Filed to story: Mated to the Alpha and His Beta Novel Free >>???
“Asher texted me to meet him at the pub, instead,” Mason said. “I better get going”
Without another word, he pushed past her and headed for the front door.
Through the front windows, I saw Zane place a hand on Mason’s shoulder. They spoke in low voices for a moment, and then Mason nodded. Zane clapped him on the back.
Pride filled me at the sight that would’ve enraged me just a few weeks ago.
“You’re a good Beta,” I thought to Zane “I hope so,” he thought back, sounding a little grim. “Because I think that after this conversation today Mason–
I was seriously debating about running into town as my wolf when Xander came over to my truck. I raised a hand in greeting.
“Hey.”
me “You need us, you call for us. We’ll be there right away,” he said.
I nodded. “Thanks, man. But I won’t need you. This conversation’s going to suck, but it’s been weighing on for way too long. I need to get everything out in the open, clear the air. Asher deserves to know that I’ve officially accepted Zane as my Beta. It would be shi tty of me not to tell him in person.”
My brother gave a solemn nod as his wolf flashed for a few seconds in his gaze. “You know that even if things weren’t the way they are with the four of us, you could never have taken him as your Beta. Not with the way he had feelings for Lanie. Your wolf would never trust him around her. And without complete trust…”
I shot a glance towards the house, but Zane had gone inside. “It’s not good if you can’t fully trust your Beta”
“With everything. Your mate. Your life. All of it.” Xander also looked toward the house, and I heard the swell of pride and love in his voice. When he looked back to me, I could see the complicated ripple of emotions moving over his features.
Even th though our connection was letting me tune in to him, it wasn’t the same as actively reading him. Not the way we’d been able to do with our Luna.
“When I get back, we need to talk about Lanie and the way she’s been sending,” I told him. “Figu there’s anything significant we need to know.”
“Like. …maybe it’s her vampire side? Xander tilted his head, his eyes narrowing in thought. “Do you t it’s dangerous? I thought maybe it was just another way we’re all bonding. Like, none of this is the way it usually goes, so this was just one more way we’re unique”
I shrugged. “Could be. But it’s probably worth exploring. We’re all in this for the long haul, brother, so we’d better get a good handle on it now.”
He grinned and punched my bicep lightly. “I’ll see you when you get back. If sh it goes down, though, seriously. Just shout. We’ll be there.”
“I know you will.”
That was the thing-I did know it.
Xander and I had been enemies because of s tupid circumstances, but the truth was, we were brothers, and we had each other’s backs.
“Always,” he said, but I couldn’t tell if he was echoing my thoughts or sharing his own.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure it mattered anymore. Whatever was going on with all of us was out of our control.
than believe in Zane, I had to accept that the Goddess wanted me to trust Xander, too.
The drive into town didn’t take any more time than usual, but it felt like for-f ucking-ever. By the time I pulled up in front of the pub where Asher had decided to meet, I was wishing I had given in to my impulse to run here as my wolf. It wouldn’t have made it any easier to face my best friend-who might now be my former best friend-but it would’ve felt good for me.
As it was, Colt was close to the surface, pacing and ready to pounce. I had to soothe him down. Whatever the conversation with Asher led to, I didn’t want to start it off coming in like I was ready for battle.
It took me a few minutes to find him in the dimly lit pub. As I stepped through the doorway, the hairs on the back of my neck tingled and rose. I scanned the room quickly, Colt leaping up with a snarl. I saw no signs of danger. The only people in the place were the bartender, a waitress standing near the back, and Asher, in the far corner. He had a glass of something amber in front of him.
I ordered a whiskey and a tall lager from the bar and carried them to the booth. I slid the whiskey in front him. “Quit nursing that watered-down c rap and have a real drink.”
For a moment, I thought he was going to snarl at me, but then he laughed. He shook his head and waved at the seat across from him. “Far be it from me to turn down a drink”
I slid into the booth with my beer. “Thanks for meeting with me. We have a lot to talk about.”
Asher raised his glass and waited for me to do the same. The clink of the glasses against each other was very loud. He took a long, slow slip before putting his glass onto the table with a small thud. He fixed me with a thin, grim smile.
