Chapter 267: Engagement

Hayley’s POV: +8 Pearls

I bit my lip, but before I could speak, Benjamin continued, “I’m his favorite, and Grandpa had the highest expectations for me. This is his only wish, and I don’t want to leave any regrets.”

His words stirred memories of Grandpa Southwell. Grandpa Southwell had been so kind to me; how could I possibly disappoint him? Besides, Hera had confirmed long ago that Benjamin was my destined mate, chosen by the Moon Goddess herself. To marry my destined mate was an incredible blessing, even if he didn’t love me yet.

“Alright, I agree. We can get engaged first.” After making up my mind, I smiled at him.

Benjamin nodded, his face expressionless, as if he were talking about something trivial. “I’ll have someone prepare everything. What kind of engagement party do you want?”

His cold response still made me feel uneasy. Hera, on the other hand, was thrilled and eagerly suggested that I mate with Benjamin and mark him. After telling her to quiet down, I didn’t think much of it. I hadn’t expected to suddenly be engaged to Benjamin. The truth was, I was nervous and taken aback by the upcoming engagement party.

Benjamin tried to comfort me. “It’s fine. Take your time to think about it, then let me know.”

It felt so unreal. I pinched my thigh—it hurt. This was real! I looked up at Benjamin again, blinking. Engagement? This whole thing felt like it had come out of nowhere.

After dinner, Benjamin paid the bill. Just as we were about to leave, we ran into Christopher and Christine walking in together. The four of us exchanged looks. Christine looked the most shocked. She bowed respectfully to Benjamin. “Alpha!” Then, nervously, she stammered, “Hayl…y—you’re here too?”

I studied the two of them, and my gut told me there was something more to their relationship. But I didn’t call it out. I simply said, “I just came to eat.”

“Well, enjoy your meal. We’ll leave now,” I said, waving at them and following Benjamin.

Once we turned the corner, Benjamin raised an eyebrow and asked, “Are they dating?”

I shrugged, gesturing that I had no idea. Although, from their appearance, Christine and Christopher did seem to be a good match. If they were together, that wouldn’t be the worst thing.

What surprised me was that Christopher, that proud beta, didn’t seem to mind that Christine was an Omega. Love really was powerful.

“Forget it. Let’s go home,” Benjamin said.

If you have any thoughts about the engagement party, talk to Tyrone. He’ll handle everything. The way he said it made it clear that he didn’t care much about the engagement, and it hurt a little. My heart ached. I deeply understood that if it weren’t for Grandpa Southwell, Benjamin would never have agreed to this engagement.

After our engagement was revealed to the Southwell brothers, Henry was the most surprised. His eyes widened, and he asked Benjamin, “Ben, you’re not joking, are you? Do you want to get engaged to my boss? An Omega like my boss is going to become the Luna of our pack?”

Christopher, also in disbelief, added, “Ben, marriage is no joke. Yes, it’s Grandpa’s wish, but you don’t have to sacrifice yourself. Hayley is just an Omega and her looks…” He cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to cover up his discomfort. “No matter how you look at it, Hayley is an Omega. She doesn’t exactly qualify to be our Luna.”

“Besides, Ben, you deserve a better mate as the alpha of Midnight Pack.”

Tanner, who was usually more reserved, spoke up, “Ben, I know for our family, marriage doesn’t need to be about traditional social status, but at least it should be about mutual affection, right? If you don’t love her, why drag her along?”

“Exactly, Ben,” Henry added. “Marriage is unnecessary if there’s no love. A marriage without love is just a tomb…” Before Henry could finish, Benjamin slowly spoke, his voice firm. “I’ve made up my mind. No matter what you guys think, Hayley and I are getting engaged.”

His tone carried the unyielding strength of an alpha, leaving no room for argument. “Tanner, I’ll need your help with the wedding dress. As for the rest, don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it.”

The other three brothers fell silent, respecting his decision. But they were still worried. While the engagement might be manageable, what would happen if, when the wedding came, Benjamin publicly declared Hayley as the Luna of Midnight Pack? How would their people react to her being an Omega?

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