Listen to me 163
Chapter 163
Sloane
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I never expected my eighteenth birthday to be as fun as it was. I knew Uncle Roman’s pack cared about me. They’ve always been a wonderful pack, led by a wonderful Alpha and Luna, but having Benedict there at my side the entire evening, having the pack congratulate me and Scarlet about our new positions and asking us about our new pack was very exciting.
Of course, Stephanie was disappointed when she found out that Will already knew about me being Grandpa Waylon’s granddaughter and that he planned to name me his successor, but based on the short amount of time they lasted at my party, I’m guessing she wasn’t that disappointed.
Will promised to sign an alliance agreement with me before he left in the morning. Uncle Roman had one waiting for me that he’d already signed, as did Alpha Austin, and before the party was over, Uncle Roman told me that Alpha Adam had also sent over an alliance agreement to ensure that my pack was completely wrapped in the security of his protection.
As the party began to die down, I sat in a lounge chair between Benedict’s legs, resting against his chest.
“What are you thinking?” he asks, nuzzling my ear.
“This has been my home for so long. It feels strange that it’s not going to be my home any longer.”
“We’ll make a new home, together,” he says.
I turn and look at him over my shoulder. “You like the idea of combining the packs and building a new packhouse on our shared border?”
“I do. I had a chance to talk to your Uncle and Alpha Austin about it earlier while you were dancing with Scarlet, Bethany, and Stephanie. Very sexy, by the way,” he says, kissing my shoulder.
I chuckle. I might have been swaying my hips, knowing he was watching me.
“What did they say?”
“They love the idea, although your Uncle realized immediately that it would put him at risk of losing top pack position,” he says, chuckling. “I made sure he knew that WE’D be happy to sign an alliance agreement with HIM if that were the case.”
Now I laugh out loud. “How did he take that?”
“Not as well as Alpha Austin. I thought he was going to fall over he was laughing so hard.”
“Is that why he was laughing?”
“Yep.”
“What about the Beta position? Have you given any thought to that?” I ask.
“Yes. We haven’t had a chance to talk about what I walked in on at home, but Ellis is out. I talked to Scarlet earlier and she didn’t seem to have any problems taking over as Beta for a larger pack.”
I turn and look at my mate. “You’ve been very busy today. When did you have time for all these conversations?”
“I had to fill the gaps when I wasn’t with you,” he says, kissing my nose. “Did you have a nice birthday?”
“It was wonderful. Thank you for being here. Thank you for making it special for me.”
“I have to admit, I prefer this to the type of birthday party my mother threw me. This relaxed, casual party is much more my style.”
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“Have you heard from your mother?” I ask.
He shakes his head, staring at the bonfire that is still burning.
“No, and I don’t expect to. Hopefully, she’s finally heeded my warning and will stay far away.”
“How is your father?” I ask.
“He’s leaving,” he says softly.
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“Leaving? Going where?” I ask.
“He wants to find his fated mate and apologize to her.” He shakes his head. “You know, our parents‘ generation wasn’t very smart when it came to the mate bond. I’m glad we’re smarter.”
“Well, in some ways, I’m glad your father wasn’t smart about it. If it weren’t for your mother, you wouldn’t be here. And without you, I’d be a lonely, lost woman, destined to die an old maid,” I say, grinning.
He growls. “I’m sure whatever version of me that had been born to my parents would have been mated to you, Sloane. We’re fated, meant to be together. Your necklace says so,” he says, looking at it. “Which reminds me, we have date with you wearing that and nothing else.”
We spend the night making love until our bodies are buzzing with pleasure, then we fall asleep, wrapped in each other’s arms. In the morning, I go see the pack doctor and get put on birth control.
“You’re lucky the pull–out method worked, Alpha Sloane. It doesn’t always work with fated mates. But you were underage and not marked. In the future, you need to be more careful and if you really want to avoid a pregnancy, you’ll need to have your hormone levels checked every couple of months. A wolf’s metabolism burns off birth control faster than a human’s and an Alpha’s, especially a powerful Alpha’s, burns it off even faster. You can ask your Aunt Samara about that. She’s in here every couple of months, even now.”
“Good to know, thank you. I’ll make sure to follow up with my pack doctor in my new pack,” I tell her.
“If they have any questions, they can call me. I’ve been working with your aunt for nine years. I have some experience with the reproductive systems of powerful Alpha females.”
Afterward, I say goodbye to my family, thanking Uncle Roman and Samara for my party. When I say goodbye to Slade, he hugs me tightly.
“I’m not leaving forever. You can come visit me any time, Slade,” I say.
“I know, but it won’t be the same without you here, Sloane.”
