"All done?" Alexei looked up from the table, barely keeping himself from reaching across the table to strangle the man. It had surprised him that he had so much self-control.

Bennett had scribbled his name across all twenty-eight sheets of documents with the flick of his pen. The sound of pen meeting paper resounded through the cabin. It was the only noise for the last thirty minutes because he sure as fuck wasn't even going to attempt small talk with the man. Call him petty but he had no time for people who fucked with people he cared about. He still wasn't sure what the man was planning or if he had hidden intentions. He simply was there to get his ass to sign all the papers.

However, he didn't doubt Jude.

Jude knew what he was doing. He'd followed the man for years and not a single time did the man let him down. He had enough faith to know that Jude wouldn't let him down now.

It seemed like Bennett had come to terms with being under Jude's authority since it took him a hell of a lot of time to read through every leaf of paper. The loud scrape of his pen did nothing for his patience.

He would have preferred to have taken the papers into the caves where they could conduct business there, but Bennett had been quicker, the sly motherfucker. Somehow the man knew Jude had sent someone back. So, when Alexei arrived at the cabin in the mountains, Bennett had been waiting on the steps, watching him approach in his wolf form.

From there, Alexei went into business mode, communicating Jude's wishes from word to word.

"Yeah, I'm done." The Alpha placed the pen down. "I've signed at every dotted line as you've requested."

Thank fuck.

Alexei was ready to leave the cabin. He had planned to stay up in the mountains for a single night but instead, he was trapped for a whole week up in the mountains trying to get the paperwork completed for Jude for the transition that was going to occur in several days.

When Jude had first revealed the plans, he was shocked by the demands Bennett conjured. He couldn't understand why the man himself had conditions. He had the audacity to impose conditions. Alexei was beyond surprised when he realised that his own Alpha had permitted it. It was more than what the man deserved. For all he cared, Bennett could just eat shit. He didn't deserve anything, even a lick tolerance from anyone in the Pack. However, Jude had more patience than he ever had. The man was practically a saint, but his Alpha wasn't stupid. There had to be a perfectly good reason as to why Jude was allowing the man to make demands.

However, it was official. The Blue Cave Pack were no longer going to be anything after they pledged their allegiance to the Shadow Hunters. Everything had been signed, although Bennett took great amusement in dragging out the whole process.

Since Alexei had merely planned for one night, he hadn't taken anything except the clothes he had in a bag for after he shifted into his human form. The bag also contained the crisp documents for Bennett to sign.

He regretted not taking his phone, tablet, and more clothes. He regretted not informing Penelope he would be gone to settle business with Bennett. He despised that he had to leave the Pack on short notice, but he was the only one in Jude's inner circle that was available to go. So, he went. If he had known how long the motherfucker planned to stretch it, he would've asked Jude for someone else to come but he had no means to communicate with anyone and the distance between them all was too great to attempt a successful link.

So, he was forced to tolerate Bennett's company.

It was no shock to him that Bennett was nothing but an asshole.

He genuinely shocked himself that he hadn't taken one of the pointed knives from the drawers in the kitchen and skewered him with it.

"We will expect you all tomorrow evening. Don't be late." Alexei warned.

"The kids won't be able to travel the distance in their wolves. They'll tire easily. The elderly too will have issues." Bennett informed.

Alexei picked up the papers, patting them into a neat stack and slipping it under the weight of his bicep. "Jude will arrange transport for those in need. They'll have to be transported in the morning. Anything else?" His patience was wearing thin. He was done being secluded in this tiny cabin with Bennett being the only person he'd communicated with throughout the week.

He wanted a direct route to Penelope.

He'd been gone too long without a word. His wolf was already growling beneath his skin, wanting to see his mate. He was restless and it was taking all his patience to not leave Bennett hanging. Alexei's wolf wasn't the only one unsettled by the circumstances. He was too.

His impatience bled into the tap of his boots. Tap, tap, tap-

"No. That's all." Bennett finally responded.

"Great." Alexei stood, stretching his neck side to side. He was ready to leave but Bennett was taking his sweet time getting his ass out of the chair. "Then goodbye." He flicked the stack of papers and bag. He waited at the door for Bennett to get his ass out. When he finally passed him, he locked the door behind him.

"I'll see you later." Alexei descended the stairs. He didn't bother looking over his shoulder to see if the man responded or not. He didn't care in the slightest. He shoved the papers into his bag and morphed, feeling the familiar tingle of the shift roll through his body. He plucked the bag up between his jaws and darted into the opening in the trees.

He sure did not give a fuck that he could hear Bennett calling out to him.

Only one thing mattered to him.

Penelope.

His Solnishko.

He had left things between them for too long and it worried him that their last words to each other were things said in anger.

He had more than a few wrinkles to iron out when he returned. It had been trying on his wolf and human, being apart from their mate.

He needed to go home.

But more than that, he needed to see Penelope.