Benjamin

It's Saturday. My parents are out on a trip. My sister and I are having breakfast with the guests because we don't want to do it by ourselves.

"I heard about your decision to stay in our pack and I'm happy for you, Ms. Young. I'm sure you'll be very happy here with your children and partner." - I told Martha, gladly.

"Thanks, Ben. I think so too. There's no point in me abandoning my son here to try and make a living just me, Billy and the kids. It's too dangerous out there and I could never make it on my own." - She realized it with a sorrowful expression.

"Fortunately, you won't ever have to figure that out because you'll always have me." - Sarah said, caressing her hand with a radiant smile.

"Thanks, Sarah. You're the mate I never thought I'd have." - Martha smiled at her.

"Hey!" - Billy cried out at the implication.

"Sorry, Billy. Did I say mate? I meant girl friend." - She corrected herself, begrudgingly.

"Pappa, what are we gonna do if both of us get into college? How are you gonna pay for that AND rent a house for you and momma?" - Chris inquired of his father. Elodie got wide-eyed at the question.

"Well, first of all, there are student loans that you can apply to attend college. If push comes to shove, it's better than to not have any college education at all." - Gabriel responded, serenely.

"But if you both get into college, then your mother and I will stay here at the pack house. There's no sense in renting a place for only the two of us to live alone. At least, for now. Also, your mother is actively looking for a job too. We'll make it work, son." - He informed him in a hopeful tone.

"OK, pappa." - He smiled at him.

"I do wanna go to college. Especially because my mate already has a scholarship in line." - Elodie stated with conviction.

"Good for you, El. You should apply yourself for it. Your brother too." - Allison told her daughter, also glancing at Chris.

"We will." - He agreed, grinning.

"Speaking of colleges, Ali has been looking into some as well. He doesn't want to say anything because of the financial burden, but I think he should go for it." - I encouraged him, though dropping the knowledge bomb to his mom.

He glared daggers at me.

"Yes, but I've told you my momma cannot afford that. Stop meddling, Benjamin!" - He reprimanded me. Sorry, not sorry.

"Ben is right. You should go to college if you want. Even if I don't have much money, your father can pitch in too. It's his obligation as much as it's mine." - She said with a knowing glance.

"Thanks, momma. But we are barely on speaking terms, why would he–"

"I don't care if you never talk to him again, Alistair! He is still your father. He doesn't have just rights, he has obligations as well. He's lucky I don't sue him for back pay child support." - She raised her voice, irritated.

We all gulp nervously at her outburst.

"Thanks, mate. Great suggestion." - Ali glared at me.

"It IS a great suggestion. You should pursue a college education. He's right. And saying uncomfortable things is not gonna change that. The truth is your father owes you a lot. Yes, I do mean money." - She insisted, adamantly.

"Well, I still need to apply first." - Ali speaks after an awkward silence.

"Then, get to it. Time's a wastin'!" - She demanded, seriously.

Man, that woman does not play around. I really admire her so much.

It takes a special type of person to survive decades as a rogue and she is certainly a survivor. Honestly, props to her. I don't mean to judge, but I don't think that Billy is the brains - or brawn - of that whole rogue operation.

After an uncomfortable breakfast, Ali and I retired to our room to brush.

"You shouldn't have said anything to my momma." - He reprimanded, pissed off at me.

"Yes, I should. And I agree with everything she said. Bruno has financial obligations too. Being a father is not only about visiting you when you're sick." - I doubled down, fiercely.

"Back off, Benjamin! I'm warning you!" - He gets testy with me.

"I'm not backing down from this. I will say what I need to get you to where you deserve and I make no apology in that regard." - I doubled down.

"You're seriously pissing me off right now!" - He is angry, almost glowing.

"Good. But I'm not the one you should be pissed at! I'm right. And being mad at me is not gonna change that." - I put my foot down.

I will not apologize for looking out for my mate. Not ever.

I'm not going to talk to Bruno about it because it's none of my business. I'm not a lunatic. But if Martha does talk to him, it's her right as a mother and I will NOT apologize for taking any part in that.

There are many things that could be said about my upbringing. I grew up being the black son of a white Alpha. There were a lot of factors that played into my childhood, not to mention the gay thing.

It was a struggle, for sure. I live in a small town in the South. Some attributes of mine are not exactly celebrated here. But I have a great father.

My dad was never oppressive, homophobic, he never treated me differently after I came out. He was always there for me, no questions asked.

So though I may not know a lot of things, I know what a father is supposed to be about. For that, I'll never apologize. I will always stand my ground.

Alistair stormed out of our room and went to what I can only guess it's "his" room. But I'm at peace with myself. I will not apologize. Sorry, not sorry.

We met again for lunch in the guest dining room some hours later, but he sits further from me than he normally does. Not that I'm bothered by it.🙄

"Why are you two estranged from each other?" - Martha questioned her son, puzzled. She wasn't the only one who noticed, but she had no quarrel in asking about it.

