The next few days Blair tried to avoid her father by shifting and running, really, she was searching for signs of Ben. So much had happened and Blair wasn't able to process any of it before she was expected to make decisions. "Ben, where are you," she said out loud sitting on the edge of their territory. "You need your mate," a voice whispered. "I can't think of that now," Blair argued. Blair sighed, "People are going to try and mark you; you can feel it," the whisper urged. Blair tried to communicate with Ben, she tried to concentrate on him and asking him where he was, but all she could think about was what that voice had said. She sighed and shifted back and ran back to the house.
She hid some clothes in the pool house, she put them on and headed back inside. "Ah Blair, I was looking for you," her dad said. "For what?" She asked. "We need to speak in your office," he said. She sighed, "Dad, I'm not making any decisions about anything yet, so I think we're done," she said. "Alright, but we need to pick your council members," Kaspar said gently pushing her towards the conference room. Jen happened to be walking by, "Jen is my Beta," she announced. Jen looked at her, "She's perfect, she was Ben's Luna and her father was your beta," Blair added. Jen looked at them confused, "Fine, Jen come along," Kaspar called. "What are you doing?" Jen whispered. "I'll explain later," Blair whispered back.
They walked into the full conference room, "Blair has chosen Jen as her Beta, since she was Ben's Luna," Kaspar announced. Tobias looked across the table at his daughter, she tried to smile at him, but he looked worried. "I'll hear your concerns," she told them. "If you complete the mating ceremony, you will be taken to the Ever-green pack it's seventy miles away, how can you be Luna there and Alpha here?" Todd asked. Blair hadn't thought about that, she couldn't leave them now. "They could unite the two packs," Elder Wallace offered. "And who's name, and traditions should we absorb, ever-green?" Bruce spat. "No, we would keep our traditions, merely fall under their protection," Blair tried to assure them. "Are we expected to pick up our homes and jobs and move them closer to ever-green?" Kaspar asked angry. "Dad," Blair scolded. "So ever-green's territory grows," Todd said venom in his voice.
Blair was getting angry, and Jen sat confused with all these questions. "What do you purpose, Elder Luther?" Blair asked, since he was the shaman and traditions specialist, she wanted to hear what he had to say. Elder Luther looked at Blair, then Craig, then down at the table, "I think you should reject this mate, and wait for the moon goddess to send you another, perhaps someone from this pack," he replied. Blair was shocked, how could a shaman ask her to reject her mate. Jen just gaped at the man; it wasn't the first time a shaman had suggested that, but it was usually at the request of someone else. "I'm not making any decisions now, I've heard your concerns and I'll take them into consideration, thank you," she told them coldly. Blair grabbed Jen's hand as they all got up and shuffled out, "I'm sorry I threw you in here," Blair apologized. "What are you going to do?" Jen asked. "I don't know yet," Blair answered. "I'm going to talk to James and see what he says about all of this. Maybe we can find a solution," Blair told her and left the conference room. Blair walked outside and shifted taking off into the woods.
Later that afternoon James met Kaspar coming out of the jewelry store, "Alpha James," Kaspar acknowledged. He had thought maybe being nicer to James, would help Blair, "Mr. Brenner, what are you doing here?" James asked. "Sofie had left a few things here to be fixed, I was picking them up," he answered. James nodded, "Claming ring shopping?" Kaspar asked. "No, actually I had an identical pair of pearls made for Blair, that Mrs. Brenner was wearing at the party," James told him. Kaspar was taken aback, he hadn't realized that James was so thoughtful. "That's very thoughtful James," Kaspar said.
There was an awkward pause, "Do you want to go get lunch?" Kaspar asked. James smiled, "That would be great," James told him. They met at a deli down the road and "So, you're probably wondering why I'm pushing her?" Kaspar asked. "I wonder why you're pushing her in a certain direction," James replied. Kaspar regarded him, "Blair, tends to suffer in silence, and she's hard on herself. Sofie always seem to know what to say to Blair," he said, as his eyes grew misty. "Why do you want her to reject me? You know how much pain that will put her in, with what's happened do you think she'll survive it?" James asked. "I think she would for Ben, I don't think she will leave here until she finds a way to help him," Kaspar explained.
James knew that was a possibility that she wouldn't want to leave because Ben might come back here, but he had a new hope that maybe he could help Ben. "I know you think you know her, James. You two have written each other for years, but right now Blair feels like she can't be happy until Ben is fixed, for lack of a better word," Kaspar told him. "Do you think Ben can be fixed?" James asked. "I've poured over all the archives I could get my hands on and so has Elder Wallace; we haven't found anything on anyone beating a Winston Witch," Kaspar admitted. "That's what you were doing all those times at our house," James realized. "I've been trying to help my son, before anyone knew. If anyone can help him it's Blair, but I have my doubts," Kaspar confessed with a pause. "I just don't want you to miss something, because you waited for her to fix this," he added. James nodded in understanding, Kaspar wasn't just thinking of Blair, he was trying to help James. James didn't want that help though; he had wanted Blair since the day their eyes met. He had written to her and tried to learn everything there was to learn, he wasn't going to just give up on her.
Tuesday morning Blair was up early and, in the gym, letting some frustration out on the punching bag, she had, The Breakup Song blasting, drowning out everything else and she punched and kicked the bag. She was in a sports bra and leggings, barefoot as she preferred, she heard the door open and close but ignored it. Craig stood back watching her, as she took out aggression on the bag. As the song ended she turned to see him watching her, "Can I help you?" She asked.
In a swift move he grabbed her and pinned her against the wall. He smelled her neck, "What are you doing?" She asked in a near whisper. "I could mark you right now and there's nothing your perfect mate could do about it," he seethed. Blair couldn't believe what she was hearing from this man who served her father since she was a baby. "Craig, get off of me," she cried. "Weak," he seethed in her ear. Blair's eyes widened, she knew that tone, Craig opened his mouth and extended his teeth. Blair suddenly felt a renewed strength coursing threw her, she shoved Craig so hard he flew halfway across the gym, she ran over and grabbed him by his throat. "If you ever touch me again, I will kill you," she seethed. Craig's nostrils flexed in anger, but his wolf whined a little offering of submission, "Get out of my gym and stay out of my house, you are no long a Delta," she commanded. Craig growled and Blair squeezed his neck, so her nails drew blood, another submission whine escaped him and Blair let go.
She watched as he ran out of the gym. Once he was gone, she fell to her knees and tried to catch her breath. "Always with you," she whispered to herself and grabbed her necklace. Blair smiled to herself, "Thanks Ben," she whispered and headed to get cleaned up.