Page 108 of The Beta's Blind Date

“You really didn’t have to join us,” Wesley says, sitting in his desk chair.

“I need the distraction,” I reply, leaning against the wall.

He nods his response, his hand rubbing Haven’s back, his eyes flicking to the scars on her neck. She glances over at him, then perches herself on his lap, his arm winding around her waist as he pulls her closer. Matching shadows of exhaustion linger on their faces, veins of red marring the whites of their eyes. The attack ruined their wedding and honeymoon, but they both press forward, acting like this is just another day for them.

I suppose it is when you’re the alpha and the luna.

“What’s our status?” I ask, looking out the window towards the dark gray sky.

It’s early morning, and usually, from the windows in Wesley’s office, we can see the sun peeking over the ridges of the mountains, but not today. Today, all we can see are the looming, heavy, almost black clouds filled with snow that will be here sooner than we think.

“Several injuries. No deaths,” Wesley says, breaking his eye contact with Haven. “Maddie has my phone and is waiting for Ben to call about his pack. Beta Dawson is at Amber Forest still, doing a census of Silver Ridge members there, and he’ll come here once he’s finished.”

“And Dominic?” I ask, even though I don’t want to know.

He can rot in the forest for all I care, after what he did to my girl. Who knows what else he may have tried to alpha command her to do. I don’t want to think about it.

“He’s MIA,” Seb says. “No one has seen him, and we haven’t found a body, either.”

I grit my teeth and groan, rubbing my face. Dickhead or not, it’s not a good sign if he’s missing. It leaves Silver Ridge in limbo until he’s found. “What about their pack? The grounds and buildings?”

“The fire set by the rogues damaged almost everything,” Wesley says. “There wasn’t much left when we arrived. Thankfully, they have a solid evacuation plan, and it seems as though all their members made it out. But like I said, we’re still waiting for Beta Dawson to finish at Amber Forest and then come here.”

“And the rogues?”

“Untrackable. For now,” Sebastian growls. “They’re probably working with a covenless witch.” He shakes his head. “Fucking covenless witches. Keeping Haven hidden for almost twelve years, helping Tiny Tim and his fucked up agenda, messing with the mate bonds at Silver Ridge…”

“Was it just Silver Ridge?” Haven asks. “Are we sure it’s not all three packs?”

“Dr. Russo tested a handful of our unmated members for the potion—Maya and Levi included—and the results were negative. And since some of the Silver Ridge members have found their mates among our pack members since receiving the antidote, I’m pretty sure it was just their pack,” Wesley says.

I look at Nolan and Seb, raising a brow in curiosity. “Not us,” Nolan says, shaking his head. “We’re the two lone bachelor wolfketeers.”

Haven and Wesley laugh. Seb’s lips twitch, and I just roll my eyes.

“What about those with chosen mates?” I ask. “How will this affect them?”

Wesley’s laughter is cut short, and he grimaces, glancing at Haven again. “It will depend on the strength of their chosen bond. The stronger it is, the more likely it is that their original true mate bond has dissolved, and Selene will have given their original mate a ‘second chance mate.’ Although, they wouldn’t know it was a second chance mate.”

“That sounds like a complicated slippery slope.”

“Yes,” Wesley agrees, nodding. “But we will deal with it if it happens. The king and council have been alerted, and King Malachi is arranging a visit, although”—he glances at the darkening sky and fast-moving clouds, and the tree branches whipping around in the icy wind—“they will probably have to hold off on their visit until the storm passes. It’s going to break within the next few hours. Even if they use a transport stone, they wouldn’t be able to do much while waiting out the storm.”

“What timing,” I sigh. “I’d blame witches and the rogues for that, too, except I know neither group controls the weather.” I glance at Haven. “What about your family? The wedding guests?”

“Jack, Shirley, Tiffany and her family, and Scott are staying here to wait out the storm and the rogues,” she says. “Alton and Nicole are at Amber Forest with Ben. And Imogen…” Her lips curl into a sly smile. “Let’s just say she’s safe.”

Wes groans and puts his forehead in his hand. “The others were mostly pack members from here anyway, so everyone is fine. My mom is organizing sleeping arrangements for the displaced pack members and anyone else who is staying here. We’re all getting ready to hunker down for the storm, and we’re upping security the best we can since we know there are rogues in the area, and we don’t know if or when they will attack again.”

“Wait, can we back up? What’s going on with Imogen?” I ask, looking between them.

Wes shakes his head, and Haven zips her lips and throws an imaginary key behind herself. I turn towards Seb and Nolan, but both of them shrug, identical looks of bewilderment on their faces.

“I don’t know anything,” Seb says.

“That’s a first,” I say with a snort. “How does that feel?”

“Weird.” He scrunches up his nose. “I don’t like it.”

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