“Then you’d better get talking, friend.”
Lanie–
Gabriela a and I had spent the morning working with the pups.
She was the one who’d brought up the subject of their schooling.
Obviously, we weren’t going to be putting them in school, at least not for a while, but Stella was maturing so fast, she needed some kind of learning.
She was outpacing the simple puzzle games, and although the twins weren’t as advanced as she was, they were still thriving and growing at a remarkable pace a “They’re all so smart,” I said proudly.
“Soon enough, we won’t be able to keep up with them. Especially her,” Gabriela said in a low voice as she nodded toward Stella.
Stella and Alaina were happily playing with a doll together, while Isaac ran a toy car around a makeshift racetrack Zane had drawn on an old cardboard box.
“There’s a nice preschool in Stillwood. Sable’s the head teacher there,” I said.
Gabriela pressed her lips together. “I’m not sure it’s the best thing to send them to school just yet, for many reasons.”
“You’re worried about their safety,” I said quietly so the children wouldn’t overhear.
Xander’s mother looked wary, then nodded. “Of course I am. But more than that, I know you don’t stay in Stillwood forever. At some point soon, you’re all going back to Constantine. If you get them start school here, it’ll be a bigger adjustment for them when we get back home.”
“Home,” I said, half to myself as I looked around the house I’d come to love so much. “This feels like home. It’s where we’ve all become a family.”
“Stillwood is a rogue community, Lanie. And you are the Luna of Constantine Pack. I know you have strong emotional ties to this town, but Stillwood is a place to visit. Not for you to stay permanently”
“I know you’re right. When Mason gets back from talking to Asher, I think we’ll have to have a family meeting and really decide what comes next.”
Not that I knew what that was going to be.
“The Moon Goddess will provide,” Gabriela said serenely.
As she said the words a pulse of warm energy surrounded me for a few seconds.
“I know you’re right about that, too. I just wish she’d be a little more up front about what it is she’s going to provide. What she wants from us. From me,” I added.
Gabriela smiled. “It will hannon Have faith”:
“Are you okay to stay with them? I’d like to do a little research on homeschooling.” I didn’t mean to lie to her, but the words slipped out.
Gabriela didn’t seem to notice anything weird in my tone. “Sure, hon, you go ahead. I’ve got this covered. We’re going to have a snack and a nap soon, anyway. Where are the boys?”
“They w went out for a run. I told them they needed to get out of the house or their nervous energy was going to drive me nuts.” I laughed, shaking my head. “I think they’re on alert in case things go wrong with Mason and Asher.”
“Do you think they will?” Gabriela frowned.
E
I bit my lower lip for a second before giving my honest answer. “I don’t know. Their friendship was solid, but….
“Things can change,” she finished for me.
We had a few sillent seconds while we thought about all the things that had changed for us. Then she waved me away. I kissed each of my pups and took my laptop into the bedroom.
I really did look up homeschooling options. Most of the hits were for human resources, which didn’t apply to our fast-maturing pups, and most packs had a strong school system, with a lot of learning done at home or as a joint effort from the pack.
Keeping the pups away from any kind of group learning meant they needed us to teach them, but that wasn’t going to be as easy as setting them up with a set of blocks forever.
I did find some good information about pup growth spurts and milestones, though. Stella was d definitely ahead of her twin siblings, even though they were a little older. My fingers flew over the keys, but I hesitated before typing in the next search string.
Before I did, I sent a slight push out to Mason through the link. “All good with you?”
The seconds passed too slow before he answered. His response was clipped and brief. One word.
Yep.
Frowning, I nudged again, but he was shielding. With a little more force, I thought I could probably push through that block, but I didn’t.
Instead, I turned back to my laptop and put up one of my own.
I couldn’t be sure how long it was going to take me to research all the things I was trying to find out, but I didn’t want any of my mates peeking in on me while I was doing it.
Mason–
“Can I get you something to eat?”
The waitress was so obvious with her curious looks that I wanted to snap at her to leave us the f uck alone, but Asher gave her a familiar, charming smile.
“Sure, sweetheart. How about two large platters of hot wings, extra bleu cheese. Oh, and I want some fried beef rolls, too. Honey mustard”
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?