Page 40 of The Beta's Blind Date

I shake my head, laughter still playing on my lips as I head inside the packhouse.“Ok, well, I am exhausted from my double workout today. I am going to go back to my apartment to have a self-care spa day and binge-watch Queen Charlotte.”

“Does your self care include rubbing one out while thinking of a certain beta from Crescent Lake?”

I laugh out loud, drawing the eyes of the handful of my pack mates in the sitting area of the packhouse, but I don’t bother responding to Blake. She said that to get a rise out of me. I cover my mouth, dampening the sound as much as I can, and walk through the room towards the hallway leading to the apartments for single, unmated wolves.

This drawing room is my least favorite area of the packhouse. The couches are stiff and more for show than for comfort and lounging. The decor is ivory. Ivory everything, except for the shiny black grand piano in the corner that no one ever plays. Most families keep the pups away from this area of the house, too afraid they’ll take the blame for stains or broken furniture. The only person who uses the room is Luna Merina—Dominic’s mom—when she has her weekly tea parties with the other old biddies of the pack.

And I forgot today is tea party day.

“Taryn!” Luna Merina coos when she sees me. “How are you, sweetie?”

She rises from her seat near the large picture windows and waltzes over to me, arms outstretched. Her blue floral sheath dress hugs her body, showing off the fit physique she’s kept even with her age and the death of her mate. Her brown hair is swept into a French twist, and her gray eyes smile at me, the same gray eyes her son has.

“Hello, Luna Merina,” I say, embracing her, hyperaware of my sweat-scented clothes, body, and hair.

“Come, sit with us and have some tea!”

I smile and open my mouth to decline—I really want to have my me time—but Aunt Gigi is sitting with the other females, dressed in a dark green sheath dress cut in a similar style to Luna Merina’s. She catches my eye and gives me a look and a stern nod, pointing her chin at the empty seat next to her.

There is no arguing with that look. It’s either listen to Aunt Gigi and have tea or get an earful of her choice words later if I refuse.

“Thank you, Luna,” I say, although I want nothing less than to stay. “I would like that.”

I drop my gym bag on the floor and perch myself on the chair beside Aunt Gigi, sitting up straight with my ankles crossed, like she taught me growing up, even though I don’t have a dress on. I am underdressed compared to the other ladies having tea with the former luna, but none of them seem to mind. It’s clear I came from a workout, and they all used to train or be pack warriors in their day.

Aunt Gigi nods her approval at my posture and prepares my tea for me, exactly the way she knows I like it. Extra sweet.

I sit quietly, smiling and pretending to listen to the conversation around me, but my mind is in my apartment, where I should be having my spa day and watching Queen Charlotte’s love story—even though I’ve already watched it I don’t know how many times—while eating ice cream straight from the tub with the cookies Reid bought for me.

The ladies keep chattering away, and I sip my tea. None of them address me, so I don’t feel bad about not contributing to the discussion. But damn, these biddies can talk. And I can’t excuse myself without appearing rude. It’s looking more and more like my spa day is going to be a spa night.

“Sandwich, Taryn?” Luna Merina asks, holding out a tray of tiny tea sandwiches.

“Oh, no thank you, Luna,” I say. “I had lunch at Brewed Awakenings with a friend, and I am beyond stuffed.”

“Oh, stop that,” she chuckles, swatting my arm playfully as she sets the tray down. “Call me Merina. We’re practically family. You and Dominic have been seeing each other for what, a year now? More? I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before he asks you to be his luna and puts his mark on your neck.”

Auntie Gigi raises her brows but says nothing. She knows it’s not her place to tell Luna Merina the truth. Instead, she hides behind her teacup, taking a sip and watching the conversation unfold with great interest.

I blow out a breath, set my almost empty teacup on the table, and rub my hands on my thighs. “We ended things,” I say, and everyone around the table gasps and covers their mouths with their hand or their napkin. “I ended things,” I clarify, wanting to set that record straight.

I’m not about to have some gossip-hungry female going around saying Dominic dumped me.

“I gave him an ultimatum. I told him he needed to decide to be serious with me and settle down, and if he couldn’t do that, then I was going to walk away from him for good.”

“Oh, Taryn, sweetie! I had no idea!” Luna Merina says, her hand on her chest. “I’m so sorry. I swear to the goddess, I did not raise that boy to be so hard-headed and callous towards females. I’ll talk to him, don’t you worry. I’ll make him see what he’s missing by pushing you away like that.”

“No, Luna. Thank you, but no. If Dominic wants me—if he really wants me back in his life—then he needs to decide for himself. On his own. He needs to see my worth and acknowledge it. I want him to choose me because he wants to choose me, not because something or someone tells him he has to. And if I meet my fated mate or someone who is ready to settle down and be serious before Dominic comes to that realization… Well, then, that is his loss.” I shrug.

Auntie Gigi pats my leg and gives me a soft smile.“That’s my girl,”she mindlinks me.

Some of the other ladies nod their approval as well, and I sit straighter, my wolf mimicking me in my head. She’s been more active in my mind than usual since our run with Reid’s wolf—more alert and focused. I’m guessing it’s because of the change of scenery and the intense workouts we had today.

“Thank you again for the tea, Luna Merina,” I say, emphasizing the use of her title. “Now, if you will excuse me, I would really like to shower since I had a double workout today.”

I stand, grab my gym bag, and leave the tea party without waiting to hear their responses. I did my duty and played nice for a short while, but now I need to focus on myself and my needs, and my current need is to shower and practice some self-care so my mind and body can be refreshed and ready for the week ahead and all I will face starting tomorrow morning.

But I am not even halfway down the hall to my apartment when I am again waylaid. This time, by Alpha Dominic.

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