I was even more surprised when Aria and Jessica began crying when I said goodbye to them.
“This isn’t goodbye, not forever,” I told them. “You can come visit any time. As a matter of fact, why don’t you talk to your parents about coming to visit in a week or two, okay? I need to move my bedroom, and I think Grandpa Waylon and Grandma Judith plan on taking a trip, so it would be a perfect time to paint the Alpha floor,” I say,
“Can we choose the color of our rooms?” Jessica hiccups, swiping tears from her eyes.
“Of course you can!” I don’t tell her that I’ll be building a new packhouse soon, but it won’t matter. It makes sense that our existing packhouses could be used as a place for visitors to stay once the new packhouse is built. Which means it would be a perfect place for Aria, Jessica, and the rest of my siblings and cousins to have a second home.
When I stand, I realize my family aren’t the only ones who is teary–eyed. Many of the omegas are crying and even some of the warriors look like they’re fighting tears.
I hadn’t intended to take this much time saying goodbye, but as I begin to make my way through the crowd, I realize that
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every one of them needs this bit of closure with me. So, I take as long as needed to say goodbye, letting everyone know they’ll see me again soon, and that they’re welcome to come visit anytime.
When I finally finish my goodbyes, Uncle Roman is frowning, watching the interactions.
“I know. I wasn’t expecting all of that either,” I say to him.
“It’s not that Sloane. I was just suddenly reminded of the day I took Samara from Alpha William’s pack. His pack had a very similar response to her leaving. It was almost as if the pack was going into mourning, missing her before she’d even left. It feels very similar to how our pack is responding to you leaving. It says a lot about the love that this pack has for you and the person that you are to have created such loyalty and love from your pack members. It bodes well for your future as an Alpha.”
“Thank you, Uncle Roman.”
He looks at me a long moment. “You know I’m only a phone call away. If ever you need anything, anything at all…”
“Thank you,” I say, hugging him tightly. His strong arms come around me, arms that have made sure that me and my siblings were safe from the moment my parents were killed. “Thank you for everything.”
He holds me a moment longer, then lets me go.
“Congratulations again, Alpha, and I hope to hear that you and your mate have marked each other soon.”
“That makes two of us,” Benedict says, making me laugh.
He holds out his hand to me. Since Scarlet and I arrived together, she took our car back to the pack and I am leaving with Benedict and Bethany. He told me about his ultimatum with his pack, so I’m going back to make sure everyone knows that we are together and show a unified front. I’ll head back to my pack tonight, then tomorrow, we’ll start alternating back and forth between the packs at night.
I take Benedict’s hand and we walk to his car. I’ve packed up most of what was left here in this pack. Since I didn’t have a lot of personal items to begin with, and I’ve slowly brought things to Grandpa Waylon’s pack, there isn’t that much. Plus, I’ve ordered new bedroom furniture for my new room in my new packhouse so I can start fresh with my new life.
I wave at everyone as Benedict pulls away, feeling nostalgic, knowing that I won’t be coming back again for a much longer time than I have in the past.
“You okay?” Benedict asks, taking my hand in his.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay. It’s time for me to look forward, right? Time for me to start planning for my future, our future. together.”
I watch Uncle Roman’s pack disappear in the rearview mirror, then I turn and smile at the man beside me, the man who is my future.
Kaelin POV
“I’ve decided to attack Alpha Waylon’s pack,” Alpha Felix says.
“That’s great news,” I say. The only problem is that now, Sloane is the Alpha, not my sperm–donor
“It is, except, it’s not your father’s pack any longer, is it? It’s your niece’s pack now, right?”
“How did you…?”
“Let me guess. You didn’t think you could defeat the she–wolf, so you wanted my warriors to go with you to challenge your father BEFORE she took over as Alpha. Well, it’s too late for that. And now, while I am willing to attack the pack, I’m not willing to put you in the Alpha position. We’re going to attack, you’re going to help us, and Milo here is going to mark your
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niece, making himself the Alpha of that pack. She turned eighteen yesterday and our intel says that she’s returning home this evening. The she–wolf she named as Beta has already returned home. She’s marked and mated, by the way, so she’s not an option for you.”
“Why would I help you if you aren’t willing to make me Alpha?” I growl.
“You want revenge on your father, right? Now’s your chance. Take it or leave it. I don’t particularly care if the old man lives. He’s not worth my time. But we have to strike now, before that pack becomes stronger. You have …” he looks at his watch. “Six hours. We leave at midnight and will attack in the middle of the night. By tomorrow, Milo will have marked and mated your niece. We’ll have his Alpha ceremony in the morning and then, he’ll be untouchable.”
I turn and stalk from the room. That fucking bastard is taking my pack!
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.