"I'm mad at him." - Ali replied, pouting like a baby.

"What ever for?" - She questioned him, puzzled.

"For meddling into what's not his business." - He said, sulking.

"Still this topic? How many times do I have to say this? He was right to say what he said, Alistair. You should go to college!" - Martha frowned at her son, sounding disappointed.

"I don't think he should have said anything. It's none of his business whether I go or not." - He was annoyed.

"You are his mate. Of course it's his business!" - She confronted him, baffled at her son. I'm sitting back, feeling vindicated.

"Why are you taking his side?" - Ali gets angry at his mom.

"I'm not taking anyone's side. Has he lied? Has he invented anything? Have you not been talking about college at school? Or did he make that up?" - She challenged him, irritated.

Ali stares at her in silence for an uncomfortable minute.

"No, he didn't lie." - He admitted, sulking.

"Then, I'm on the side of the truth. And the truth is he's correct. You have the same right to go to college as Elodie or Christian." - She stated, firmly.

Man, this has escalated way past what I thought it would.

Ali remained silent for the rest of lunch and I didn't want to add to an already volatile situation, so I stayed quiet too. But I'll never apologize when I'm right.

I have no problem lowering my head when I'm wrong. As proved when I went to the waterfalls to apologize to Christian back when I said he was not worth Lisa's visit.

But I'm right in this. And hell is gonna freeze over before I apologize for speaking the truth.

Alistair moped around all afternoon. He talked to his friends in their room and didn't return to ours. I took the time to catch up on some school work. Especially having the afternoon off is a great chance to do so.

I met Ali once again for dinner in the guest dining room.

"Are you kids going on a date tonight?" - Sophia asked around.

"I'll meet my mate after dinner, yeah." - Elodie replied, grinning wide.

"Me too." - Chris and Tristan said at the same time, then laughed at each other.

"I had a special evening prepared for my mate, but now that he's mad at me I don't know if he'll want my company." - I said, sincerely.

Naturally, all eyes are on Ali after my statement.

"Of course I want that. I'm not gonna be the loser who doesn't enjoy his mate's company." - He sounded annoyed.

"It's not being a loser for not wanting to enjoy your partner's company. You are allowed to want time apart from him. But not when you're being a butthead and a stubborn a-hole." - Martha interjected and we're all gobsmacked at her words directed to Ali.

"Momma!" - He cried out, shocked.

"I said what I said." - She took a sip of her juice, content with herself.

If I could, I would've clapped for her. But I'm not that much of an a**hole.

After he brushed his teeth, Ali cozied up to me in bed. He apologized for taking this whole situation too harshly. But he has some issues when it comes to his parents, which I understood perfectly.

"I will never apologize for defending you and praising you for the magnificent boy you are. You deserve the Moon and beyond. You are wonderful." - I declared and he swooned.

We made out for a long time.

"OK, what's this special evening you had prepared for me?" - He asked me after a while, intrigued.

"Oh mate, I'm so glad you asked." - I smiled at him with a mischievous grin.

He gasped at my disposition.

Oh yeah... vengeance is coming! You mess with the bull, you get the horns.

Sorry, not sorry. Not even a little bit. I'm coming for you, mate!👿

https://youtu.be/-MsvER1dpjM

A|N: I do love it when a chapter is so easy to be titled.

I'm not opposed to being challenged. No one likes being told they're wrong and neither do I, but it's healthy from a human growth perspective.

I never had to bare my soul so much in a novel of mine like this one, but I'm not opposed to that as well. I welcome the challenge. Someone commented that's why the novel feels so relatable. And I'm so here for that.

In fact one of my happiest days was when someone related to what Lisa had gone through after Chris' "cheating scandal" and she expressed her trust issues with men.

But I will defend my point of view when I feel I'm right.

I had heated debates in the comment section of my books that went way beyond what I thought it should, but that inspired me to write pages and pages of my novel. Literally.

In actuality, Lex's whole chapters were inspired by what I felt was prejudice against him. That still goes on, but I learned to respect that I can't change people's minds, I can only write and hope for the best.

And if anyone changed their perspective about him, then I did my job.

Like I said, I don't relate to Lex at all. I'm not white, young, rich (I wish) or even 'experienced' in the way that he is. But that doesn't mean I don't get him, I do. Even more so than I do Tristan, for example.

It's easy to understand why Elodie grew on me so much because she's so relatable to me, as I said previously. But I don't have to relate to everyone to defend them. It's fine.

(Unless we're talking about Jeb on The Refugee's Mate, that guy was indefensible.)

But it's also okay to know when you're right and stand your ground.

Like Ben said, I'm not opposed to apologizing when I'm wrong. Not at all.

But I'll go down in flames defending when I'm right. To my boss, my partner and my family. I don't back down, nor do I think anyone should.

Sorry, not sorry.

Next chapter is spicy.

Love,

Léo.