Brother’s Best Friends Are My Mates novel Chapter 182

Colby

When you found yourself in a certain situation, you realized that there was nothing you could do but bite the bullet. This was exactly what I was going to do with Matt’s old pack I was going to reach out to them.

Reaching out with words was the civilized thing to do. We were a partly civilized society right now, so I wanted to try to do things with words rather than class. Eventually, I was going to get to the point where I might have to fight with claws, but this was the first step.

It was important to tell my pack The first person I decided to tell was none other than Lia. She and I were sitting on the front porch, her having joined me a while ago. I didn’t mind the company and was more than happy to just sit out here and enjoy being outside.

But again, I did need to tell her what I was planning. As my omega and mate, she had a right to know what I was thinking. So I cleared my throat and looked over at her, causing her to look at me.

“Colby, is there something you want to tell me? It looks like you want to tell me something based on the look on your face.” I chuckled. “Is it that obvious?”

“I think we are all great at reading each other’s faces. Except Rain. He probably couldn’t even do it if he tried.” Sighing, I figured now was as good a time as any.

“I’m thinking about reaching out to them,” I said, leaning on the porch railing. The sun was just starting to dip behind the trees, painting the sky in soft golds and purples. “Matt’s old pack”

Lia glanced over, one brow raised. “You want to talk to them? Like… words, not claws?”

I nodded. “Yeah. A negotiation. Maybe there’s something salvageable there. If not peace, then at least distance. Boundaries. Something that keeps them off our land without bloodshed.”

She was quiet for a second, then said, “That’s… not a bad idea.” I blinked. “Wow. That almost sounded like support.”

Lia gave me a look, but then the annoyance faded away and was replaced by amusement.

It was the best thing to do. To get them away from us and out of this city, if I could help it. I wanted them to be banished. If we managed to banish them, then we would be able to avoid any issues with them. They would just leave, and everything would be good.

But I had a feeling they weren’t going to do something like that. Matt’s former pack was mean and cruel. They were not the type of pack to just give up and walkaway, so I had to accept the fact that we were going to have to fight them.

To accept the fact that I had to fight them. It was my duty as a pack leader, something I knew Lia understood. She smirked. “I’m capable of support. Occasionally. Especially when you’re not proposing something reckless.” “It’s not reckless to avoid a fight.”

“No, it’s smart. And mature. Look at you, being all alpha-y.” I rolled my eyes. “Don’t make it weird.”

“Too late.” She bumped her shoulder against mine. “But seriously, Colby. That’s a good place to start. It shows you’re not looking to dominate anyone. Just… lead.”

“That’s the hope.” I hesitated. “Matt said he doesn’t care what happens to them. That he’d rather see them fall. But I don’t want to do this out of spite.”

“Then don’t,” she said simply. “Do it because it’s the right call. Because it protects us, and maybe gives them a chance to be better.”

“And if they don’t want to be better?”

Her eyes darkened a little. “Then we deal with that. But not before we give them the option.” I nodded slowly. “Alright. I’ll reach out tomorrow. See if they’re willing to meet.”

“I’ll come with you.” “You don’t have to.”

She looked at me like I was being dense. “I know. That’s why I’m offering.” I smiled, just a little. “Thanks.”

“Anytime, Alpha.”

“Still weird when you call me that.”

“Then stop acting like one, and maybe I’ll stop.”

I laughed, but deep down, I felt steadier. She believed in me. That was enough to start with.

We stood there for a moment, just listening to the wind stir through the trees. The quiet kind that felt full, like it was holding space for something bigger.

“What if they say no?” I asked after a beat. “What if they laugh in my face or treat it like weakness?”

“Then they’re idiots,” Lia said. “But you won’t be weak You’ll be the one who offered peace when you didn’t have to. That’s power most people don’t understand.”

***

It took me a couple of hours to draft the email, but I was able to write out a formal letter of negotiation to demand reparations for what they had done. I made sure every word carried weight, clear, firm, and unapologetic.

I also made it crystal clear that if there was any further aggression, there would be consequences. Serious ones. We weren’t going to put up with that. Not anymore.

His actions had gone unchecked for far too long, and this was the line in the sand. I wasn’t just speaking for myself. I was speaking for everyone who had been stepped on and ignored. This time, they were going to listen. Or they were going to regret it.

It wasn’t just about getting an apology or a payout. It was about accountability. They needed to understand the damage they caused, and more importantly, that we weren’t going to stay silent about it anymore.

I outlined everything in detail, laid the facts out so there was no room for denial or deflection. Every incident, every slight, every broken promise was all there in black and white. And at the end, I added one final statement: we expected a response within the week. No delays, no dodging.

I hit send with a steady hand, but my chest was tight. Not from fear, but from the weight of everything leading up to that moment. We had tolerated their disrespect for long enough. If they thought they could brush us off again, they were in for a rude awakening. This wasn’t just a letter rather it was a warning shot. And the next move was theirs.

Then I told everyone what I was doing. Even Rain accepted it pretty readily, telling me that he had my back through it all. I grinned, knowing it was great to have a friend like Rain.

Not just a friend, a pack member who would be there for me through thick and thin. They were all there for me, thick and thin.

Now it was just a waiting game. I hated waiting games because it was just a lot of sitting around, twiddling your thumbs, and waiting for a response.

I had no doubt, however, that they were going to respond soon. It was only a matter of time before they reached out to me to let me know their answer. They were going to want to fight me. Matt had pretty much said as much when I explained what I was doing.

He said his pack would never allow this. They would never just leave and do something diplomatically. So a fight was what I was going to have to do, but a fight was exactly what I would do.

But again, it was a waiting game. I had to keep waiting and see when they were going to send me an email response. Or a letter if they wanted to do things old school.