Amanda had been feeling the conflict and anguish through their mate bond ever since Renee's announcement. Days like today she dreaded the responsibility of their Alpha pairing, there was no 'good' decision they could make. She lay naked next to her mate and pulled him gently to her breast while she stroked his hair and he cried gently on her skin. Alphas don't cry, but mates do, and in the privacy of their den he could be himself. "I can't do it. I can't do this to Renee and I can't change my mind in front of the Pack. I already pronounced his sentence."

"I know what that man was...