Mike POV
“Beta Malcolm! Can you come here?”
My words have a slight edge to them as my beta’s calm voice drifts into my office while he talks to someone in the hallway near my door.
As I stare at the doorway, my finger lightly taps one of the many piles of paperwork on my desk. What is taking him so long?
After a few moments, Malcolm rushes into my office and stops in front of my desk. “Alpha Mike, did you need something?”
I sigh and motion for him to take a seat.
“I need you to tell me where you are at in finding me a suitable beta. I would love to keep you on, but I know you are supposed to be in retirement right now. I don’t want to keep delaying it for too long. You deserve to enjoy your life.”
A heaviness washes over me as I stare across the desk at the older man. If things could have been different, he wouldn’t be sitting here right now. Instead, it would be my friend.