Page 165 of The Beta's Blind Date

The king and Wes exchange a glance. “What’s the last thing you remember? From the wedding?” Wes asks.

“I remember Taryn reading the letters at the tables. I remember you and Haven cutting your cake. And I remember Taryn…” He licks his lips and squeezes his eyes shut for a moment. “I remember her dancing with Reid and… and that’s it.”

“It’s Wednesday now,” Wes informs him. “The attack was on your pack and it’s all been burnt to the ground. Your members are split between my pack and Ben’s. The rogues are gone, but we found you injured at Silver Ridge this morning as we examined the ruins.”

Dominic swallows and squeezes his eyes shut, his head falling against his pillow. “I don’t remember any of that,” he says, shaking his head.

“Really?” Reid says, disbelief dripping from his voice. “You don’t remember alpha commanding Taryn to leave when she didn’t want to? You don’t remember that you tried to alpha command her to be your luna and—”

“Luna?” Dominic snaps his head up and stares at Reid. “Why would I ask her to be my luna? We ended things. She wanted more, and I wasn’t willing to give her that. And I would never… never abuse my position like that,” he adds.

“Well you did,” Reid says. “The attacking rogues stopped you from succeeding, but you would have if they hadn’t shown up when they did.”

I groan as the aura around him rallies its strength and shoves against me, my body shaking in Reid’s arms. “I can’t keep it away from him anymore,” I say. “It’s too powerful.” I gasp and push one last time, catching Dominic’s eye before I let go of his arm. “I’m sorry.”

I collapse against Reid’s body, and he lifts me in his arms and runs to the wall as Dominic’s snarling roars and growls return, his eyes returning to the distant, cruel, unfeeling version. The cloud descends into and around him again, diving into his soul and settling over his skin, prowling closer than before. Reid holds me against his chest in a fierce hug, his arms winding around my body as Dr. Russo pushes the sedative into the IV, and Dominic’s thrashing slows until he’s once again unconscious.

Reid stares at him, chest rising and falling with his rapid breaths and heartbeat, then he swivels his head towards me. “What the fuck just happened?”

Chapter 57

REID

“Whatthefuckjusthappened?” I ask, clutching Taryn against my body.

She trembles and her skin is colder than ice, her teeth chattering and her eyes squeezed shut. She snuggles closer to me, gripping my sweatshirt, her face burying into the fabric as she takes deep breaths. I keep one arm around her waist and cup her cheek with the other, my eyes scanning her face, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest, worry and fear rushing through me like a jolt of lightning in my veins.

Her beautiful skin has a gray tinge to it, and her eyelids flutter in time with her shivering body. Her heart beats faster than mine, and rapid breaths force her chest and shoulders up and down at an unnatural pace. I clutch the back of her head and hug her to my chest again, swaying side to side, hoping the calming movement will help settle her nerves.

“I was hoping Taryn could tell us,” King Malachi says, letting go of Dominic and stepping away from the bed. “Not here, though,” he adds, glancing at Taryn and taking in her current state. “We’ll go back to the conference room so you can sit.”

Wesley walks to the door, pressing his palm against the scanner to open it. The others file out, but Taryn is in no shape to walk.

She’s not drained from using her gift like she was after healing my dad. Instead, it’s like she’s terrified or in shock. I need to lift her in my arms to get her out of the room, but she’s not wearing pants, and I don’t want her giving everyone a show.

“Can you stand?” I ask, and she nods, so I let go of her and tear my sweatshirt over my head, holding it out. “Arms up, Cadet,” I whisper, leaning down closer to her.

Her arms lift and I slip the sweatshirt over her quivering body and she hugs herself, her hands hidden within the long sleeves. The baggy sweatshirt hangs to her knees, and I lift her, cradling her to my chest and brushing my lips over her forehead.

“Talk to me,” I say, walking to the door.

“It was awful,” she says, her voice scratchy and tight. “It was dark and evil, and it didn’t want me there. I…” She shakes her head and swallows, leaning her face into my bare chest.

I flinch at the coldness of her skin against the heat of mine but grit my teeth and hold her closer. “It’s okay,” I say, the door shutting behind us. “I’ve got you.”

“I know.” She nuzzles in to me. “I just need a minute.”

Her body shudders, hard, like someone dumped a bucket of ice on her, and I pick up my pace, following everyone to the conference room we’d been in before.

I sit in the first chair I see, keeping Taryn in my arms and on my lap. Haven comes around the table with a blanket, and I snatch it from her and tuck it around my mate, making a cozy cocoon for her.

“Thanks, Luna,” I say.

She smiles and pats my shoulder as she moves to Wesley’s side, sitting on the arm of his chair.

“Okay, so, what happened in there?” Wesley asks, his arm sliding around Haven’s waist.

“I have no idea,” I say, shaking my head.

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