Page 147 of The Beta's Blind Date

“What are you doing?” she asks, her eyes closing and a yawn forcing its way out of her mouth.

“Telling my girls how much I love them.”

“She can’t hear you yet.”

I shrug. “That’s not going to stop me.”

She shakes her head and tilts her head to kiss me on the lips. “Good morning to you too,” she says.

“I’m going to start breakfast for us,” I say, cupping her cheek. “You take your time getting up and ready.”

She nods and I pull away, my feet carrying me out of the bedroom while my heart stays behind with her and my pup.

The door clicks shut behind me, and I make my way towards the kitchen. I stop in my tracks, however, when I hear voices trickling into the hall, my brow furrowing. With slow and steady steps, I round the corner, my guard up, my wolf and I on edge and ready to defend our home and our family.

Wesley looks up from the stove, a proud grin on his face as he sees me looking around the kitchen at the various breakfast pastries and fruit on display on the counter along with the bacon and sausage he cooks on the stove and the coffee brewing in front of Haven.

“What the fuck are you doing in my house?” I ask.

“This is payback for all the times YOU just appeared in MY house without my permission and stole my snacks. Now you get a taste of your own medicine.”

“Did I hear correctly?” Sebastian says as the front door of my house opens. “Did Wesley say he was exacting revenge on Reid?”

“He did,” Haven confirms with a nod.

“I’m so proud,” Seb says, his hand over his heart as he walks into the kitchen and grabs a coffee mug from the cabinets. “I can finally admit to being your brother without feeling an ounce of shame.”

Wes shoves him. “Fuck off.”

“Seriously, why are you here?” I ask as Nolan also enters the kitchen.

“Housewarming breakfast,” Nolan says. “It was Wesley’s idea. I was told to be here or face the consequences.”

“I didn’t say that!”

“Be warned,”I mindlink Taryn, rolling my eyes.“My dickhead friends have infiltrated our home under the pretense of a ‘housewarming breakfast.’ Run while you still have time.”

“Too late,” she says from behind me.

I glance over my shoulder at her. Her braids and curls spill down her back, and she wears one of my long-sleeved shirts and a pair of leggings, the sleeves pulled down over her hands to keep them warm. The collar sits lopsided on her neck, showing off her mark, and I smile.

Mine.

Overcome with pride and love for the female who broke through all my defenses and the tiny pup growing inside her who brought us together completely, I pull her into my arms and plant a kiss on her lips. My friends cheer and howl, and Taryn laughs against my mouth. My wolf prances in my mind at my outward display of possessiveness and the approval of his alpha, luna, and friends.

I pull away from her, and she stares up at me with the same love and trust I feel towards her, and I know I can’t hold it back anymore. I’m too excited, too proud to keep it to myself. Everyone needs to know how lucky I am, how complete we are.

“Can I tell them?”I ask her through mindlink, my hand tracing over her stomach.

She nods, and I beam, then turn and pull her in front of me, hugging her upper body and hooking my chin over her shoulder.

“Everyone,” I say, my eyes scanning over my friends. “I have—we have—an announcement.”

Seb turns from the coffee machine, mug in hand, steam rising into his face as he leans against the counter. Nolan pauses in the middle of spreading cream cheese on his bagel, looking at us, and Haven and Wes hold each other’s hands, exchanging a glance with a smile.

I take a deep breath, hugging my girl as she hugs me back, and then I grin at them all. “We’re having a pup!” I exclaim, proud as a peacock, my wolf preening in my mind.

I look between them all, waiting for their reactions, met with silence and stares. My sinks, my smile and excitement fading. Fear sets in—fear of their judgment of Taryn, of them shunning her for something out of her control, of them judging me for accepting her while she’s pregnant with another male’s pup.

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