"Why him?"

"What do you mean why him? He is the only person for the job," I responded adamantly. How could she not see that he was the right choice and, in my opinion, the only one? She looked at me biting on her bottom lip. She still had her doubts. That much was obvious.

"I know he is your best friend and Alphas and Betas need to be able to get along, but don't you think you're making this decision out of bias and not logic?" she questioned. I ran my hand through my hair trying not to get frustrated. She was my mate, and I knew she was only trying to make sure I was making the right. Still that knowledge didn't make this conversation any easier.

"It's not Griffin always puts the pack first. I have no doubt he can make the hard decisions others can't," I said trying to defend my decision.

"Look, at least, mull it over for a couple more days and if you still feel he is the right fit for the beta, then I will full heartedly support your decision. Okay?" Olivia slowly walked over to me wrapping her arms around my waist. How could I say no? Leaning in, I place a lingering kiss on her forehead.

"Yeah, okay, but I am still not going to change my mind." My stubbornness caused her to laugh.

"Stubborn."

"I am not stubborn. I'm just right." Again she chuckled.

"Whatever you say, Alpha," she said unwrapping her arms and walking away.

I had been so sure Griffin had been the choice for Beta and everything that happened after Olivia had died only reinforced my decision. But now for the first time in six years, I was questioning my choice, regretting it even.

Lumbering towards the pack house, I found my anger increasing with every step I took. How could he? Who the hell did he think he was? My anger was the only thing driving me.

"Logan?!" Asher spoke my name his voice holding both confusion and surprise. Without thinking, I forcefully shoved him to the side. No one would get in my way.

"You!" I growled out a Griffin point my finger accusingly at him. He quickly stood from where he sat behind my desk.

"Logan, what's wrong?" His ignorance about the source of my anger only seemed to fuel it. Lunging forward, I yanked him forward by the collar of his shift. The violent crack of my first making contact with his face reverberated throughout the room.

"You know damn straight what's wrong! Who the hell do you think you are?" Griffin looked up at me his brows knit together. His hand held this jaw.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he insisted. Asher reached out to grab my arm.

"Logan, look whatever he did I am sure we can work it out," he reasoned. I watched as Griffin seemed to realize much quicker than Asher that there was no talking it out this time. He slowly backed up his hands raised in defense. Ripping my arm from Asher's grasp, I followed after Griffin.

"Did you think I wouldn't find out? That I would just allow you to kill her?" Griffin's eyes widened as realization took over.

"Who told you?" He stumbled as he reached the stairs but quickly recovered, staying just out of my grasp.

"It doesn't matter who told me. What the hell the hell were you thinking? I won't allow you to hurt her." I seethed closing in on him. Even with my limp, I was faster than him as he struggled to continue down the steps without turning his back to me.

"What choice did I have? After you had given permission for Izzy to leave with the body, I knew I had to do something. I am only doing what's best for the pack." he yelled back. He continued to retreat into the living room.

'Logan, what's going on?' Asher asked. I hadn't even realized he had followed us out of the office.

"What's going on is your Beta and friend have arranged for him and a group of trackers to leave tonight, to kill Izzy!" I said anger seethed from every word.

"That is not true!" Griffin protested. "How could you think I would ever do that to you?" Him denying it only managed to piss me off even more. I launch myself over the couch that had been separating us, both of us crashing to the floor, hard. Asher quickly intervened before either of us were able to throw a punch, dragging me of Griffin.

"Get out of the way!" I ground out. I don't want to hurt him, but that didn't me I wouldn't. Asher shook his head, planting himself between Griffin and me.

"No! At least, hear the man out. Now is not the time for fighting amongst ourselves." He turned toward Griffin, his face stern but calm. "You better have a damn good explanation, because right now even I want to tear you in two."

"I am doing what I think is best for our pack," Griffin insisted. Growling, I tried to get around Asher.

"How is killing Izzy, the best thing for our pack?" I snarled, still struggling against Asher's hold.

"It's not." Both Asher and I stopped, confused by his words. Griffin looked up, eyes closed, and sighed. "And even if it were, I wouldn't do it. I can see how much you care about her. I may not completely trust her, but I couldn't watch you go through that again. It wasn't her. I swear to the Moon Goddess." His promise didn't mean much, but his words seemed genuine. I stood there mulling over his words.

"If not Izzy than who?" Asher asked. Griffin looked at me his expression almost remorseful, and I knew exactly who.

"No, you can't," I said shaking my head. Asher gazed between us, obviously unaware of who we were talking about.

"It is the only way to prevent the war." Is that really what he thought?

"Or make it that much worse!"

"I saw first hand what that kind of loss does to a man. If you had loss Olivia before the attack, you would have been in no shape to fight. You would have welcomed death even."

"So killing an innocent person is the right move? One murder is one too many, and killing her would be exactly that, murder." I shouted. "She has nothing to do with this."

"She has everything to do with this!" he yelled back. "She is his mate!"

"She is also the one that stopped him from coming here to slaughter our pack the day his son went missing." That shut him up. His mouth hung slightly open and eyebrows knit together.

"But--" His words were drowned out by Joshua's.

'Alpha! They're coming!' Joshua's voice rang out in my head. 'Alex and Chris...' His voice sounded strained and winded. 'They're dead. He killed them.'

~~~~~~Author's Note~~~~~~~

Thanks to @WattyWolves for posting the interview I did with them this week. https://www.wattpad.com/229405416-interviews-with-your-werewolf-authors

Also don't forget to get your entries in for the Living With Loss Creative Writing contests for your chance to win a $15 Amazon gift card and a cameo in one of upcoming LWL books. Only nine days left to get your submissions in.

So already two casualties and the war has yet to begin.

Do you think Griffin's plan was the right way to go?

Will there be any stopping it now that Alpha Phillips knows of his son's death?

Please don't forget to comment and vote : D