Chapter 47 Let's have a plan
~Keith~
Matt's teasing grin softened into something more genuine. He was quiet for a moment, letting my words settle in the space between us.
"I know," he said finally. "I've seen you with her. I've seen the way you light up when she walks into a room, even when you're trying to hide it.” He shook his head slowly. "I never thought I'd see the day, man. Honestly. I thought you'd die alone, surrounded by a harem of women whose names you couldn't remember."
"That was the plan," I admitted. "It was a good plan. A safe plan."
"And then the universe decided to screw you over by giving you a mate who happens to be married to your father." Matt let out a low whistle. "You really know how to pick them."
"I didn't pick her. That's the whole point of a mate bond."
"I know, I know. Fate chose her for you, the moon goddess works in mysterious ways, blah blah blah." He waved a dismissive hand. "Doesn't change the fact that you're in the most complicated romantic situation in the history of werewolf kind. Congratulations. You've achieved something truly special."
I couldn't help it. Despite everything, despite the fear and the frustration and the bone-deep exhaustion, a small laugh escaped me. Matt had always had that effect on me. He could find humor in the darkest moments and make me smile even when everything was falling apart.
"So what's your plan?" he asked, and his voice had become serious again. The teasing was gone, replaced by the sharp tactical mind of the beta who had stood beside me through every challenge we had ever faced. "Because right now, you're caught between an Alpha King who's watching your every move, a fiancée who's going to arrive in a month expecting you to welcome her with open arms, and a mate bond that you can't break even if you wanted to."
I stared at the bottle in my hands, watching the amber liquid catch the light. "I don't have a plan," I admitted. "I've been so focused on Sage that I haven't thought beyond the next stolen moment with her. Every time I try to think about the future, I just... I can't see a way out."
Matt was quiet for a long moment. When he spoke again, his voice was serious in a way I rarely heard from him.
"That's not good enough, Keith."
I looked up, meeting his eyes.
"If you want to keep Sage safe," he continued, "if you want any chance of actually being with her, you need to start thinking like the future Alpha you're supposed to be. Not like the lovesick fool you've become."
"Lovesick fool. That's nice. Very supportive."
"I'm not here to hold your hand and tell you everything's going to be okay. I'm here to make sure you don't get yourself killed." He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "Your father isn't stupid. He's been playing this game for decades. If you think you can just stumble through this on instinct and hope, you're going to lose. And losing doesn't just mean you don't get the girl. Losing means Sage ends up trapped with him forever. Losing means you end up mated to Raina, bound to a woman you despise for the rest of your very long werewolf life."
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. Not because I hadn't thought about these possibilities, but because hearing them spoken aloud made them feel terrifyingly real.
"So what do you suggest?" I asked. "Because I'm open to ideas. Hell, I'm desperate for ideas."
Matt sat back, his expression thoughtful. "First, we need to understand what we're dealing with. Raina isn't just some random omega your father picked out of a catalog. She's the daughter of Alpha Blackwood, which means she grew up in a household just as ruthless as yours. She's been trained for this. She's been waiting for this."
"You think I don't know that?"
"I think you've been so focused on avoiding this marriage that you haven't actually thought about what Raina herself is going to bring to the table." Matt's jaw tightened. "I've heard rumors about her, Keith. About the things she's done to people who got in her way. About her temper and her possessiveness and her absolute refusal to accept anything less than total devotion."
A coldness formed in my stomach. "What kind of rumors?"
"The kind that make me very concerned about what happens when she figures out you're in love with another woman." Matt held my gaze, his expression grave. "Raina isn't going to shrug and walk away if she senses competition. She's going to try to destroy that competition. And if she finds out that competition is your father's Luna..."
He didn't need to finish the sentence. The implications hung in the air between us.
"I won't let her hurt Sage," I said, and my voice came out harder than I intended. "I won't let anyone hurt her. I'll burn this whole kingdom down before I let that happen."
Matt studied me for a long moment. "There he is," he said quietly. "There's the Alpha I know."
I blinked, thrown off by the sudden change in his tone.
"You've been so caught up in your feelings that you forgot who you are," Matt continued. "You forgot that you're not just some lovesick pup chasing after a pretty face. You're Keith. You're the heir to the most powerful pack in the territory. You've faced down challengers and threats and your father's impossible expectations for your entire life." He leaned forward again, his eyes intense. "You can handle this. But you need to start acting like it."
Something clicked into place inside me. Matt was right. I had been so overwhelmed by the situation, so consumed by fear and longing and frustration, that I had lost sight of my own strength. I had forgotten that I wasn't powerless here. I had options. I had resources. I had a beta who would stand beside me no matter what.
"Okay," I said slowly. "So we make a plan."
"We make a plan," Matt agreed. "And the first step is figuring out exactly what we're up against. Your father's motivations, Raina weaknesses, the terms of the engagement, everything. Knowledge is power, and right now we're operating blind."
I nodded.
"One month," I said. "We have one month before she arrives."
"Then we better get to work." Matt stood up and stretched, cracking his neck with a satisfied grunt. "But first, I need you to promise me something."
"What?"
He grinned, and the teasing glint was back in his eyes. "Promise me that when all this is over, when you've somehow managed to escape your arranged marriage and ride off into the sunset with your forbidden love, you'll let me be the best man at your wedding. I have a speech prepared. It's mostly just a detailed timeline of your transformation from heartless playboy to pathetic romantic, but I think it'll really bring the house down."
I threw the pillow at him again. This time it connected, smacking him square in the face.
"I hate you," I repeated.
"You love me," he countered, tossing the pillow aside. "And you're going to owe me so many favors by the time this is over. I'm talking lifetime supply of good whiskey. I'm talking naming your firstborn after me. I'm talking—"
"Get out of my room before I murder you."
Matt lounged for the door, still laughing as I threw another pillow at him.