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'I know that his crime wasn't a violent one, but Richard was not fit to be Alpha. He gambled away your pack's money and borrowed from the wrong people. He made the wrong choices again and again with no sign of ever changing.'

I remain silent and chew on my bottom lip. Eventually, I speak.

'He needed help.'

Caesar gives me a hard look, one that silently tells me to be honest with myself.

'How long had he been in debt, Cam? Years. That man wasn't going to change. The first step in breaking an addiction is admitting to the problem. Don't sit there and tell me that he was willing to accept help.'

I'm so caught up in his words that I barely noticed he has used my nickname instead of my full name.

His words are not only harsh, they are true, as well. I nod slowly, accepting defeat.

He's right.

Richard was on a path that only lead to one place. I tried so many times to get him off that path. Many pack members tried, too. It was hopeless, he didn't want our help.

That doesn't mean he deserved to die, but I'm not sure what future was there for him.

'Weaker packs get overthrown, you know this,' he says gently. 'Richard got himself into a mess he couldn't fix. He should never have borrowed from the Demonio pack.'

I agree with that, he never should have. No one trusts them.

'They borrowed the money from me with the promise of paying it back. When they couldn't pay me back, they tried to double-cross me. They paid for their mistakes with their lives, including Richard. I have to be strong, be seen as strong, to protect my pack.'

He reaches across and takes my hand, squeezing it comfortingly.

'I understand that this is a completely different way from how your old pack did things, but sometimes, mistakes shouldn't be forgiven. I don't want you hating me forever. I want you to know that everything I do is in the best interest of my pack.'

I think on his words for a moment as he patiently waits. After a minute or so, I squeeze his hand back.

'I don't hate you.'

He gives me a sexy half-smile. 'Good.'

We talk some more before going up to bed. I explain that I would like my own space for a couple of nights. I don't feel ready to share a bed with him yet. Now that our conversation is not in front of half of his pack, Caesar is much more accommodating.

I'm given the spare room and I sleep there happily. It's easier to get to sleep because we are back on speaking terms again.

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It is the smell of waffles that rouses me the following morning. I get ready and then follow my nose downstairs. Seeing me enter, Caesar quickly plates up the waffles keeping warm in the oven.

'You didn't have to do all of this,' I tell him as we sit at the table.

There are bowls of fruit, syrup, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, you name it.

He shrugs. 'I feel like you've already seen the worst sides of me. I want to show you the good sides before you decide to run for the hills.'

I give him a deadpan look and serve myself three waffles.

Why not?

It's a nice experience, eating breakfast with my mate. I help him clean up after we've finished and we return the kitchen to being spotless again.

I feel Caesar's eyes on me and look up at him. Our eyes lock and my heart feels like it is beating exactly in time with his. It's impossible to know for sure, but it feels like it.

'You've got some chocolate...'

He carefully wipes the corner of my mouth. He brings his thumb to his lips and sucks the chocolate from it whilst looking at me. The oddly erotic gesture has me licking my lips. His eyes follow the movement.

Something builds between us. Something that can't be ignored or quashed. He leans in slightly and I remain frozen, watching his every move. He leans a little closer and I still don't move.

The doorbell rings.

Caesar curses under his breath.

I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding.

Time, that was previously standing still, suddenly starts moving forwards again. Caesar goes to open the door and I shake my head to clear it of my lustful thoughts.

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For the next few days, Ismena and Caesar take it in turns to introduce me to pack members and help me get settled.

I start to feel my walls coming down with Caesar. I try to fight it, I really do, but he's making such an effort. A small, annoying voice in the back of my head keeps reminding me why I'm cautious about him, but that voice is drowned out by the rest of my brain that loves everything about him.

He's my soulmate, how am I supposed to fight that?

Seeing that I'm tense, Ismena suggests that we go out. I decline at first but damn, that woman is persistent. She manages to break Caesar down until he agrees, too.

I thought we were going to go out shopping or something. Ismena takes me into a fancy dress shop and the two guards Caesar ordered to watch us wait outside.

I start looking at dresses, only to have my arm yanked as I'm dragged to the back where the emergency exit is. We sneak out and skip across the aisle to a bistro café.

'What are we getting?' I ask Ismena when we sit down in the back.

She grins at me and wiggles her eyebrows 'Bottomless brunch.'

Oh, that's deadly.

But I'm so down for it.

The brunch consists of pancakes and bacon. The prosecco is bottomless and never-ending. together, we finish three bottles.

I am a giggling, drunk mess. The food definitely helped line my stomach, but 9 glasses of prosecco are kicking my ass right now.

Ismena gets a call and immediately pushes her phone towards me. I look at the screen and see that her brother is showing up as the caller.

Oops.

Finding the whole situation hilarious, I swipe to accept the call and hold it up to my ear.

'I think it's time for you to come home,' Caesar says before I can even greet him. 'I cannot believe you have gotten my mate drunk. You are such a bad influence, Ismena.'

His chastising makes me giggle. 'It's not your sister! It's me!' I tell him happily.

He pauses for a moment and then sighs. 'My men are waiting for you outside the café. Come home, please.'

'Are you mad?' I ask quietly and chew on my nail.

Ismena watches me with a smug look. She tips the bottle upside down and empties the final drops into her glass. She pouts and closes one eye to look down the neck of the empty bottle.

'I'm not mad, agapoúla mou. I'm worried. Please come home so that I can look after you.'

I like the sound of that.

'Can I have chips?'

'Didn't you just eat brunch?'

'Maybe. I want chips, though.'

'Okay. There will be chips.'

'And mayo?'

'And mayo.'

'Awesome. See you soon.'

I hang up and slide Ismena's phone back across the table.

'We gotta go. Caesar's making chips.'

She considers it and then shrugs. 'Alright.'

She downs the last of the bubbles in her glass and we both get down from the high stools. I grab the table for support as the whole world tilts and sways dramatically.

Whoa.

'Hold me,' Ismena says worriedly and reaches out to grab my arm.

'I don't know how much help I'll be,' I reply and hiccup. 'I'm not very stable, either.'

'If we go down, we go down together,' she replies.

Caesar's men look us up and down, their eyes narrowed in irritation. They're still pissed that we ditched them at the dress shop, I think. They're probably not happy about having to drive our drunk asses home, either.

We're home in ten minutes. Caesar is waiting outside the front door for us when we get out of the car. His lips are pressed into a grim line and his arms are crossed over his chest.

'You're in trouble,' Ismena sings happily as she dances down the driveway. 'Good luck, girl!'

She skips away, drunk and carefree, whilst I turn back to my grouchy mate. I sheepishly walk into the house whilst he watches disapprovingly.

I take a seat in the kitchen and wait for the telling off. Caesar is quiet for a moment, letting me stew in my thoughts.

It's annoying that he looks so hot. He's in a muscle-fit shirt that hugs his gorgeous body.

'You're hot.'

The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.

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