Page 202 of Wanted Beta

We can’t use the office, and I’m not content to talk to her where that man might hear us and try to intervene.

She doesn’t try to start a conversation as I lead her up the stairs, and she just watches me quietly when I let us into the apartment and turn back to her.

“Who is this guy?” I ask, not understanding.

“Didn’t Jack explain?” she asks, coming closer to where I’m standing by the door.

“He told me the guy broke up with you to save you from his mother’s wrath. It sounds like bullshit to me. He also didn’t tell Arrow who he was when they met in the alley. He knew Arrow wouldn’t have wanted to be claimed by him if he knew who he was.”

I’m aware that I’m getting riled up and ranting now, so I stop talking.

She nods slowly and takes her phone out of her purse. After a few seconds, she shows me the screen.

“Context,” she says, pointing to the news article of a famous actress that’s on the screen. “This is Rourke’s mother. She’s a narcissist who decided she didn’t like me dating her Alpha son. She and her husband, the multi-millionaire CEO, have their fingers in a lot of pies. They can cause a lot of trouble for the people they don’t like. Rourke dumped me to save me from his psychotic mom. He hurt himself doing that, as well as me. If you don’t know, a narcissist isn’t capable of love. At least not for other people. He’s lived with that his whole life. He knows better than anyone what that bitch is capable of.”

I frown as I take in her explanation.

It feels less like bullshit, I admit, but I’m still not completely happy with it.

“If he did that to protect you, then why is he back? Why now?”

“He came looking for me to protect me, because that’s what an Alpha does. He was stalking me to keep me safe. That’s why he started a fight with Jack. He thought he was a random creeper. Think about it as if it were you, Gio. If you pushed me away to keep me safe, wouldn’t you have a hard time once you knew I was someplace new? He was still at the police academy when I first got out here, but he came looking for me as soon as he graduated. He did everything he could to keep me safe, even if he wasn’t going to get to be with me.”

“I … might have made some of the same choices. Maybe,” I admit, not liking that she’s made me see it from his perspective. It makes more sense than I thought it would.

“He knows he’ll have to work for everyone’s trust. He understands that. He just needs to be given a chance.” She gives me a pleading stare and I know I’m going to have to try harder to be civil to him.

“I’ll try not to think of him as an asshole.”

She smiles. “That’s all I ask.”

We laugh, and she steps closer.

“Actually, it’s not quite all I ask.” She looks up at me, craning her neck to show the mark Rourke made there. “I left this space for you, lead Alpha Giovanni.”

Now, I feel a whole lot better.

Chapter Ninety-Two

Beth

Alone in pack Esposito’s apartment with my lead Alpha, I set my phone down on the kitchen counter, and put my purse down beside it. I want Gio to mark me, and if he can claim me at the same time, all the better.

I smile while my back is turned to him.

I have an idea that I think he might like.

“I’ll call Jack and get him to bring Rourke up with him,” Gio says, sighing softly.

It’s a grudging concession, including Rourke, but I know that’s not how it’s always going to be, and what I’m about to do might just help mend things a little faster.

I take off my sweater, draping it over one of the kitchen counter’s stools.

Then, I turn back to him. “Sure. Call and ask them to come back up.”

I unhook my bra and take it off slowly.

His gaze fixes on me, his phone in his hand as he freezes in place.

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