope he does, but I won’t force him to. If he wants to leave, I’ll let him,” Benedict tells her.

“And what about me?” Bethany asks, her voice so small she sounds years younger than she is.

“Your place is here, Bethany. You need to stay, even if dad leaves. In truth, I’d like you to become the acting Luna here. The pack would accept you easily and you could use the practice in case you’re mated to an Alpha. But this is your home, and I want you here,” he says.

She nods, then she rushes into his arms. He holds her tight and mother and possibly their father if he decides to leave the pack. lean on each other in the days and weeks to come.

step away, letting the two of them grieve the loss of their

m thankful they have each other. They’re going to need to

“Will you stand beside me while I address the pack, Beth?” he asks her.

She swipes the tears from her eyes and gives him a watery smile.

“Where else would your acting Luna be, Bene, except at your side?”

“Goddess, I love you, Beth. I’m so thankful to have you in my life.” he says, kissing her forehead. Then he reaches his hand

out to me.

I step forward and take it. “I’m lucky to have two amazing, strong women in my life, women I admire, trust, and love. I’m going to call the pack together, and then we’ll deal with whatever fallout there is.”

Thirty minutes later, the three of us make our way outside. The stage from last night where Benedict was sworn in as Alpha is still there. The three of us climb up the stairs, and turn to face the crowd.

“Thank you all for gathering. I can tell that the rumor mill is already going crazy, so I wanted to address what’s happening.” he says, then turns, gesturing for Bethany and I to join him.

We step up on either side of him, like sentries, standing with a leader against unknown enemies.

“Your previous Luna, my mother, has been banished from the pack. She has been undermining me and my relationship with Sloane Hartwell for weeks. I will not tolerate disrespect or defiance in this pack. She was warned, but she ignored my warnings and chose to send a she–wolf to my bedroom last night in an attempt to break up my relationship with Sloane. That will not be tolerated, not even by my mother. Therefore, she was banished from the pack. My father rejected her and is currently recovering in our pack hospital. Thankfully, my sister, Bethany, has agreed to be my acting Luna.”

You could have heard a pin drop the pack was so quiet. It felt like the wind was afraid to blow, and the birds were afraid to make a sound. It was deathly quiet.

“I can feel your unrest at what I’ve said. Please, if you have any questions, ask them,” he says.

It’s quiet as the pack members shift uncomfortably and look at each other. Finally, a brave person speaks.

“Alpha, are you going to punish us too?”

I look at Benedict and see him frown.

“You’re going to have to be more specific. What would I punish you for?” he asks.

The woman looks from him to me, then at her friends.

“Luna told us the children of the Hartwells weren’t worth our time, Alpha. She told us that they were beneath us, the children of murderers, and if we befriended them, she’d have us banished from the pack.”

Well, that explains a lot.

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Benedict snarls and takes a step forward. I grab his arm.

“It’s not their fault, Benedict. They were listening to their Luna, someone they should have been able to trust. You can’t hold them accountable for that,” I tell him.

“Why did WE never hear of this?” Bethany growls, stepping forward.

“I don’t know, Alpha, but it’s true. It’s common knowledge among our pack and our allies‘ packs. The children of Alpha Sawyer and Luna Althea are the children of murderers and have no place in our world. They are blights on our packs. That’s what Luna said,” another pack member says. He’s only a year or two older than I am, one of the people who tried to bully me until he realized that I was a stronger, better fighter than he is.

Benedict turns and looks at me, his eyes closing as he realizes what I’m realizing. All those years of bullying, all the years of hate that were spewed at me by my peers, it was all because of his mother.

“Sloane…”

“It’s not your fault, Benedict,” I say quietly.

“Well, that fucking shit ends now! Do you hear me?” Bethany snarls.

“Bethany…” Benedict says, his attention snapping to her.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to allow it to continue, Benedict,” she growls. “I’ve dealt with my share of assholes trying to bully Slade. I won’t allow it, not now that I know it was our own mother who started it.”

I fight not to smile. Bethany has a bit of fire in her.

“Of course I’m not going to allow it, Beth,” Benedict says turning to the pack. “I won’t punish you for what you did under my mother’s tenure as Luna. As Alpha Sloane just mentioned, that wouldn’t be fair to you. But from this day forward, if I hear even one word against the Hartwells, Sloane, Slade, or Aria, you will no longer be welcome in this pack. Am I clear?” he barks.

“Yes, Alpha!” the entire pack responds.

“Good. Dismissed.”

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.