Ben entered the village hall, followed closely by Paul, Sarah and Simon, and took a seat on the stage. He had asked Sarah to walk with him as his mate but she had refused.

"It isn't the right time, Ben," she said.

"Why? Why isn't it, Sarah? You should be there with me."

"I will be, but as a parent, not a mate. This is about Aiden. Don't make it about us."

Looking around at the seated faces in the hall, Ben knew she had been right. His pack had learned to respect him for doing what was right and in turn, he had learned to include them in decisions...