Page 236 of The Alpha's Pen Pal

“He’s only saying that because he hasn’t seen Haven dance it yet,” Imogen muttered to Jack and Shirley.

“He hasn’t? Not even in rehearsals?” Shirley whispered.

“No, she wouldn’t let him. He tried to sneak in a few weeks ago, and Peter yelled at him. I swear, he jumped higher than the redwoods around their pack,” she said as she reached for her purse. “I got it on video. Do you want to see?”

“Don’t even think about it, Imogen,” I warned her, my lips twitching. “You’ve already shown it to the entire ballet company, all my friends, my mate, my parents…”

I sighed and trailed off as she played the snippet she caught of Peter sneaking up on me as I tried to sneak into the rehearsal to watch Haven.

“It’s not my fault. She was being stubborn,” I said in defense of myself.

“Stubborn is Haven’s middle name,” Jack pointed out.

I hummed in agreement, my smile growing.

“Havie?” Stella asked, looking around the crowded theater.

“Aunt Haven is going to be up there,” I told her, pointing at the stage. “We’re going to watch her dance.”

Stella smiled and clapped her hands. “Havie!” she exclaimed.

“That’s right! When she’s done, we will cheer and clap for her.”

Stella’s little toddler arms wrapped around my neck and she hugged me, her head resting on my shoulder and her hand rubbing my back. Then she pulled away and said, “Mama!” making grabby hands at Tiffany.

“You’re pretty good at that,” Tiffany said as she took Stella from me. “You going to have one of your own here soon?”

“Not anytime soon,” I laughed, shaking my head. “We’re not ready.”

Tiffany pouted. “Leave the poor man alone! They’ve only been together a year!” Shirley scolded Tiffany. “Just ignore her. You take all the time you need before having kids.” Her voice lowered. “But I’m not getting any younger, and I’d really like another grandkid, so, you know, if you change your mind…”

I laughed even louder. “Don’t worry, Shirley. When we’re ready, you’ll be the first to know,” I told her.

The lights flashed a few times, signaling the audience that the show would begin soon, so I gave them all another quick hug and found my seat, right in the middle of the theater. Reid, Nolan, and Sebastian all sat down just after me.

“Is everything ready?” I asked them.

“Yes, just like it was thirty minutes ago,” Sebastian said with a smirk.

“And thirty minutes before that,” Nolan added.

“And thirty minutes before that,” Reid chimed in.

“Fuck off,” I growled, but they just laughed at me.

“Are you ready?” Sebastian asked as his laughter faded.

I turned my attention to the stage as the lights dimmed and the orchestra began to play. A smile spread on my face as the music of my Sugar Plum’s favorite ballet filled the theater, music I recognized from watching various versions of the production thirteen years ago.

“Of course I’m ready,” I replied, my voice barely a whisper. “I’ve been ready for this my whole life.”

HAVEN

The cheers and applause as I took my final bow of the night were mixed with howls, telling me there were definitely pack members in the audience. My smile grew as, through the pack link, I heard voices congratulating me and telling me how wonderful the performance was. The loudest voice, though, was Wesley’s.

“Sugar Plum,” he murmured, his deep voice sending a shiver down my spine. “You are stunning.”

“Thank you, Wes,” I replied, finding his eyes in the audience just as the curtain closed.

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