Page 111 of The Beta's Blind Date

My wolf sighs, and some of the tension releases from my body. It’s not enough, though. The subtle hint of Reid’s scent isn’t the same as him being present and next to me. The bond tugs at me, urging me to find him and stay with him.

“So you want to become a Crescent Lake member?” Wesley asks.

I open my eyes, yanked from my reverie. He leans back against his desk as Haven walks behind it, his arms crossed. His commanding form and aura dominate the room, even with him dressed so casually in jeans and a T-shirt. But it’s a comforting dominance, a protective dominance. I am safe in his presence. He is someone to be trusted.

“I do,” I confirm.

“Have you talked to Reid about this?” he asks. “Not to ask permission from him, I just mean—”

“I know what you mean, and no, I haven’t. I haven’t talked to him since he left the hospital a few hours ago.” Wesley nods, and Haven comes back around the desk, carrying a slim wooden box with the Crescent Lake crest stamped on it. “I was hoping maybe my Aunt Gigi could join the pack, too?”

“I can’t force her to join.”

“No, I know. I just want to tell her I am joining, and see if she wants to join, too.”

He nods again. “I’ll go bring her in here,” Haven says, setting the box on the desk. “I just saw her chatting with Cookie in the kitchens.”

She leaves the room and Alpha Wesley and I sit there in silence while we wait for her to return. I glance around his office, taking in the large picture windows overlooking the whole of their pack lands and the rustic interior design with a fur rug beneath his desk. Photographs of Haven dancing and of the two of them over the years hang on the walls and sit on the shelves behind his desk, and two wrinkled and faded wallet-sized pictures of them as elementary-aged kids are tucked into the edge of a framed photo of the two of them at the beach.

A smile tugs at my lips, seeing the proof of their story laid out in Wesley’s office.

“Normally, we’d have a big, over-the-top ceremony to welcome you to the pack since you’re a ranked member’s mate,” Wesley says, drawing my eyes back to him.

“Well, I’m not sure what—I mean, we can always—” I clear my throat and shake my head as the door opens again, and Haven and my Aunt Gigi enter the office. “I want to join now. I can’t stay a Silver Ridge member any longer.”

“Why?” Wesley asks.

“Because Dominic commanded me to leave the reception last night against my will, and he almost alpha commanded me to be his luna, but the rogues crashed his car before he could finish.”

Wesley inhales, his nostrils flaring and his eyes flashing.

Haven’s head snaps towards me, her hands clenching into fists. “That is… That is not what my…” Her blue eyes darken and I swear she almost growls. Wesley pulls her in front of him and wraps his arms around her shoulders, burying his nose in her hair. She closes her eyes and grabs his arms with her hands. “That is not how a lycan alpha is supposed to behave,” she says, shaking her head, her voice low.

“No, it’s not,” I agree. “Which is why I can’t be a member of his pack anymore. I have to protect myself.” I swallow, steeling myself to tell them my secret. “I have to protect my pup,” I add, placing my hand over my stomach.

Their eyes widen, and Haven moves her hand to her heart. “Dominic’s?” she asks.

“Yes,” I reply. “That is why I have to leave Silver Ridge. I have to protect my family. I know it’s not ideal, and I understand if you say no since an alpha-blooded pup who is the potential heir of another pack could cause problems for you down the line. But it didn’t seem right for me to ask you to let me join without you getting all the information.”

“Does Dominic know about the pup?” Wesley asks. “Does Reid know?”

I shake my head. “I didn’t even know until this morning when Dr. Russo told me. I haven’t told Reid yet. I’m only telling you now because I feel it’s the right thing to do.”

Haven extricates herself from Wesley’s arms and sits in the chair next to me, taking my hand in hers. They are elegant and soft, her touch cool and calming against my skin heated with anxiety and nerves and my churning stomach. The churning which could be from either stress or morning sickness. Or both.

“We won’t say anything,” she says, squeezing my hand. “But you should tell Reid.”

I just nod my response. I know I need to tell him, and I will tell him. When I’m ready. When I know he won’t run for the hills.

“I’ll join too,” Aunt Gigi says, putting her hand on my shoulder. “Family has to stick together.”

“Is that all right?” I ask Wesley.

“Of course,” he says. “Even if you weren’t Reid’s mate, I would let you join our pack after hearing what Alpha Dominic tried to do. You carrying his pup doesn’t change that. We will protect you and your pup.” He shakes his head and reaches for the narrow wooden box. “I don’t know Alpha Dominic as well as I know Alpha Ben, but it is still surprising to hear he did something like that.”

“I thought I knew him. I guess I didn’t. He’s not the Dominic I remember. Maybe he never was.”

“I’m sorry you went through that, Taryn. When the king or his representatives arrive, I hope you let them know what he did. That way, when or if he’s found, they can deal with him accordingly.”

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