The Ghuardian's office was the last one at the end of the hallway. Ray grabbed the handle and jerked the door open, slamming it against the wall as he stepped inside. "Kai, we need to talk—"

His Alpha—the Ghuardian—didn't bother to look up, keeping his eyes on the stack of papers in front of him. "Did you forget to knock?" He pointed at the still-open door.

"Cut the crap, Kai, I'm here because I need to ask—"

The seemingly distracted male shook his head, signaling once more to the door.

Ray snarled viciously. He walked back to the door and knocked loudly.

"Yes?" Kai called out as he looked up. "Ray, what a surprise! What can I do for you?" He put his pen down and leaned back in his chair.

Ray watched his Alpha smile at him and wanted to growl in frustration. "Don't play the fool, Kai." Ray's eyes darkened as his anger rose. He made his way over to the large desk in front of Kai and sat down on one of the chairs in front of it. "I need you to stop the Leyum from finding me a mate. You're the Ghuardian. You should be able to stop them."

Kai's icy gray eyes stared at Ray. "No. You knew what you were in for the day you signed your contract as a Beta."

"I know what I signed, but this is ridiculous. If I want a mate, I can find someone on my own. I don't need the Leyum or anyone else to do that for me."

The Alpha sighed. "Every Beta turning thirty has to have a mate. If they don't choose one of their own accord, the Leyum step in and choose for them. You had time, Ray. You were given two months' leave last year and the year before that, so you could look for someone. You always returned empty-handed. I will not fight the Leyum over this. Rules are rules."

"Well, I'm not going to play along." Ray's eyes blazed like fire.

"You will," Kai answered, his voice stern. He sat back up. "Or do you want to lose your rank? Stripped of everything you worked so hard for? You know they won't hesitate to take it away from you."

"You're the Ghuardian, Kai. You can fix it."

"No," Kai said. "There can be no exceptions. If I make one for you, then Bryan, Tala, and Spencer will show up in a few years and demand the same from me. I'm not fixing anything. Since you've proved yourself unable to find a mate, you're going to have to accept the Leyum's choice."

Ray rose from his chair, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Then make them find me someone decent. The first two candidates from their so-called pool were worthless."

Kai looked at him with a warning. "Calling females worthless, are we?"

"You know what I mean. They didn't match me on any level. If the Leyum sends me someone like the last two, then—" he paused for a second "—I'll kick her out the same day. My time won't be wasted again."

"No. You'll do the trial and you will complete those three months." Kai let his words sink in. "I was forgiving with the previous two candidates and convinced the Leyum to let it slide, but with the third candidate that won't be the case. You will be nice to her and you will try." Kai's eyes burrowed into Ray's. "You can't be alone forever, Ray. You need a mate."

Kai's aura was hard to withstand, his body vibrating with power and dominance in a show to remind Ray he was outranked. Ray fought to hold his ground, but struggled against his instincts, against the command of his Alpha.

His inner wolf was ready to roll over and expose his underbelly, but Ray wasn't as willing to do his Alpha's bidding and forced the words past his lips. "That depends, Kai." Ray's eyes flickered from Kai to the floor and back. "Tell the Leyum to find me someone who's compatible or you'll have to look for a new Beta." Without waiting for an answer, Ray stormed out of the office.

He made his way over to the garden, needing to clear his head.

A dense forest surrounded the mansion, marking their territory. While the estate housed the Ghuardian, the rest of the pack lived in the woods, alone or in scattered groups. Trampling across the grass, he pulled off his shirt. Upon reaching the tree line, Ray kicked off his shoes, dropping his shirt and the rest of his clothes in a small pile on the grass. Naked, he rolled his shoulder, hearing a satisfying pop.

Fur replaced skin as he shifted. Bones relocated, muscles stretched and reshaped. His body changed its structure to that of an ebony wolf with eyes like copper.

Landing on four paws, he shook out his fur. The thrill of changing always made him feel better. Ray dug his nails into the dirt and breathed in deeply. The scents of the forest hit him: pine trees, oak, birch, and maple; wildflowers and damp moss; and so much wildlife. All of it mixing together made his senses flare, giving him another thrill.

Ray made room for his wolf, giving the animal more control over their mind and body. His thoughts faded in an attempt to find some peace and to calm himself.

The wolf didn't need any encouragement from the human and took off. Leaping through the air for a long and challenging run. He left the mansion behind him and headed for the farthest part of the territory, where he was confident he would be alone.