Page 8 of The Beta's Blind Date

He rests his hands on his hips, and his chin drops to his chest.

I sigh. “Did you actually need to discuss something with me, or was that an excuse to get me alone? Because, Goddess help me, Dominic, I am not that—”

“I need a date for Alpha Wesley’s wedding,” he rushes out.

I bark out a harsh laugh and shake my head, pressing my fingertips into my forehead. “You have an entire pack of willing females. Ask one of them.”

I turn on my heels and strut away, but he grabs my wrist, stopping me. I whip around and glare at his hand on my arm, my nostrils flaring. He lets me go with the speed of one struck by lightning, but my guard is up. He’s not one to get physical, but he’s been more volatile recently.

“I don’t want to take any of them,” he says. “You’re the only one I want to take.”

“You only want to take me?” I ask, raising a brow.

“Yes.”

“There’s no one else in Silver Ridge you’d want to take?”

“No one,” he says, stepping closer.

“So, you’re telling me you don’t want to take any other female to the wedding, that I’m the only one you want to go with, and yet you can’t commit to me?”

He groans, throwing his arms up in frustration. “That’s not what this is about, Taryn.”

“It is, though, Alpha Dominic,” I say, my volume rising. “I told you what I want. I want commitment, I want a mate, and I want someone who is ready to have a family. And you made it very clear you aren’t willing to be ‘tied down’ yet.”

“Don’t use my words against me.”

“I’m not using them against you. I’m pointing out a fact.”

“But we have fun together, Taryn,” he says, resting his hands on my shoulders. “We’re good together, you and me.”

I press my lips together and close my eyes, avoiding his stare, avoiding those long lashes that should be illegal on a male. He’s not wrong. We’ve had fun over the last year. And he is good. He is so very good.

But that’s all it was for him. Fun. And when I was ready for more, when I confronted him and laid it all out on the line, he shot me down without a thought.

I would have understood if it was about wanting his mate, but it wasn’t even that. He just didn’t want to commit. Even though he’d been with no one else in over a year, he couldn’t take that decisive step, couldn’t agree to see if we could be something more, something serious.

So I walked. I did what was right for me, and put my needs first, and told him we were done.

And I will not let him bat his eyelashes to get me to let him back into my bed.

“But that’s all it is for you,” I say, opening my eyes. “And there is no ‘you and me.’ There is you, and there is me, and that’s it.”

I shrug his hands off my shoulders and walk back over to Blake and Dawson, who both pretend they didn’t hear any of our argument. Even though we weren’t quiet. Even though we’re all werewolves and have excellent hearing.

“I have to RSVP on the website today,” he says from behind me, following me.

“Then say you’re going alone,” I reply, not breaking my stride towards the locker room door. “Or take Dawson,” I add, jerking my chin at him.

“He’s got his own plus one, and he’s taking Blake.”

“He is?” I ask, whirling around. “Is that true?” I lean to the side, looking past Dominic to Blake and Dawson.

Blake’s face scrunches up and she frowns, turning to stare at Dawson with me.

“Uh, Blake, did you want to go to the wedding with me?” Dawson mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck and looking at the floor, his brown hair falling into his eyes.

She stares at him, unblinking, then shrugs. “Weird. But okay.”

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