Filed to story: The Alpha’s Pen Pal Book
And the rest of the plan fell into place easily. Now we just have to hope it works.
I walk around the packhouse to the front entrance, climbing the steps to where Nolan and Sebastian wait at the door to take coats from guests—and to stand guard. Just in case.
I tuck my invitation into my small gold handbag and give them both a smile as I hand Seb my coat, shaking my braids out so some fall over my shoulder and cover my marked neck.
“I’m surprised he let you come alone,” Sebastian says, glancing behind me towards the path and the snow-covered grounds.
I scoff. “Please. He’s walking in the back door as we speak.”
Nolan laughs, and Sebastian rolls his eyes. “I should have guessed.”
“He knows I can defend myself, but that doesn’t stop him from worrying or being protective. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Good luck,” Nolan says.
I nod and walk through the archway and into the common area of the packhouse, where we’re holding the event. I glide around the tables, my heels clicking on the hardwood flooring. Pack females from both Crescent Lake and Silver Ridge greet me as I walk through the room, and I smile and wave at them all.
Just as they turned the pack grounds into a winter wonderland for Haven and Wesley’s wedding a week ago, they’ve turned this common cabin living area into a gorgeous glittering tea room. The tables each have a soft purple tablecloth draped over them, and centerpieces of eucalyptus and gardenia. The white porcelain tea sets rimmed with gold are decorated with the moon phases across the middle, with dainty gold teaspoons laid out on the tables next to them.
Haven smiles as I approach her, her long red curls swept up into an elegant bun at the nape of her neck. Her dress is ivory as well, with an off-the-shoulder top and a flowing midi skirt embroidered with flowers. Her mark and her scars are on full display, showing everyone that she, too, has strength, even though she’s not a werewolf.
“I’m glad you could make it,” she says, hugging me when I reach the table.
“Of course! I couldn’t miss this.”
She squeezes me before she lets go, and we both take our seats at the table in the very center of the room, her on my left and Blake on my right, dressed in dark green. The others seated at our table are Maddie, Maya, Aunt Gigi, Luna Emily, and, of course, Merina.
I smile at them and place my napkin in my lap, but my stomach lurches and my heart thunders in my chest. I breathe in through my nose, and Reid mindlinks me, his voice warm and soothing, caressing my spine and my heart with its deep tone.
“You’ve got this, Taryn. Her guard is down and we have the upper hand. She doesn’t know we know.”
“You look like you’ve gotten some better rest since we saw you the other day, Luna Merina,” I say.
Lie. She looks worse. She’s tried to hide the bruised skin under her eyes with foundation and concealer and disguised the pallor of her skin with bronzer and blush. But we all see through that. But she smiles and accepts my fake compliment with the grace of a luna.
“I have,” she says, taking a tea cake from the tray. “Planning this with Luna Haven and Luna Emily has helped distract me from worrying about Dominic. Not a lot, but enough to help me sleep better and not focus on it so much. Which, thank you again, Haven, for allowing me to hijack your packhouse for this event.”
“It’s no trouble,” Haven says. “You’ve all gone through so much, what with the attack and your pack being destroyed. I think it’s a wonderful idea to bring our packs together and distract ourselves from the frightful events.”
She lifts the teapot and stands from her seat, making her way around the table and pouring tea for each of us.
“Still, you and Wesley should be on your honeymoon, not playing host and hostess for half of a displaced pack,” Merina says as I sweeten my tea and add milk.
Haven shrugs as she pours Aunt Gigi’s tea. “That’s part of being alpha and luna,” she says. “And Europe isn’t going anywhere. We can reschedule once everything is back to normal again.”
She reaches for Luna Merina’s teacup, her last stop on her trip around the table, but nothing comes out of the teapot when she pours it. “Oh dear, it seems we’re out already. I hope you don’t mind waiting a few minutes?” she asks Merina, her free hand covering her heart.
“It’s no trouble, sweetheart,” Merina says, smiling at Haven.
Haven returns her smile and glances at Maddie. “Madeleine, would you mindlink the kitchen staff to bring us another pot of tea for our table?”
“Of course, Luna,” Maddie says, her eyes glazing over for a moment. “They’ll bring one out soon.”
Haven sits next to me, and I sip my tea, catching Haven’s sparkling eyes as I place my cup back on the saucer.
So far, so good.
Merina’s eyes circle the table and land on me as I brush my braids off my neck and behind me, exposing my neck—and my mark.
Haven’s eyes widen and she lowers her teacup, her hands flying to her mouth. It’s executed with such impeccable acting she even fools me. “Oh, my god!” she says. “You’re marked! I didn’t realize!”
I lower my eyes and feign embarrassment, fiddling with the napkin in my lap. “Yes,” I say, a soft smile on my lips. “We decided to make it official.”
“Congratulations!” she says, leaning over and flinging her arms around my neck.
“Thank you, Luna Haven.”
“Merina, did you know Taryn found her mate here in Crescent Lake after the attack?” Haven asks after she pulls away from me.
“Did she now?” Merina asks, glancing at me again as someone from the kitchen staff pours her tea, her brow raised. “Who is he?”
“Beta Reid,” I say, and Haven claps her hands together, a broad grin on her face.
“Oh, I’m so excited to have another woman around,” she says. “There is only so much I can do on my own.”
“Yes, and the first thing I’m helping you fix are the replicas of the Flintstones’s couch you have in the guest rooms. Those abominations have got to go!”
Merina’s lips curl into a forced smile, her hand gripping her teacup. “Well, congratulations, Taryn,” she says, taking a sip of her tea. “I will miss having you around. And I was so hoping…” She trails off and gazes out the window, drifting out of focus for a moment. Then she shakes herself and takes another sip of her tea, longer this time. “That doesn’t matter, of course,” she says, waving her thoughts off. “I’m sure I can find a way around that.”
She blinks and frowns as she sets her teacup down, and I dab at my mouth with my napkin to hide my twitching lips. I’m not as good an actress as Haven, but Merina’s too focused on herself to notice.
Haven’s head tilts to the side in a wolflike gesture, a tiny frown forming between her brows. “Find a way around what?” she asks.
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?