Dean had anticipated something like this. It was the reason he’d stayed in the shadows, watching and waiting. But seeing Mark lay even a finger on Becca had pushed him past his limit.
His voice was cold, filled with lethal warning. “Are you here to beg, or to lay hands on my mate?”
Mark didn’t answer. He knew anything he said would only escalate the situation—and that wasn’t why he was here. His pride was already buried under the weight of desperation. He had come to ask, to plead if necessary, not to challenge. Not this time.
Still, he couldn’t surrender everything—not his title. He was born to lead, raised for it. Being Alpha was the only thing he had left.
“You heard her,” Dean’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. “Step down, Alpha Mark, and maybe your pack won’t wither awa
