Mind. Blown. Double mates happen, but never in our pack.

"Marked Lucy before Ava, but she couldn't mark me back - pack rules. Had to wait for the vote to let her join. Then Carol showed up..." William trails off, lost in the memory.

Dad sits by William. "Here's the deal, son. William kept quiet about Carol, waiting to be sure. Lucy couldn't mark him yet anyway - Beta's mate needs pack approval, especially from Elders. Old safety rule they won't change. We backed Lucy, but Elder Thompson was against it."

"Next day, cat was out of the bag. Thompson told everyone his daughter Carol was William's mate. When the Elders found out about the double mate situation, some were cool but most weren't. They shot down having two mates, especially with Lucy being a panther shifter - said we needed wolf-only matches. An Elder forced William to pick."

"Hold up - how can an Elder make that call? He had two mates!"

"Thompson's Carol's dad," William cuts in. "She told him everything. He wouldn't let his precious only daughter play second fiddle to a panther."

William moves to the window.

"Had no choice but Carol. Thompson played dirty - got all the Elders on his side. I begged to tell Lucy myself." His voice cracks. "When I did... she was shocked but wouldn't reject me. Said she wanted us to work. I tried to reject her but... couldn't. Loved her too much."

"You kept seeing her," I say, getting it. Man, I'd probably do the same. He nods, face full of pain and shame, before turning back to the window.

"Kept it from Carol. Never slept with Lucy again, but saw her when I could. After a few years, Carol got suspicious, followed me. Ava was six then - I only saw her a couple times a week. When Carol found out, she ran to daddy. They forced Lucy to the edge of pack territory. Your dad made sure my patrol route went near there, but I couldn't get close. Had to stay with Carol mostly. She got super controlling - always wanting to know where I was, who I was with. Then Henry came, followed by Stella, and I had to stop seeing Lucy completely. But man, she never left my mind. Your mom would check on her when she could."

He takes a breath. "Few months later, Lucy called. Said Ava wanted to see me. God, I missed my baby girl - she was 10 by then. I'd call monthly from this office, let her tell me about school, friends... she'd always beg me to come home. But I couldn't."

My heart's breaking for him.

"Gets worse," he says, looking at Dad, who turns to me. "Thompson wanted more power - wanted to be our pack's Elder. William was stuck, so I told him to do what he should've done years ago - reject Lucy."

I'm stunned. My own father told his friend to reject his mate.

"Don't judge him," William cuts in. "Your dad was right - I was being selfish. He had me fake some pack business to get away from Thompson. I went to Lucy that night. Ava was there - looked just like her mom, but Lucy... she was a mess. The mate bond was killing her. Told her I had to reject her. We fought, Ava heard everything. Rejected Lucy right there at the door. She collapsed crying. Ava came running but I... I couldn't even look at my baby girl. Just got in the car and left." He's crying now. "Had to leave them both."